Gela Atayde. Image: Instagram/@starmagicphils
While Gela Atayde has long been recognized for her dance prowess, she admitted that she still feels embarrassed whenever she’s addressed as the “NewGen Dance Champ” due to impostor syndrome.
Atayde, who was dubbed the “NewGen Dance Champ” is part of the dance troupe Legit Status who bagged the championship at the 2023 World Hip Hop Dance Championship. Two years later, she was tapped as the host of the dance survival show “Time To Dancemustwin” with Robi Domingo.
Article continues after this advertisementDespite these milestones, the actress-dancer confessed that she has a bad case of impostor syndrome — or an inability to believe that one’s achievements are well-deserved — as she comes from a prominent showbiz clan.
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(Honestly, whenever I’m referred to as the “NewGen Dance Champ,” I get embarrassed. I have a really bad impostor syndrome since I’m also a nepo baby. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe that I deserve things because a lot of them were given to me. In my head, I wonder if I worked hard enough for this.)
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Atayde finds strength in herself to deal with her impostor syndrome. “I just remind myself that I’m the ‘New Gen Dance Champ’ because I’m indeed a champion,” she said, noting that the title means a lot to her.
Article continues after this advertisement“I’m super grateful. Being a champion means people look up to you, you inspire people talaga, and you have to continue to inspire people. I do live by that title now,” she further added.
Touching on “Time To Dance,” Atayde considers the survival show as a “passion project” to showcase the on- and off-screen lives of the dance community while clarifying that certain emotional scenes are not meant to trigger a “paawa effect.” Instead, it’s meant to remind the public about their human sides.
Article continues after this advertisement“I don’t make [the show] about me. Gusto kong i-front ang mga dancers. It is their show. I’m excited for people to see the lives of these dancers na makakarelate [ang mga tao],” she said. “These are lives that we showcase, not to [push the] paawa effect. It’s really to inspire. It’s to showcase their stories for people to relate, feel seen and heard,” she said.
(I don’t make the show about me. I want to put dancers at the forefront. It is their show. I’m excited for people to see the lives of these dancers which the audience can relate to. These are lives that we showcase, and not to push the paawa effect. It is really to inspire. It is to showcase their stories for people to relate and feel seen and heard.)
Dancing or acting?Aside from dancing, Atayde dabbled into acting through the youth series “Senior High” and “High Street.” Dance has always been her passion, but she considers acting as her “first love.”
“Dancing will always be closest to my heart kasi ‘yun ang nagsimula sa lahat. That’s the reason I am who I am. I will always give it to dance. But then, first love ko talaga is acting,” she said.
View this post on Instagram“Bata pa lang ako, nanonood na ako ng mga teleserye. Lumaki po akong nagkukunwaring kaibigan ko si Santino, Agua Bendita. Tapos si Mommy, nagtatago ako sa kwarto kasi kukunin ko ‘yung makapal niyang scripts. That really is my ultimate dream,” she further recalled.
(Dancing will always be closest to my heart because it is where everything started. That’s the reason I am who I am. I will always give it to dance. But then, acting is my first love. I grew up watching teleseryes. I grew up believing that Santino and Agua Bendita were my friends. I would sometimes get my mommy’s scripts and hide in my room. It really was my ultimate dream.)
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Atayde is nonetheless grateful that her dance abilities are recognized by the public. But she hopes that she will land more acting opportunities soon.
“As an actress, it’s something that I want to continue to work on. There are so many things I want to improve on when it comes to acting. I really want more work in terms of acting, if I’m being honest. I miss acting since ‘Senior High’ and ‘High Street,’” she said.
“Time To Dance,” which started airing last January, also includes dance coach Vimi Rivera and Ken San Jose as the judges.
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