INQUIRER Global Nation

We have just passed mid-year and are now in the first month of the second half: July. In this time of transition, we have just marked the end of the Pauline Year with the observance last Monday of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, and the inauguration earlier by Pope Benedict XVI of the Jubilee Year for Priests, as well the 150th death anniversary of St. John Vianney, the Patron of Priests World Wide. While tomorrow, we observe Philippine-American Friendship Day, which we used to celebrate as the Fourth of July, Independence Day, together with, and as “granted” by, the United States until we delved back in our own historical records and found out that we truly did declare ourselves independent from Spain on June 12th in 1898.

In this religious and historical transitional time, we were shocked into the emotional turmoil of our modern times, with news of the sudden death of pop icon Michael Jackson last Thursday. Ironically, it was just a week before his announced return to his last public performance season this July, after a hiatus of some years, to reopen as his “Final Curtain Call.” To date, news reports and pictures about his life and sudden death have hogged TV and broadcast media air time, and print media space, together with an out-flowing of tributes and reminiscings on the world-wide effect and influence of the phenomenal Michael Jackson. Another pop icon also passed away, but more quietly, after some years of suffering from cancer, but none the less, we also mourned and remembered dearly, Farrah Fawcet of “Charlie’s Angels” on TV.

I remember how the deaths of earlier pop icons like James Dean, Jack Lennon and Elvis Presley also elicited similar feelings, although with Michael Jackson, even more so, probably because of its recency and the development of new and modern technological communication media, like the Internet, Twitter and blogs, among many others, with which this No-Tech Bystander is still naively unfamiliar.

And now, as a much earlier offshoot of Michael Jackson’s dance popularity, specifically here in Cebu, Cebu provincial security consultant Byron Garcia came up with the innovative idea in 2007 of adding synchronized dancing a la Michael Jackson, to the exercise sessions of inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC). Amazingly, they shot to global fame with a YouTube video of their “Thriller” dance. Then, last Saturday’s dance tribute, when it was immediately uploaded on You Tube as “Dancing Inmates’ Michael Jackson Tribute”, got 644,761 views the following day, and was the second most watched video!

When news broke about Jackson’s death Thursday in Los Angeles, the 1,500 CDRC went in for a 9-hour practice session Friday night through early Saturday morning for a tribute to their idol later last Saturday, attended by some 700 viewing Cebuano and tourist guests. All local papers and the Philippine Daily Inquirer among other Manila papers, have front-page pictures of the performance. CNN was given exclusive coverage of the rehearsals, while news teams from Reuters, AP and national and local media outlets were later allowed in to the open house.

Since January, spectators have been encouraged to join inmates in some dance numbers. The CPDRC holds free shows at the CPDRC quadrangle every last Saturday of the month for 300 to 500 guests. During other performances, one has to pay for a seat. Funds collected are used by inmates for their various projects.

Speaking of dances, Michael Jackson’s song “Beat It” was also a fitting tribute to the late Pop King as well as the finale to the Guinness World Record-breaking performance of Cebu City’s fabled Dancesport Team. They shattered the world record as the “Largest Dance Class” with 7,770 dancers, also last Saturday, at the Cebu City Sports Center grounds.

I remember years ago when Edward Hayco, son of good friends Beling and Go Ching Hay of Hayco Engineering, instituted Dancesport in Cebu when social ballroom dancing was at the height of its popularity, and dance as a sport was relatively unheard of. But encouraged by its initial success and acceptance with young people, Edward, like Byron, decided to share Dancesport with younger children to get them involved in it as another game, this time set to music, and eventually took them away from current youthful temptations.

Kudos to all who made these two exceptionally innovative and creative uses of modern dance, which we in Cebu can truly be proud of. Cebu Dancesport has not only gained national and international attention for its young participants, its founder in Cebu, and Cebu itself, but it has primarily benefited its youthful participants to grow up into responsible and creative adults as citizens. Meanwhile, the CPDRC synchronized dance-exercises have also gained both national and international attention and admiration for its participants and those behind it. Its success has also inspired the rehabilitation of its inmate-participants to eventually join their respective communities as responsible and creative citizens. All Hail to One Cebu!

Till next week, then, may God continue to bless us all.