Pinoys shine at World of Dance Italy 2025

ROME, Italy - Filipino-Italian young talents took center stage at the recently concluded World of Dance Italy 2025 held in Rome and bagged major awards.

In the Junior Division, four major awards were swept by Filipino youths from Rome.

Andrew Magahis, 17, son of Dennis and Girlie, clinched 1st place in the Solo Junior Division.

Kyle Portugal, 24, son of Jenny and Choi, wowed the audience and was named Crowd Favorite in the KPOP Division.

The ICON TWINZ, 17-year-old twins Keith and Christopher Portugal, bagged the Best Costume Award in the Duo Junior C Division.

And once again, Keith Portugal impressed the judges by winning 1st place in the Solo KPOP Division — his second consecutive win in this category. Proud Mommy Jenny shared her joy, saying, "All the sleepless nights and sacrifices have been worth it!”

Meanwhile, out of 34 competing groups in the Team Division, three Pinoy-led crews made their mark:

• LD New Code, choreographed by Kevin Castillo;
• Hermes Crew, an all-Filipino team from Rome led by Allen Gunda and Jeff Creus; and
• Barkada, a group from Northern Italy, who wowed the crowd with a modern take on tinikling and earned 3rd place in the Team Division. The group was choreographed by Patrick and his brother Gabrielle.

Adding to the Filipino pride, Shaun Evaristo, renowned Fil-Am dancer and choreographer, sat on the panel of judges, bringing global recognition to the event.

Also spotlighted during the competition were prominent Filipino choreographers in Italy, including Mark Magsino, James Floreando, and Daniele Cipriano — further highlighting the strong presence of Filipinos in the international hip-hop and dance community.

World of Dance Italy is the Italian leg of the global World of Dance competition — a prestigious platform that showcases the best dance talents from around the world. And this year, Filipinos came, danced, and conquered. —KG, GMA Integrated News