DO THAT ISHHHH

I just received the agenda for the Kennedy Center’s Hip Hop Dance program and I’m . (dot) . (dot) . (dot) .

Speechless.

But inside I’m a blissful wreck.

This is so exciting! Me & 6 other emerging artists from different countries will travel to New York, Philadelphia & Washington and…

“Hip-Hop Dance – July 2009

Participants in this program will work with renowned hip-hop dancers, exploring the history of hip-hop culture and dance in the United States. Participants will attend the International Illadelph Legends Festival (Philadelphia, PA) sponsored by Rennie Harris Puremovement. Illadelph takes place over 14 days in July and includes master classes in hip-hop dance, lectures, and demonstrations. This program will take place in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, PA during July 2009.”

All I can say is I am just so thankful for this opportunity. I didn’t think I deserved this coz there are a lot of much younger, stronger dancers out there. But as Lema said, this is a gift for me coz I had to stop dancing (as I was carrying Tala) though I didn’t want to.

This program was initially offered to Lema & Sheena by the US Embassy Cultural Affairs Department coz they have worked with them for their outreach program, Hip Hop for Life, where they teamed up with Joel & Rick of Havikoro (from Texas) & held dance workshops for kids of poor families in Davao & Manila. But then Lema was pregnant & Sheena had to train for this year’s World Championships (yeah, rep up the girls Sheens!), so Lema recommended me… And there you go. Thank you Mama Lems! *mwah*

I’m really so excited not only because I will finally get to travel to one of my dream cities, New York, but also, I will get to immerse myself in the genre that I deny myself of sinking in which is Hip Hop.  Coz I always thought of myself as a Rakista, in thought, in fashion & in music. I would always think that I just dance hip hop & that’s it. I don’t even talk the talk or walk the walk once I get out of the dance studio or the stage.

But then, here it is, beckoning me to get to know him. It is not enough that I dance it. I have to observe, absorb & learn the foundation, it’s roots. Coz this will ultimately make me a better hip hop dance artist.

WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSION?

I am a dancer.

BLINDERS

in a brooding mood…

all i can say is that people can talk all they can about us… and we will allow that. coz no one would really understand, moreso accept, us unless they go inside our own little world.

coz i gotta admit. even i get overwhelmed most of the time coz there’s really a lot going on in this circle. i’ve previously talked about our {compressed} life span. and it’s true… one can’t really define how it is being with our circle if they’ve been with us just for a few hours… even for a month or two or six… coz, it’s like a soap opera, you have to tune in to understand what’s gonna happen. if you miss an episode or two you’ll get lost somewhere, and it’ll take you days of continuous watching to understand the storyline again… and even us gets confused sometimes. the “director” changes scripts without warning. even us doesn’t know the ending, or if there’s even one. but we continue to work, to dream, to dance, to laugh, to cry, to live.

my being in this group, meeting them all, working with them, dreaming dreams with them… everything is life-changing. and for the first time in my life, i can honestly say that i’m a better person than i’ve ever been.

and it’s not even because we won the nationals, or italia, or the world.

these people, their hearts, their passion, their intensity (even mr cito beltran saw that), their hard-headedness… everything they are that are poured inside the circle is what really matters… and most of all their faith.

i’m not wont to discussing my own faith online (Pastor Christian said that, at the end of the day, it’s only myself who can define my own personal relationship with Him)… but the road to Him began when i met these people.

and for the record, we learned how to pray since the beginning… when we learned that we only had a week to rehearse for the nationals… we prayed and prayed… until, some of you might still remember, the date of the competition was moved again and again… and the rest, you know ya heard ya realize ya understand is HISTORY.

enough said.

* * * * * * *

why do i suddenly play hide-&-seek with security? i look for it in the wrong-est place. i seek for it in a damp musty corner of a restless room. i hunt through an attic of colorful blinding cobwebs… but it’s really in a room where i grew up, dry & pleasant & where everything is white & where everything is where i left them.

6TH IN THE WORLD, 1ST IN THEIR HEARTS

i posted this in friendster:

“sup, we’re still here in LA… so happy to tell you that filipinos are now respected & admired by a lot of dancers, the best in the hiphop world. tis swell. no words to describe it. sarap lang… when all these people come up to us & say “i’m half,” and they say it with so much pride. even black people from UK & trinidad&tobago telling us, “we’re filipinos,” when clearly they aren’t, just showing us how we earned their respect…

we really represented. so damn proud to be part of ALLSTARS.

btw, we could’ve bagged the bronze medal, but a lot has happened like competing without eating the whole day… well, that’s another story. kitakits nlang dyan sa pinas.

pinoy ako. peace!”

a lot of stories to tell, so little space, so little time, plus i’m tinatamad na. just wanna say that the whole hiphop world now has mad respect to filipinos. i’m so proud of us, and of THE CREW as well.

* * * * * * *

though we didn’t get the title, twas like we’ve won coz we were still treated like champions by all these people who kept on popping out of nowhere to accomodate & feed us for the rest of our stay here. after the competition, we were hauled out of LA to San Diego by a limo (yeh, baybeeh, like hollywood stars!) & were nested in the crib of mr. Floyd Evangelista of E Real Records. loads of grats to him & his wife… they’re still taking care of the rest of ALLSTARS, while i am i are having a blissful time at my ‘rents house back in LA. =)

* * * * * * *

we went to a bboyin’ event called the Topdog… wow. that’s all i can say. from 12nn to 9pm, we were surrounded with bboys & bgirls from all over the US (yes, including Alaska) & my head just ached & i got so much dizzy watching a lot of ‘em good bboys. imagine watching a big roomful of battlekrew & zerogravity bboys times 10. dang. there were like 5 open circles at a time you just wanna sit down & just watch the one in front of you & you still wouldn’t miss a kick ass move.

though this was not as big as freestyle session or mighty4, twas still an exhilirating experience seeing these dope bboys in person. there were sightings of kujo, tough rock, ruen, primate, LA breakers, freakazoids, etc. the only downside was the absence of mah best bgirls like asia1, abgirl, beta…

this experience has kinda mellowed me a bit as a bgirl. i mean, i’m real hotblooded when it comes to the bboyin’ scene in the PI, especially with the ish between this ugh-god-forgive-him bboy & us. i think it doesn’t matter anymore if you become the best, or if your crew remains 1 out there. f*ck it. f*ck all that shit. magsawa sila kakahamon, wala naman silang mapapala. all that matters is that there is passion in what we do, & in that passion should be an attitude to inspire & to share. that’s all that matters… as what did ever since, in the beginning, when we were all just discovering…