Spotlight
Georcelle Dapat-Sy: Rocking Motherhood Through the Power of Dance
Teacher Georcelle shares how dancing made her the woman, mentor, wife, and mother she is today.
Georcelle Dapat-Sy—or Teacher Georcelle, as she is known to many—is an iconic name in the dance scene. As the artistic director and choreographer of G-Force, one of the country’s leading dance groups, she and her team have taught thousands of students in their annual Dance Project and have danced alongside some of the country’s top celebrities.
As her students say, being in a room with Teacher Georcelle is like a dose of happy, dynamic energy—enough to fire up your day. During the Modern Parenting shoot, she even showed that “Humbam!” persona on and off the camera.
The energy was felt even more when her kids—Jaja, 23, BJ, 19, and Gas, 14, and husband Angel Sy arrived on the set to join in the fun. They even did TikTok dances in between their hair and make-up!
Clearly, the gift of dance is strong in the Sy family.
The story of G-Force
Teacher Georcelle herself began dancing at a young age.
“I started my formal training when I was eight years old,” she shared. “I became a professional dancer when I was 14 and started handling big shows and taking care of artists at the age of 18. And after 10 years, I founded my company called G-Force.”
Establishing G-Force as a group and its dance center, according to Georcelle, was something that was in the making for a long time. At that time, she was already transitioning between two dance companies. One of her mentors mentioned that when she established the group, it had to have her branding as a dancer.
“I thought I needed to become an independent choreographer. But one of my mentors said that here in the Philippines at that time, you’re not going to survive if you’re going to be an independent choreographer,” Georcelle recalled.
She even remembered holding auditions for different college and university dancers, admitting it was not easy—as none of them had the proper training. But that did not stop her from forming the group.
“I said, okay, this is my new path now. And then when I was creating it, I discovered that there are a lot of people who wanted to dance like us,” Georcelle said. “At that time, it wasn’t hard to start because we were young. We were fresh, affordable, and we were very practical.”
Now in its 19th year, G-Force has evolved into more than just a dance group. It has become a literal force in the dance scene. They’ve traveled the world, performed on the biggest stages alongside the biggest talents, and have served as a cornerstone for young dancers through their workshops and concerts.
And even the G in G-Force has also become more than Georcelle’s name! “G now means GENERATION. So it’s a generational force. And because of our presence globally in Dubai, we’re also going to Canada, and soon to Japan and Guam. We are a GLOBAL FORCE,” she said proudly.
Dancing is a family affair!
Dance is definitely in the blood of Georcelle’s family. Her husband Angel runs the company with her while her two kids—Jaja and BJ—are teaching and choreographing dances for their classes and TV performances.
“It’s a major bonding [experience for us],” Georcelle said of her family’s involvement. “It helps us to have more connection and a lot of realizations. Like for my kids, they’ve realized, ‘Oh, that’s why mommy’s busy. Because of this line of work.’ So they’re more immersed now in my world.”
Like any parent, Georcelle is a proud momma when it comes to her kids’ accomplishments. “It’s a different feeling when you see them—from the very first time they perform to the very first time they dance with you, and that [moment when] you share the same stage with them in front of an audience.”
The love for dance has also taught her kids beyond the four walls of a typical classroom. “It helped them with problem-solving and critical thinking because when they started, it was a different novelty, and on a professional level, it’s also different. The learning never stops.” And it’s not just dance steps they need to learn. They are also acquiring interpersonal skills and life skills along the way.
In fact, these days, her children are getting their fair share of the spotlight too and Teacher Georcelle knows it, “The younger dancers know me now as “the mom” of Teacher Jaja and Teacher BJ. That’s who I am to them.”
“Sometimes [parents would say], ‘O anak, mag-papicture ka kay teacher Georcelle,’” she chuckled. Then, tatanong ng anak, ‘Who is she, mom?’ And then, ang sagot maririnig ko, ‘She’s the mom of teacher Jaja.’”
“And then with BJ naman, you know, because he’s a guy, he’s a mover. Whenever we do our rehearsals, the girls would really scream. So, nakakaproud, but at the same time, I realized I really have to guide him.”
Drawing the line between mom and teacher
Although dance has made her family close, it also has its challenges. She recalled each moment when her three kids entered the age of 13 years old. “When you enter the teenage years, yan talaga yung age ng mga bata [when] they’re navigating,” Georcelle pointed out.
“They want to be independent; they’ll want to be with their friends, and not really so much with their parents. They want to have control.”
“[Dealing with a] 13-year-old was difficult because I am also learning and navigating my motherhood [journey] and also my disciplining them as a mom. Now, it’s easier because we’re able to really set it apart. Like me being Teacher Georcelle when it comes to work is different from me being a mom.”
From Teacher Georcelle’s kids themselves
As Teacher Georcelle explained, there is no doubt that her kids find her cool. And for Jaja, BJ, and Gas, their cool mom is someone they admire.
“She is not the typical Filipino mom,” Jaja said proudly. “Sa industry namin, she helps us with everything. We grew up with dance and we dance [together] also. As a mom, she also tells us to separate work from our home because sa house, dapat happy happy lang.”
“I find her cool because, you know, she’s really good at being around people and socializing,” BJ chimed in. “She also has this energy that everyone kind of absorbs as well. And she’s just really out there, you know, to everyone. She really just connects with people very well, which I admire about her as well.
Gas, who is into sports, added that even while he’s focused on playing basketball, they plan things together. “She gives her time to bring me there [to my games], ” he said.
It’s a give-and-take relationship between Jaja, BJ, and Georcelle when it comes to dancing. The two teach the current dance trends to their mom and in return, she shares with them her timeless learnings. But she is supportive regardless of what her kids do.
“She really supports us because she doesn’t want us to be just sticking to one thing,” BJ said. “She wants us to learn and experience a lot of things. So, she researches about things even if it means staying up very late at night doing it.”
Is there any song that they can say describes their mom? Gas shared “Work” by Rihanna comes to mind. “She keeps on working,” Gas chuckled.
BJ on the other hand picked “Pow Wow,” a song his mom and the group performed to. “I think that one…I don’t know. It made a difference when they released it. G-Force, not just my mom, got very well known because of that music video.”
Jaja meanwhile recalled how her mom loved Sean Paul’s song “She Doesn’t Mind,” which they actually danced to. “It was her favorite song at that time. She doesn’t mind not paying attention to the noise because she knows what she wants, what’s right… she won’t listen to the negativity.”
Empowering women through White Shirt Love
In 2014, Teacher Georcelle launched one of the programs that G-Force would become popular for—White Shirt Love. The dance program created quite a stir when it was introduced and revolutionized the industry.
“I created that [White Shirt Love] because after giving birth, I experienced sadness,” Georcelle explained. “At that time, I thought I lost my ‘oomph.’ I wasn’t in my best aura and I had to find that. And I said, you know what? I know myself. I’ve been training all my life. Why not create my own?”
White Shirt Love not only got women in the program to get their groove back but has attracted moms, single ladies, and ladies at heart to show their femininity. Even personalities like Sandara Park and Nadine Lustre did the movements on stage—showcasing their explosive popularity in the dance scene.
The movements may be intimidating at the start for first-timers but Georcelle assures a safe space for participants. Plus, the program has attracted women of all ages. And believe it or not, it has even boosted their confidence!
“I know my objective when I start each class, and when my students experience it, they build up on that idea because they really discover a lot about themselves,” she said. “You know, I’m just giving you guys a tool. I’m just giving you that 1.5-hour class and then kayo na iyan after.”
“It’s powerful to be sexy, but not in a raunchy way. It’s elegant, it’s classy, but it is sensual. There is an ‘embracing the fact that I am a woman, I am sensual and let me be’ type of vibe,” she added.
She recalled stories of how White Shirt Love changed her students—like one student wanted to date and ultimately achieved that, while one woman eventually got pregnant after wishing to have a child.
“I’m so happy because, through the program, I have provided what I’d say, a tool for women to use for them to discover themselves,” she said.
Plans are on the way to celebrate White Shirt Love’s anniversary this year with the theme I am Free to Be Me.
The future of Georcelle and G-Force
These days, Georcelle is happy to have more time to spend with her kids and husband—unlike in the early years. “It’s different now because my kids are all teenagers, we are also older,” she said. “So, the dynamic is better. A lot better. But when they were younger, I was really [always] away because I was also young and building my career.”
“But now, you know what, we really make sure that we have time.”
With so many accomplishments already, what does Georcelle still want for herself and G-Force?
“If I’m going to be technical about it, I am in talks with some organizations that will help children with IDD (Intellectual or Developmental Disability),” she shared. “Because I noticed that just recently, I saw probably three or four students of ours enjoy coming to our classes and they have IDD. I really want to create something that is specifically for them. They love being in our classes because they feel included in society.”
“I want to of course create something for women my age. Nobody addresses perimenopausal, menopausal and how the body changes when you reach this age,” she continued. “And of course, for the company, I want G-Force to really be open to endless possibilities in the gift of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence and I really want to explore that.”
With G-Force soon celebrating two decades in the industry and White Shirt Love on its 10th year, it goes to show that dance is definitely alive and thriving in the Philippines. And with Teacher Georcelle and G-Force leading the pack, the future for Filipino dancers and Filipino women is bright.
Words ALEXA VILLANO
Photography EXCEL PANLAQUE of KLIQ, Inc.
Makeup DENISE GO-OCHOA
Hair FLORENZ JOHN TORRONTEGUI
Shoot Coordination ANTHONY MENDOZA
Art Director DENIELLE CARAG
Sittings Editor MARGA MEDRANO-TUPAZ
Shot on Location at AGC POWER HOLDINGS STUDIO
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