CPDRC Dancing Inmates, My Wish List
We like it and we love it – whatever critics have to say! But there are some things you wish could be done. Right?! Me too! And here are what I wish would materialize soon...
If capitol can please limit the number of allowed spectators, that should be splendid. They’re on once a month anyway so everybody has a chance. Alright, prioritizing foreigners and non-Cebu residents may be fine, but I guess they should be strict with “no-reservations-no-entry”. Nobody likes being jammed with a lot of humanity inside a chicken-wired hallway.
Capitol can use Ceres drivers who know the way and are sane enough to discern that spectators are always more than two bus loads, thus, they have to return for more! I discovered that from the driver since I talked to him while we were on the way. I actually asked what took them so long and he said they thought that was just it. Buang! What more, he already came from CPDRC to deliver a busload and on our way he didn’t know where to pass and kept asking the policeman on board escorting us. He almost took a wrong turn at Beverly Hills (near a house I lived for about a year some 3 decades ago)!. So I guided him – and that was how I started to get him talking hehe.
A better choreographer. Or betterstill, have their existing choreographer be trained for more. The inmates are good, they just need good trainers. Proof?! Look at how they performed in “Party Pilipinas” and “This Is It”, lovely! Because real and pro choreographers came to teach them.
Why not invite or borrow some of the local choreographers that abound in the whole province of Cebu to teach the inmates at least a single dance? Am sure there will be more than enough for the ‘one public performance a month’!
I wish to see them dance to Filipino, specifically Visayan/Cebuano tunes in every public performance. Yesterday, their repertoire were old and new pop English songs. Ah yes, there is a popular Korean song they also danced to. Why does it always have to be so? Sus, I will probably even have a ball if these inmates dance to the tune of Yoyoy Villame’s “mag-exercise tayo tuwing umaga”! Wouldn’t it be fun for comedy relief? …tuwing umaga, tuwing umaga hehe!
Let them regularly do (even if briefly) some Sinulog steps. Perhaps even make them an “in absentia” or “via video feed” contender in next year’s festival. That would be splendid and am sure the usual Sinulog winners will be threatened on their way to the trophies! Then again… that is if Mike will step away from Tommy’s shadow and deal with Gwen harmoniously. Okay, you can even ask Gwen to be the inmates’ festival queen. Why not? She is fit, can really dance and probably well-maintained by Vicky B! Hmm… pwede! Kesa naman yung sumayaw na festival queen in this year’s Sinulog hehe… aruuuu! Peace!
I wish to see the inmates dance under the tutelage of Lumad Basakanon’s choreographer. Of course also Tangub’s choreographer! I could just imagine the fluid movements! Don't you?!
I wish they could limit if not do away having “star dancers” in every dance. At times they get boringly distracting because their dancing or formation is totally insignificant and do not add any value to the whole group’s performance other than confuse you! From what I’ve learned, star dancers are used to either highlight a star or to hide movement flaws of others. But in the case of these inmates there is almost always neither present, right?!
I wish the lady inmates can be asked to do more in terms of dancing with the group. As for now, they are lousy... and mind you, probably cuz they’re too few, are made star dancers. See them dance the Rico Mambo to see my point. More practice mga inday oi!
Add more vocals (the shouting cheering) from the inmates. They already do it, but can still use it more often. I heard from a choreographer sometime ago that the vocals like (huh huh huh etc) help clear the lungs of dancers so that they don’t tire easily. Under an afternoon sun in Cebu, a dozen successive dances (even with brief breaks) is tiring. And we could see that in the faces of some inmates yesterday.
More of the "wave" and fancy artistic moves like in Sinulog! Hmm, how about let them do a human flag formation for Independence Day. Then let the flag wave! Wohoo!
Finally, I wish to see more of the real group formation dancing and not just dance steps good for a single person being danced by more than a thousand inmates. Remember
the China Olympics opening dances? Wow! They also do this kind of group dancing at ceremonies in Japan and Korea! And only CPDRC has the better chance to emulate those since they have a big but easily controlled or disciplined group. Here's more, Shen Wei, now a New Yorker helped in the China Olympics choreographies. He is from Guangdong, a sister province of Cebu. While Marta Almirall Elizalde helped choreograph the Barcelona Olympics. Barcelona is also a sister province of Cebu! They'd probably be more than willing to come and try their skills with the inmates!
Just wishful hehe!
If capitol can please limit the number of allowed spectators, that should be splendid. They’re on once a month anyway so everybody has a chance. Alright, prioritizing foreigners and non-Cebu residents may be fine, but I guess they should be strict with “no-reservations-no-entry”. Nobody likes being jammed with a lot of humanity inside a chicken-wired hallway.Capitol can use Ceres drivers who know the way and are sane enough to discern that spectators are always more than two bus loads, thus, they have to return for more! I discovered that from the driver since I talked to him while we were on the way. I actually asked what took them so long and he said they thought that was just it. Buang! What more, he already came from CPDRC to deliver a busload and on our way he didn’t know where to pass and kept asking the policeman on board escorting us. He almost took a wrong turn at Beverly Hills (near a house I lived for about a year some 3 decades ago)!. So I guided him – and that was how I started to get him talking hehe.
A better choreographer. Or betterstill, have their existing choreographer be trained for more. The inmates are good, they just need good trainers. Proof?! Look at how they performed in “Party Pilipinas” and “This Is It”, lovely! Because real and pro choreographers came to teach them.
Why not invite or borrow some of the local choreographers that abound in the whole province of Cebu to teach the inmates at least a single dance? Am sure there will be more than enough for the ‘one public performance a month’!
I wish to see them dance to Filipino, specifically Visayan/Cebuano tunes in every public performance. Yesterday, their repertoire were old and new pop English songs. Ah yes, there is a popular Korean song they also danced to. Why does it always have to be so? Sus, I will probably even have a ball if these inmates dance to the tune of Yoyoy Villame’s “mag-exercise tayo tuwing umaga”! Wouldn’t it be fun for comedy relief? …tuwing umaga, tuwing umaga hehe!
Let them regularly do (even if briefly) some Sinulog steps. Perhaps even make them an “in absentia” or “via video feed” contender in next year’s festival. That would be splendid and am sure the usual Sinulog winners will be threatened on their way to the trophies! Then again… that is if Mike will step away from Tommy’s shadow and deal with Gwen harmoniously. Okay, you can even ask Gwen to be the inmates’ festival queen. Why not? She is fit, can really dance and probably well-maintained by Vicky B! Hmm… pwede! Kesa naman yung sumayaw na festival queen in this year’s Sinulog hehe… aruuuu! Peace!
I wish to see the inmates dance under the tutelage of Lumad Basakanon’s choreographer. Of course also Tangub’s choreographer! I could just imagine the fluid movements! Don't you?!
I wish they could limit if not do away having “star dancers” in every dance. At times they get boringly distracting because their dancing or formation is totally insignificant and do not add any value to the whole group’s performance other than confuse you! From what I’ve learned, star dancers are used to either highlight a star or to hide movement flaws of others. But in the case of these inmates there is almost always neither present, right?!
I wish the lady inmates can be asked to do more in terms of dancing with the group. As for now, they are lousy... and mind you, probably cuz they’re too few, are made star dancers. See them dance the Rico Mambo to see my point. More practice mga inday oi!
Add more vocals (the shouting cheering) from the inmates. They already do it, but can still use it more often. I heard from a choreographer sometime ago that the vocals like (huh huh huh etc) help clear the lungs of dancers so that they don’t tire easily. Under an afternoon sun in Cebu, a dozen successive dances (even with brief breaks) is tiring. And we could see that in the faces of some inmates yesterday.
More of the "wave" and fancy artistic moves like in Sinulog! Hmm, how about let them do a human flag formation for Independence Day. Then let the flag wave! Wohoo!
Finally, I wish to see more of the real group formation dancing and not just dance steps good for a single person being danced by more than a thousand inmates. Remember
the China Olympics opening dances? Wow! They also do this kind of group dancing at ceremonies in Japan and Korea! And only CPDRC has the better chance to emulate those since they have a big but easily controlled or disciplined group. Here's more, Shen Wei, now a New Yorker helped in the China Olympics choreographies. He is from Guangdong, a sister province of Cebu. While Marta Almirall Elizalde helped choreograph the Barcelona Olympics. Barcelona is also a sister province of Cebu! They'd probably be more than willing to come and try their skills with the inmates!Just wishful hehe!
I really love those guys. They dance so well it's amazing. They are the best.
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