Catriona Gray’s stage director shares training struggles of the new Miss Universe in acing the 'slow-mo twirl'

The stage director of Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, Carlos Buendia Jr. dished out details about Cat’s show-stopping slow-mo twirl on Thursday morning at the FrontRow Cares: Christmas charity for kids press conference.

Carlos, who is an architect by profession and a former a theater director, said Catriona had to go through two months of theater training.

“Nagsimula kami ng two months of theater workshop, so full of acting, inhibition exercises. I want her to have that honest emotions,” Carlos said.

Carlos was the director of Teatro Tomasino (University of Santo Tomas’ theater guild) and he said he used the skills he acquired from that position with his training for Cat’s walk.

“I am a former director of Teatro Tomasino from the University of Santo Tomas so I’m a resident director so I use my skills to Catriona. She appreciated it kasi she loves Broadway musicals. She loves to act,” he said.

After going through theater training, Cat was also made to take dance classes. “D’on ko na-discover what she can do physically on stage. I have a ballet and contemporary [dance] background. Two months din po ‘yon n’ong tinuturuan ko na siya,” Carlos shared.

Carlos was meticulous when it comes to training Cat, listing every move to know what works and what doesn’t.

“May notebook ako talaga na medyo magulo kasi every training po, sinusulat ko lahat ng nagagawa niya and then I cross out what doesn’t work and what works,” he said.

The background behind the ‘slow-mo’ twirl

Carlos who is fascinated with documentaries took the idea of the ‘slow-mo twirl’ from the lava movement of Mt. St. Helen’s erruption.

“One time I was watching a documentary about Mount St. Helen’s eruption tapos ang ganda-ganda ng lava flow. It’s very smooth and then biglang bibilis,” he said.

RELATED: Catriona Gray sets the internet abuzz with show-stopping twirl

He then connected it with Catriona’s roots as an Alabayana, where the Mayon Volcano is situated.

“Plus the connection that she’s an Albayana, a proud Bicolano, she’a from Oas, Albay so doon ako na-inspire,” he added.

Carlos also took inspiration from a music box. “It’s twirling slowly so tinitignan ko lang ‘yon. Kinabukasan ‘Cat can you try this’ so I did some fotwoork and then I showed her.”

Catriona’s struggles to ace the walk

With Catriona’s medical history of back problems, Carlos revealed that it wasn’t easy for Cat, who would sometimes even cry.

“A couple of months siyempre medyo struggling. As in, minsan talaga umiiyak po siya sa ano kasi she has a back problem, we all know naman.”

But despite the struggles, Carlos said he never heard Cat complain. “Kaya po yung respect namin and ng tao sa kanya ganon kalaki. Hindi siya nag-ko-complain. Ginawa lang nang ginawa,” he said.

Carlos said it took Cat a month before she perfected the move, saying it really was a combination of dance moves and muscle memory. “Of course kapag chinoreograph mo siya sa simula, so okay nagawa but she stumbles. Natutumba po nang konti, but then nung last try napansin niya na, “I’m turning slowly!”

Carlos said he also used Cat’s body proportion, “kung saan siya haharap and siyempre to set us different from the others ‘di ba?”

Cat’s mentor even proudly demonstrated the footwork of Cat’s twirl.

WATCH: Catriona Gray’s runway director Carlos Buendia Jr. who is an architect by profession shows the media the footwork of Cat’s iconic slow-mo twirl. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/PKdnP5FJwy

— Jannie (@jannieannb) December 20, 2018

‘Yong left po ‘yong magso-slow mo, parang isolation, ‘yong left ‘yong nagti-twist and then you have to spot po eh ‘di ba sa ballet when you do the pirouette, kaya ‘yong hair napansin po ninyo, para ganon ‘yong hair meron lang akong binibigay kay Cat na certain angle you only have to look this way para spot,” he said.

Her slow-mo twirl went viral online worldwide, when she put the internet abuzz at the Miss Universe preliminary competition.

Catriona took home the country’s fourth Miss Universe crown after winning the pageant on Monday, December 17 in Bangkok Thailand. — LA, GMA News