A Claretian on the International Stage

Diego Aviles holds his medal after his team won third place at the Hip Hop International’s 2016 World Hip Hop Dance Championship. (Photo courtesy of Jun Almazan)

“Dancing, for me, is an art where you can express yourself through movement. It is the one thing I can consider my passion. I plan to share my style with others or maybe even the whole world in the future.”

That’s what dancing is all about for Diego Aviles, a Claretian senior who has reached various achievements and numerous milestones when it comes to his passion, dancing. Diego has represented his team, The Alliance, and at the same time, our country and Claret School when it comes to the world stage. His team competed at the Hip Hop International’s 2016 World Hip Hop Dance Championship, on August 8 -13, 2016 at Las Vegas, USA. In where he, along with his team, won third place out of the seventy two (72) participating teams. “It was truly a blessing to be given this opportunity. It definitely feels nerve-wracking to represent the country and dance in front of the world but… that’s what’s fun about it!” This wash is answer when he was asked how he felt about this chance and opportunity given to him. According to him, being able to compete for another year gave him the chance to achieve the things he hasn’t done in the past, and one of those is to be able to reach the finals.

On the contrary, Diego honestly didn’t want to participate in the competition at first. He said that he was already content with the accomplishments and experiences that he gained in the past year and wanted to put more focus on his academic life. However, if it wasn’t for his dad’s continuous motivation, he wouldn’t have achieved what he has achieved today. That is also one factor that pushed him to join the competition. “My dad’s motivation, asking me if I had a sense of unfinished business, is what made me take the opportunity,” he says. His dad made him realize that there is still something more that could be achieved and done, that there is still a higher goal that could be reached, and that he has something more to prove to everyone. Wouldn’t that motivate you as well?

One piece of advice that Diego would give to everyone, for aspiring dancers and non-dancers alike, is to always stay determined and focused to be able to reach their own certain goals and dreams just like he did. He said that if you want something really badly and you work hard for it, you’ll eventually get it. If you weren’t able to reach it, it only means that you weren’t working hard enough. Being determined and motivated are the two things you must not leave out if you’re aspiring for something. As Diego says, “You should always remember the Law of Attraction, tiwala, and God.”

#Dance #ClaretHataw