Happy Friday!  Y’all have seen Parkour, right?  The French normally don’t come up with the cool urban stuff, but this is one mighty exception.  If DD became a traceur, it would make me so proud.  Watch:

And from the inventor of Parkour, Sebastian Foucan:

I’m not much of a Journey fan; as a matter of fact, I give DH a hard time for liking them.  Even he admits that it’s a band that he really shouldn’t like as evidenced by the fact that he calls them his “guilty pleasure.” Like chocolate. Or a venti-skim-no whip-white moccha. Oh wait. That’s MY guilty pleasure.

But now that their new lead singer is Filipino, plucked from obscurity thanks to YouTube, I feel like I’m obligated to like them now.

I’ve never seen this particular Filipino folk dance before. It obviously involves fishermen instead of the usual farmers and harvestime.  Called the “Pasiguin,” it’s fun, exuberant and a bit naughty, all that shimmying and shaking. Right up my alley and perfect for next year’s culture show. Check it out:

Last night was an exceptional celebration of food, fun and Filipino dancing.  There was comedy, athleticism, grace, style and a whole lotta sweat and hard work as the George Washington University’s Philippine Cultural Society staged their annual culture show.  Entitled “Tandaan VIII: Who Is Juan Tamad?”, the show proved once again that the Fil-Am folks of GW are as serious about reaching into their cultural souls as they are about friendship and having fun.

After a wonderful and gut-busting dinner of Pinoy food (pancit! lumpia! an entire roast pig!), my family and I (including the little ones) proceeded downstairs for the show.  Even though I knew that the performance would run later than their bedtimes, I felt it was really important for my kids to see and experience Filipino culture and the things they would be doing if they were growing up in Manila instead of Washington, DC.  You see, every child in the Philippines, without exception, learns at least one (and usually a whole lot more) of the folk dances growing up.  It’s what we do for P.E.  And the dances onstage Saturday night represented some of the more beautiful and more intricate of the dances we have.

The entire nation was represented, from the graceful Igorot dances of the north to the regal Muslim dances of the south; from the dances of the Spanish colonial era to the hip hop grooves of today.  And then after the show, the kids showed a montage of photos that demonstrated how close and binding their friendships had become.  Took me back to my own years (Class of ‘93 holla!)

I can’t say enough good things about this year’s crop of PCS-ers.  They are the epitome of dedication, hard work and fun.  They managed to stage a show that was both a serious display of culture, and joyous fun.  It had wit, personality, and style.  Don’t believe me?  Here is a highlights reel I’ve assembled for your viewing enjoyment. 

I choreographed the Singkil for them.  Here is the entire dance.  The solo, called the “Asik,” was choreographed by Don Verde; the dance after that is my own.  Check it out:

And here is the entire footage of their very complicated, very athletic tinikling as only 19-year olds with fit hearts and strong ankles can perform:

I can’t gush about this group often enough.  Huge props to all the crew and stage hands for your hard work; the scriptwriters and choreographers; but most of all, the dancers, who had to learn, memorize and endlessly practice the steps.  Here’s to bruised ankles and exhausted bodies.  You guys were wonderful. Until next year.