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All’s fair for Rodjun Cruz

JUST BECAUSE he’s a dancer doesn’t mean he’ll have an easier time compared to the other contestants on the second season of U Can Dance, says Rodjun Cruz. Rodjun, the older brother of teen idol Rayver Cruz, is one of the 15 celebrity ...

dancers who will battle it out in the celebrity dance challenge of the show. The show’s concept is similar to Hollywood’s Dancing With the Stars, where professional dancers team up with celebrities and compete for prizes. Rayver and Rodjun, nephews of the late actor Ricky Belmonte, are part of the all-male group Anime and are both gifted dancers. So when Rodjun got picked as one of this season’s celebrity contestants, concerns were raised about whether it was fair to the other competitors, who are not professional dancers.

In the end, the people behind the show decided to allow Rodjun to compete. Despite the vote of confidence, Rodjun is nervous and unsure about his chances of winning. “I’m not sure [how I’ll do],” he says. “Sure, I’m a dancer, but I’m more used to hip-hop dancing, not ballroom dancing, which we’re supposed to do on the show. I’ve never danced the swing or the tango. I still need a lot of practice if I want to do well.”

But everyone else expects Rodjun to indeed do well, because aside from being a gifted dancer, he is blessed with the Cruz genes. Rodjun comes from a family of performers; aside from his late uncle Ricky Belmonte (Jesse Cruz in real life), singers Geneva Cruz and Donna Cruz are cousins; Ricky’s daughter Sheryl and actress Sunshine Cruz are also cousins.

Almost everyone in the family either sings or dances, or both. “We were raised to love music and performing. Even when we were young, we already enjoyed performing. At family gatherings, Uncle Jess would always make us sing,” says Rodjun.

That’s how Rayver and Rodjun learned to dance. Their other brother, Randolph, 26, is not in showbusiness but is very supportive of his siblings.

While he is moving forward with his own showbiz career, Rodjun makes sure he doesn’t neglect his studies. He is currently in his junior year of college, studying for a Bachelor of Science, major in Business Management degree. He is under a home study program, and has a tutor come to their house regularly to help him with his modules.