5 Wellness Lessons Teacher Georcelle Learned from Dancing
One of the country’s foremost dance visionaries and wellness movement advocates shares what years of dancing on stage and in front of the camera have taught her about wellness.
“I grew up thinking everyone could dance,” shares Georcelle Dapat-Sy. “I didn’t realize until much later that not everyone shared this instinct.” Dancing, for her, was the most natural thing in the world.
The woman known in showbiz circles and to the greater public as Teacher Georcelle formally learned how to dance when she was eight years old. Growing up, she loved classic 80s dance movies such as Flashdance, A Chorus Line, and All That Jazz. “I was mesmerized by the sweat, the discipline, the magic that unfolded on stage. Even then, I knew—dance isn’t just steps. It’s a language of the soul,” she tells us today.
When she was 14, she stepped into the ABS-CBN studios and felt that she was home. “It was like the universe whispered, ‘This is where you belong,’” she shares.
Teacher Georcelle has since parlayed that love of dance not only into a career, but into something that is now both a movement and an empire. As a sought-after celebrity choreographer and dance visionary, and the CEO and founding artistic director of leading dance company and school G-Force, she has played a hand in shaping showbiz touchstones, dance crazes, and Philippine pop culture in general.
Hers is a touch that has influenced many a culture-defining moment.
Courtesy of Georcelle Dapat-Sy
In the years since, Teacher Georcelle has added another feather to her cap: that of wellness movement advocate. Dance, she says, isn’t just her passion. It’s her purpose. “Dance has the power to inspire, to heal, to lift people up. That’s what I live for—not just to move, but to move others, and I’m here to share it with everyone I have the privilege to dance with.”
She shares with Allure Philippines five things that all her years dancing have taught her about wellness.
1. Self-expression is vital.
Finding an outlet for self-expression is crucial for our well-being. Self-expression, Teacher Georcelle explains, is not just important for creative reasons. “It’s actually a big part of feeling good and staying well,” she continues. “Moving helps us express things we can’t always put into words, and helps us work through our emotions while connecting with ourselves and with others.”
2. The mind-body connection is real.
Teacher Georcelle espouses the belief that physical activity can also help you in the mental sense. “Dancing keeps me present,” she shares. “It quiets the noise in my head and lets me express what I feel—even the things I can’t put into words. That kind of release is truly healing for me.”
3. Movement can kickstart an amazing chain of (positive!) reactions for a person.
It does amazing things for a person, and Teacher Georcelle has the list to prove it. “It’s helped me navigate stress, overcome challenges, and stay grounded amidst the demands of being a leader,” she shares. “Through movement, I’ve learned to honor my body, trust my instincts, and celebrate my individuality.” She mentions the science behind it—those feel-good endorphins that are released after physical activity, and “help shake off stress and boost my mood.”
4. Wellness and beauty are not just skin-deep.
Wellness and beauty don’t stop at skin care and physical activity, and this is something that Teacher Georcelle has learned through dance. “For me, dance is both my meditation and my celebration,” she begins, continuing to say, “It’s where I find clarity when life feels overwhelming, and where my creativity and strength come to the surface.”
Dance spins her inwards, and has allowed her the realization that true wellness and true beauty emanate from within. “Every movement [of dance] is a reminder that wellness and beauty go far beyond what we see on the outside—it’s about feeling genuine, joyful, and at home in your own skin.”
5. For body-smart people, there is a way to turn your passion into your livelihood.
When your heart and passions truly lie in the realm of wellness, movement, and passing these on to others, it’s possible to answer the calling and turn it into a livelihood—just as Teacher Georcelle has done with G-Force. “For body-smart people like me and countless others, dance has opened doors, put food on the table, and built a community where passion becomes [a] profession. We have grown to develop multiple intelligences, master rhythm and space, we learn to lead and to listen, we unlock creativity and emotional strength.”
For Teacher Georcelle, her life’s passion, dance, has led her on many wondrous adventures and journeys. It has also put her on the path to wellness. Dance has taught her and afforded her many things—including the fact that movement is an undeniable doorway to finding our own selves, and our own well-being.
