Grooving on the traditional stage, the School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA) Tigers danced their way into the world of Aladdin and came out as the champions in Sayawtenista 2022.

This year’s Sayawtenista featured the burst of talents and creativity of the Ateneans across the nine clusters by giving off dance routines anchored to the criteria of musicals.

The victors, SEA Tigers, captivated the audiences with their rendition of Aladdin the musical, touring the audience in the Arabian sands.

When asked about their experience performing on-site after two years, SEA Tigers’ Kyle Macaraeg shared that there were struggles with time management, fueled by the ups and downs of personal and academic life. 

“Two years ako hindi nag sayaw. Fulfilling siya and grabe jud sa feeling, I feel at home jud. Happy ako na nag balik on stage,” Macaraeg told Atenews.

Detailing how they want their dance routine to be remembered, he added that they want the Ateneo community to remember the Genie as someone “beyond the box.”

The SEA tigers’ win for this year’s Sayawtenista was a notable comeback after they lost their three-year champion title streak as they missed landing the podium last year.

On the other hand, the first runner-up title holders, the Accountancy Griffins, brought Alexander Hamilton back to life with their performance inspired by the musical Hamilton. 

To complete the podium, Business and Management Cluster secured the 2nd runner-up title with their Les Miserables dance performance.

The Humanities and Letters Cluster breathed Lion King into life with their play, while the School of Nursing brought Miss Saigon to the Ateneo grounds. 

The Social Sciences Cluster also introduced the Grease to the Ateneans, the Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the School of Education performers portrayed the story of Wicked, while the Computer Science Cluster performed Phantom of the Opera.

The Sayawtenista 2022 was held at the Martin Hall prior to the awarding and closing ceremony of SADYA: The Ateneo Fiesta 2022.

The dance performances can be viewed on SAMAHAN’s Facebook Page.