SEOUL, 23 July 2015 – A Filipino male dancer from Quezon City was awarded a special prize at the 6th Korea International Modern Dance Competition (KIMDC) held with the support of South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) in Hyehwa-dong, Seoul, according to the Philippine Embassy in South Korea.

Mr Raul Raquitico Jr, one of two dancers of the Daloy Dance Company who qualified to represent the country at this year's competition, was given the 2015 KIMDC Korea Dance Association Award with a cash prize of $500 by President Kim Bock Hee, who also serves as the KIMDC Committee Chairwoman at the awards ceremony on 22 July 2015 at the Dongsung Art Center.

Mr Raquitico overcame three hurdles in the KIMDC's highly competitive Senior Male Division: qualifying for the elimination round in Seoul, then making it to the semifinals and the finals of the competition. The 2015 KIMDC Grand Prix was won by Kwon Min-chan of the Korea Contemporary Dance Company, who also clinched the Gold Prize in the Senior Male Division.

The Korea Dance Association Award is one of three special prizes given at the 2015 KIMDC, together with the Jury Award and the Choreography Award.

A panel of professional choreographers and directors, composed of Huang Lei from China, Beyhan Murphy from Turkey, Yunyu Wang from Taiwan, Wendy Chiles from Canada, and Kim Hyun-nam from Korea chose three winners for gold, silver and bronze prizes each for the Senior Male, Senior Female and Junior Divisions.

An alumnus of the University of the Philippines (UP), Mr Raquitico was a member of the UP Streetdance Club, the university's official hiphop dance group, competing at the first Skechers Streetdance Battle and Dancelebration. He trained in jazz dance with the late Danny Marshall of Douglas Nierras Powerdance (DNP), among other choreographers.

He was joined at the competition by fellow UP graduate Mr. Erick Dizon, a dancer and teacher of modern jazz, ethnic and folk, and contemporary dance, in qualifying for the KIMDC's elimination round in Seoul. Mr Dizon was President of the University of the Philippines' Filipiniana Dance Group from 2011 to 2013 and has performed in local and international tours with them.

They are coached by Daloy Dance Company Artistic Director and veteran choreographer Ea Torrado, who has toured extensively in the Philippines, the U.S., Russia, Europe, Scotland, Cambodia, and Japan, as principal and soloist in classical and contemporary full-length ballets with Ballet Manila, Ballet Philippines and Dance Theatre of Tennessee.

With the support of the MCST, the 2015 KIMDC attracted dancers from Korea, China, the Philippines, France, U.S., Mexico, Russia, Japan, and Taiwan, among others. It is envisioned to become one of the world's most famous dance competitions and a center where all professionals can exchange their artistic talents and inspirations of modern dance.

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