CAGAYAN de Oro City — For women juggling work, family and daily pressures, step dance is becoming more than a workout. In Cagayan de Oro, it is also creating a space to move, make friends and build healthier habits. 

More than 200 participants from across Mindanao joined the Beat It Loonyo Choreo Class Round 2 organized by Step Dance PH and Zee Entertainment Production on Sept. 28 at SM CDO Downtown Premier. 

The activity combined footwork, rhythm and audible sound with choreographed routines, giving participants a fitness activity that also encouraged social connection and self-expression. 

Step Dance PH said the event was also part of preparations for a major activity it plans to hold with the City Government of Cagayan de Oro next year. 

Among those who joined was Recthie Paculba of the Philippine Information Agency Region 10, a mother of two who said staying physically active has become important to her as she grows older. 

Paculba said she first tried step dance after friends from her Zumba group at Metro Square invited her to join. 

At first, she was unsure about what to wear and whether she could keep up with the routines.

But regular sessions eventually helped her develop healthier habits and meet new people. 

“I am still not that confident with the figures, but step dance surely changed a lot in me,” Paculba said. 

She said joining the sessions encouraged her to exercise regularly, eat properly, drink more water and spend less time on activities that could keep her from attending. 

It also helped her build friendships with people she previously knew only by sight. 

For Paculba, step dance has become a way to balance the demands of work and family while giving her an outlet for movement and social connection. 

She encouraged beginners not to be intimidated by experienced dancers. 

“We all start with a quick step nga wa nagkadimao, and it's all right,” she said. 

“What matters is you choose a DAY ONE of step dance and not just merely imagine it to be ONE DAY,” she added. 

The CDO gathering showed how a simple movement activity can bring people together while encouraging them to make time for fitness and personal wellness.