The Silent Defeat

August 2, 2009…Sometime a little before or after mid-night…

I stepped out of the dressing room the Philippines share with New Zealand and I bump into this tall, happy, black guy from the competition. He says something like, “Hey you know, the Allstars really makes this competition special.” I don’t really remember exactly what he said. But the feeling he gave me was that we already accomplished so much more than a gold medal. Right after that, I ran to my group to tell them what I just experienced as we all waited for the Final results of the World Hip-hop Championships.

It was all a blur really. It was hard to hear with all the commotion backstage and the faint house speakers of the Orleans Arena. The Junior and Varsity Division Medalists were announced. Allstars huddled in a circle and clasped each other’s shoulders tight in prayer. That alone is another accomplishment. Never has the group been this close. Never have we loved each other as much as now. After all the struggles since the 2008 win, we were still standing strong and back in Las Vegas to defend our title.

“In Third Place, from Singapore…”

“In Second Place, from Mexico…”

I practiced the Secret technique of envisioning the future to be what I want it to be, and I repeated in my head over and over again: “In First Place, from the Philippines… In First Place, from the Philippines… In First Place, from the Philippines…”

Then reality struck: “In First Place, the…New…World Hip-hop Dance Champions…from France…”

I felt the hearts of everyone around me sink. Besides my group-mates, there were cries of, “It should’ve been the Philippines!” We were not alone in thinking we deserved it. Many spectators walked out before the French National Anthem even finished playing. From fans, to co-competitors, to our families to strangers, many seemed to feel that it was “an incredible upset” like the Hiphop International’s Twitter says.

I walked around in a daze. We worked our bodies to the bone. Some of us were burned by the Henna costume. The competing team practiced around 16 hours most of the days prior to the competition, including staying up to get the Henna design done. Maya had nightmares about the “Angel Toss” even when he was awake. I personally dropped everything in my life just so I can do whatever I can to take care of the group. What else did God want from us?

That was the angry side of me talking. After holding back tears of despair, I reminded myself, “Never question God.”

I found my immediate family eating at a café and immersed myself in their love. I don’t get to see them much since I live in Manila and they live in LA. I was recharged to take on the world again and returned back to the Loews Hotel where everyone from the competition was attending the After-Party.

I found some of the Allstars in our hotel room. Mixed vibes covered the air. But I knew they were trying hard to stay positive. Sheena tells me, ‘Girl, you weren’t around, but when we exited the venue, we could see the French team celebrating in some convertible. But then, everyone else around us started chanting, “Filipino! Filipino! Filipino!”’ That was when it dawned on me…we didn’t win the competition, but we won the hearts of the competitors and spectators. I even thought we no longer would be able to sell our merchandise and make back some of the money we spent on traveling to the competition, but from the time I arrived at that hotel till the next day when we were checking out, there were still people coming to buy our gear.

Amazing! People didn’t stop loving us even though we were no longer World Champs! On YouTube alone, so many have commented that they think we should have gotten the gold and even stick up for us to the haters! Maybe this loss is really to show who is going to keep supporting us through the losses; who really believes in us and who is just riding the bandwagon of our successes.

There’s three types of people we’ve personally encountered: 1) the true supporters, 2) the absolute haters, 3) the wishy-washy fans. The first group will always be dear to and are a great source of inspiration for us. The second group we welcome, because they shed a light on our flaws. The third are the most dangerous, because they are only there for the hot minute. When you are flying high, they are holding on to your wings and sharing the joy of the heights you reach, but when you are down, they will be the first to step on you and clip your wings.

And this time around, in 2009, though we encountered some people from the second or third group, a majority of the people was from the first group. I would say 90% still reached out to Allstars and still made sure we were okay; They still knocked on our hotel room till the very last minute we were there to buy shirts; They still watched by the millions and stuck up for us all over YouTube; They still called and texted how proud they were of us; They still created personal tributes to us; They still picked us up and made sure we are taken cared of in the US; And most importantly, they still prayed for us.

Seeing what group people belong to is a greater Gift from God than a gold-plated medal. Like Jab Buhay says, “There’s a difference between winning and success. Winning (at the World Hip-hop Championships) is getting a medal. But you guys (Allstars) succeeded (in the hearts of the people).” So yes, we lost this time around, but we really did not hear much about it.

The 2010 Dilemma

Is Allstars going to go through all of this again in 2010? We don’t know. It was honestly heartbreaking to hear so many people think we should have won and we did not even place in the Top 3. WHHDC is not the end game for us. We’ve got two more international competitions coming up and many awesome plans and opportunities lined up in the Philippines and other countries.

WHHDC was the reason why the group was started in 2005 and it is always great to see old and new friends ever year at the competition. I even got to meet Locking Legends this year. All of us learned new things about the world and dance. But is that enough to keep us coming?

Every year is brutal for Allstars. From the hardcore training of dance, performance, jogging, gymnastics, and military drills to the huge amount of effort to pay for everyone’s plane tickets, transportation, food, and accommodation. Ken has to pray for days just to come up with the choreography and music. The B-boys have to psych themselves out to pull-off their unbelievable blow-ups. The girls run around like mad women trying to get sponsors, taking care of merchandise and video production, managing the group, getting the costumes together, and still dancing!

We have a lot to think about. We have a lot to reconsider. It’s hard to try to reach for a goal again when you know whatever effort you put out might not even count if things are not judged the way they should be. Big dance competitions are making dancers everywhere famous but at the same time really jaded. Yes, they put the spotlight on dancers that have never been seen before. But are these competitions doing right by dancers or are just exploiting an underappreciated art form?

I don’t know. I don’t have enough information or the right to say. I’m just putting thoughts out there. But one thing is not a dilemma: we will carry on as Allstars stronger than ever. We are not the least bit phased by this defeat. We will still reach out to the dance and music communities. We will still proudly represent God and our country wherever we go. We will still spread the message of unity and love. We will still help the less fortunate through our talents. And we won’t stop trying to inspire others to be the best versions of themselves that they can be. We’ll always remember what Steve Bolton said to us, “The world watches you guys to be inspired.”

The Truth Is Out…

In the Preliminaries, 49 Adult teams from around the world performed before Allstars. By the time, it was time to perform at around 1A.M., the audience rushed to the front with their cameras, stood on their chairs, covered up all the aisles, and roared with a ferocity that was not heard for any other team. How did a team like this go from being in first place and dramatically drop to fourth place in the Finals?

After a couple of days of talking to different people, we’ve heard a few things that could be true…or not. Some people said that the competition is a business that needs to keep making money. In order to do that, they have to keep getting countries and more teams to come every year. That could be why 2/3 ranking countries of the Adult division are new countries. They want to encourage them to come back next year.

Some people said that the judges really did not look at Allstars fairly. They could have had higher expectations of us. One friend told us it’s like loving Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album so much that his succeeding albums, though they might be better music would never compare to what people fell in love with in the first place. For us, it could be the 2008 World Piece.

Another source informed us that the judges actually decided or were told to choose groups with not much stunts and to not get caught up in whatever hype they thought Allstars has. This is really not very fair, because Hip-Hop dance borrows from many sources including Acrobatics, which always adds entertainment value to every Allstars World Piece. As for the hype, I think that is mis–interpreted. What people feel for my group is love. We give them love by putting on the best show we can and in return the audience gives it back to us with their high energy.

The truth is out there. Whether we want to believe anything people say or not really doesn’t matter. People will deny it all and just call us sore losers. At the end of the day, many of our competitors did work hard and performed very well. They do deserve the wins they received.

The world is full of facades and it is really hard to believe what we hear or is in front of our eyes. Allstars goes by feel for the most part. We do feel a little wronged…somehow things don’t add up. The Finals performance was cleaner than the Pre-lims, but was scored much lower. In the Pre-lims, Laurence tripped and Maya landed on his knees, but the judges did not deduct anything. But they do switch around the judges in the Finals and have truncation, so who knows?

Anyway, we don’t want to dwell in the negative. Allstars is staying happy that we did everything we could have done for that routine. I have never been more proud of my group. From the hundreds of hours of rehearsal to everyone working well together, it was an amazing last two months to witness and experience. The only real truth we can depend on is that we have no regrets. We stayed true to ourselves and did everything humanly possible for this year’s World Piece.

My sadness is that people might not truly appreciate the most amazing routine Allstars has ever put together just because it is Fourth Place in the 2009 World Hip Hop Dance Championships. In my opinion, the choreography is the best Kenjhons has ever put together. The performance is the best I’ve ever seen of the Allstars. The costume is the most artistic effort the Allstars has ever undertaken. And, the stunts alone have taken “blow-ups” to a death-defying level that have never been dared by any other team.

I hope the world sees past the ranking and enjoys it for what it is: an incredible masterpiece.

I Love You Allstars! Your sister, Chelo

Allstars would like to thank: Brewing Point, Golds Gym, Meralco, Capital G, Q-York, His-Story Team, Jab Buhay and Family, the Mangubat Family, the Espina Family, the Calatravas and Donatos, the Delano Community, Bev Llorente and TFC, Dr. Aragon & Family, Josh & Jeremiah Baltazar, Gimik Lounge, Sports Unlimited, San Miguel, all the teams from around the world, everyone who supported us with our merchandise, and everyone (family, friends, fans) in the PI who loved us with no question. We love ya’ll! God Bless You. One UP to the Most High!

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Submitted by Matt Marquez on Wed, 09/24/2008 - 05:29.

For few short days this summer hip-hop America got served. It was introduced to something much of the hip-hop world already knew: the Philippine All-Stars are the world’s best.

Take notice America, there’s a new definition of what it means to “represent.” With their gritty urban style and mind-blowing choreography the All-Stars showed up on our national stage and rocked-it all the way to another world title at the World Hip Hop Championships in Las Vegas this summer. While Rapper Nas is proclaiming that “hip-hop is dead”, and that might be true in Queens, the Philippine All-Stars showed-up like Doctor Frankenstein re-animating the impossible all the way to another world title.

Yeah, they’re for real.

Their style is original and might as well be from another planet because this crew is stellar. With moves that would have Cirque du Soleil fiendin’ for fix like a side-show wannabes, All-Stars brought their show to America’s biggest hip-hop stage opening-up MTV’s hit reality show America Best Dance Crew … and left the house breathless. The Philippine All-Stars are officially serving notice to America’s best that there is another rung to the ladder of excellence and it’s a ‘thrilla from Manilla.’

As for America’s best dance crews…

Get in line Jabbawokeez.

Take a number Super Crew.

Kaba Modern, you know the score.

But wait, it only gets better….

In an interview to be released at length in our January 2009 issue, Risen magazine’s witnessed a selfless and God loving crew whose message of hope and change can come from the most unlikely of messengers. All-Star KenJhons Serrano says it best with, “Look, its not about us and our story. Without God none of this achievable. It’s all about His story. We are blessed to be representing the best, you know? With God’s story in each of our lives everyone gets to be a champion. Because we – everyone on the earth – are all stars in God’s eyes.”

And this unending passion to represent “His Story” is what is so refreshing about this young dance crew from the Philippines. Many of the All-Stars have life stories of poverty, homelessness, and tremendous personal conflicts. Their very lives are stained with the toughest that life can throw at them. Yet through a collective desire to stay grounded on God’s love for them, prayer, and an undying faith that through God all things are possible they stand victorious in God’s light.

So do your YouTube, Myspace, and Google searches on the best of the best, the Philippine All-Stars. Get your popcorn ready and be ready to be rocked with a Filippino pride and a love for the one true God!

Subscribe now to get the January 2009 issue with the All-Stars on the cover!

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More than 1,000 dancers from 33 countries gathered in Las Vegas in quest for the gold. The All Stars, however, ruled the dance floor with their two-minute performance packed with flips and steps in harmony. The dancers went off stage with high hopes of winning after finishing a near perfect dance.

When they received the award, group members said they were glad for the success as they united Filipinos in that moment of glory.

“This is just a moment where everyone could just unite. In our own part, to be an inspiration not just for the people here in the championship, but to all the Filipinos out there,” said group member Sheena Vera Cruz.

She added that the group wants to give other Filipinos hope that they could also become winners given the same opportunity.

"We want to give them hope that if we have this opportunity, all the Filipinos out there can also have the same opportunity as us,” she said.

Lema Diaz, another group member, called on other Filipino groups to dream big and strive to realize their aspirations.

"Our main purpose is to wake up the youth of the Philippines and and Filipinos around the world to rise up to go for what theybelieve and to dream big,” Diaz said.

In the end, the three judges gave the All Stars an aggregate score of 8.94. A large part of the score (5.35) was earned by way of the group’s infusion of artistic steps in their choreography.

And to that, competition judge and multi-Gramy awardee MC Hammer said: “The Filipino artists…they continue to evolve in a global basis. They take art and dance seriously.I am very proud of the level that the Philippines over all have developed into.”

Judge Shane Sparks also had high praises for the group.

“Great kids, great dancers and choreographer…I think they’re some of the hottest dancers that touch the stage of the America’s best dance crews and I know there’s more to come ,” Sparks said. Ging Reyes and Bev Llorente, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau

By Sarah Feldberg

The Philippine All Stars’ choreographer Ken Jhons holds a fellow dancer aloft during their performance at the World Hip Hop Dance Championships.
Photo: Sarah Feldberg

In every Olympics there are defining moments – performances that make such a strong statement any competitor preceding them is immediately forgotten and any who follow are watched with unavoidable skepticism. Nothing compares. Game friggin’ over.

On Sunday, Aug. 3 at the Theatre for the Performing Arts at Planet Hollywood, I watched as hip-hop crew the Philippine All Stars created just such a moment. Before a crowd of approximately 2,000, they rocked, jumped and flipped with unmatched intensity. The audience literally gasped as choreographer and crew leader Ken Jhons plucked a dancer from the ground and raised him above his head on a single arm, holding him aloft like a hunter with a prize kill, before discarding him back onto the stage. With silver-lined black vinyl trench coats flying around them, the All Stars looked like a comic book street gang, ready to throw down a dance battle at the slightest provocation. If a hip-hop crew can be intimidating, they were and then some.

It was a viciously show-stopping performance towards the end of an exhilarating night of street dance. Performing in front of an international panel of judges including Vegas’ own Natasha Jean-Bart, the original Lady Madonna in Cirque du Soleil’s Love, and America’s Best Dance Crew judge Shane Sparks, crews from 11 countries battled for the World Hip Hop Dance Championships’ bronze, silver and gold medals presented by MC Hammer himself.

Now in its seventh year, the competition is everything you’d expect from a new a competitive art form. Judges are critical but enthusiastic, dancers supportive and outgoing. During the preliminary round of international competition, younger b-girls already cut from the finals held an impromptu dance lesson off stage while dancer and choreographer Mr. Suave spoke to the crowd.

“Every single year inspires me. I go home and say, ‘How can I emulate them?’ They are ri-dic-u-lous. It’s not about who you beat, it’s about who you inspire.”

After exiting the stage, Suave greeted one of the young dancers and asked her how she was doing. Looking up from waist high with an exaggerated frown, she told him her crew hadn’t advanced to the next round.

“Did you hear what I said?” Suave asked.

“No,” she replied, “I was too busy dancing.”

The finals themselves stretched 30 crews and nearly five hours long. Tiny Japanese girls flicked traditional fans open and closed as they popped and locked in perfect coordination. Teens from New Zealand stomped through an aggressive high-energy routine. An all-male Mexican crew switched from powerful breaking to hip-swishing pantomime and back again in the span of half a minute. Canadians Xtreme Soul Style sauntered on stage like an Olympic soccer team in red and white warm up jackets before executing a performance with military precision to a machine gun beat.

But it was the Phillipine Allstars that elevated the evening with a routine based on Jhons’ thrilling choreography, work he attributes to God. “Straight up,” said Jhons pointing skyward. “We ran out of creativity; we had to pray for it.”

Standing on the uppermost step of the championship podium, flanked by the United States’ Kaba Modern in third place and 2007 champions Eklectic from Trinidad and Tobago in the silver spot, it seemed his prayers were answered. Jhons and his dancers pointed towards the sky once again. Still in the oil-slick trench coats, but now smiling out at the cheering crowd under the red, white, blue and gold of the Filipino flag, the crew looked like less like a hip hop army and more like Olympic victors. The audience, the judges, even their fellow competitors chanted together, “all-stars, all stars.” Nothing had compared to their performance. Game friggin’ over.

Jaser A. Marasigan

Philippine All Stars recognizes hip hop is the world’s favorite youth culture, a global epidemic. And once again, this group will hip-hop its way to victory at the world championships set next month…

Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is not mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself. – Havelock Ellis

They may have defied gravity by dancing their way to the top. But what is more amazing is how they manage to keep their feet firmly on the ground.

The Philippine All Stars reigned supreme in the 2006 World Hip Hop Championships, the largest and most respected of the international competitions for hip hop dance, serving up a soul-stirring fusion of moves and dance styles. They also topped the 2nd International Hip Hop Open D’Italia, and placed third last year at the 6th World Hip Hop Championship in Los Angeles.

To say that the Philippine All Stars is insanely cool is an understatement. But the story to tell is not their successes. It is how they got there.

’WE ARE ALL STARS’

The group recognizes hip hop as "the world’s favorite youth culture," a global epidemic that has evolved from its ethnic roots by way of globalization and localization. Hip hop is often misconstrued, relating it to violence and drugs. But in recent years, this dance genre has given a voice to young people who want to be heard and noticed, the same thing that it is doing for the Philippine All Stars which is originally composed of 12 young and talented performers.

The Philippine All Stars is now known all over the world for their authentic hip hop and RnB flavor, combining different styles of urban grooves. They put breakdancing, pop lockin’, freestyling, krump, old school and new school in the mix. Its 15 members at present are Kenneth Serrano, Lema Diaz, Sheena Vera Cruz, Laurence Chua, Patrick Caballa, Kyxz Mendiola, Michelle Salazar, Jhong Mesina, Jeremiah Carandang, Reagan Cornelio, Chelo Espina, Madelle Enriquez, Prince Paltu-Ob, Deo Bantillo and Niko Bolante.

"We are the best in each field, in each style, that’s why we are all stars. Each of us is unique and everyone is a star," explains Lema Diaz, who is also a member of the dance group Hotlegs, on how they coined the name of the group.

Starting out as close friends from different backgrounds, they decided to put their talents to good use. "We go way back, as in best friends, some are relatives and even childhood friends. We got to know each other from the clubbing scene, in Wherelse, Orange, Mars, Embassy, Jaipur," recalls Lema.

Kyxz Mendiola and Michelle Salazar formed the group in June 2005. Having difficulty getting a job after finishing college, Michelle enrolled in a power dance class that summer.

"Mapili kasi ako sa trabaho ‘nun, ayoko nung basta-basta lang. So I might as well make something out of my summer. Hanggang sa na-involve na ako sa sayaw, di na ko makaalis. It became my passion," she says.

Meanwhile, Kenneth Serrano and Laurence Chua have been friends since they were teenagers in Canada. They came back to the Philippines to find out more about their roots and at the same time try their luck in the local entertainment scene.

"I was in love with playing basketball, hip hop dancing, freestyling. But I had no idea what to do after high school. I hated computers," shares Kenneth. "Bumalik kami ni Laurence dito, freed our minds. Ano kayang meron sa Pilipinas, next thing you know, we got trapped here and fell in love, all the struggles became miracles," he adds.

All of the members were either in school or gave up their careers just to represent the country in the World Hip Hop Championships.

"We have different backgrounds but we are all interconnected by one mission, and it happened to be dancing," says Laurence. "That’s how all of us met. It’s like destiny. We dropped our individual careers, some did modelling, singing, commercials, we dropped all that to focus in our mission to represent the country," he enthuses.

ON THE DANCEFLOOR

In spite of their talents and hard work, the group went through some rough times. These were also the times when they forced to close their eyes and decided to walk with faith.

With no resources to go to the United States for the competition, and no one willing to sponsor the trip, they practically begged for money from families, friends and strangers.

But despite discouragement, the group believed they would win.

"A lot of people were saying we couldn’t make it because we were going up against the best of the best. But we know our capabilities. Besides, why join if you’re not gonna try to win it, " adds Lema.

Their parents also thought they were making a big gamble. "They were scared for us. Some even called us ‘desperate.’ Others said that we’re just wasting our time. But it’s something that we really wanted, it’s our dream to win for our country," relates Laurence.

They eventually raised enough money to fund the plane tickets to California where they managed to impress the competition with their energetic moves and inventive choreography inspired by, among others, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson and Usher.

Winning the world championship over countries like Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, USA, Japan, Germany, Italy, Colombia, Spain, Russia, United Kingdom and Mexico, was no mean feat for a group of dancers who had never danced for a living or performed on TV. E-Real Records, a US-based recording company, was so impressed with them that their stay was extended, with board and lodging sponsored at that!

So what won it for the Philippines despite being the newbie in the hip hop scene?

"It’s our hunger, our fire. Yung mga struggles namin nilabas namin sa dancefloor," enthuses Lema. "When you’re on fire, no one can stop you. We did not get intimidated. We were more like amazed because we get to share the stage with the best in the world."

That same fire and hunger pushed them to compete again the following year, placing third over-all. Next month, they will leave again for the US to represent the country in the World Hip Hop Championships to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"Dami ngang nagtatanong bakit nagco-compete pa rin kami eh na-prove na naman namin yung mga sarili namin," says Michelle. "Para sa amin hindi siya more of the competition, it’s like giving love, we’re just giving back the glory (to Him)," she further adds.

The group had finally paid all their debts recently, amounting to approximately R3 million, via a series of fund-raising concerts. "Wala na kaming utang ngayon through yun sa concert namin. Hindi namin masyadong iniisip yung pera kasi alam naman namin mababayaran namin, kahit pakonti-konti. For example sa gigs, R5,000 ang bayad sa amin, R1,000 lang ang mapupunta sa amin," Michelle humbly reveals.

SPREADING THE LOVE FOR DANCE

The Philippine All Stars hopes to improve the country’s standards in the entertainment industry by spreading their knowledge and awareness in the art of dancing.

Aside from occasional TV guestings, commercial and event appearances, and rehearsals everyday, the group is likewise busy with dance workshops, which they offer from time to time. "Balak namin in the future magkaroon ng scholars, magkaroon ng dance school. Although meron namang iba na nagtuturo kasi may mga studios na sila," shares Michelle.

Since the group started and became popular, a lot of kids are now looking up to them as role models.

"Ang dami na ring gumagaya sa amin na mga bata. Umuutang din para makapag-compete. Isa sa mga gusto naming mangyari na ‘wag na silang umutang, kami na lang yung maghirap para sa kanila," she ends.

Major Performances/Showcase:

* Pepe Goes to Market: Sining Selebrasyon ng birthday ni Jose “Pepe” Rizal, Market! Market! (June2008)
* WAGI: A Celebration of Filipino Victories in the Performing Arts, CCP Main Theater (Jan2008)
* Sari-Saring Sayaw, Sama-Samang Galaw: Galaw-Galaw Galawgaw, The Filipino Soul in Dance, CCP Main Theater (Jan2008)
* Friendship Games, Fullerton, CA (Oct2008)
* Planet Boogiezone, Global Dance Showcase, UCLA Royce Hall, Los Angeles, CA (Aug2008)
* special guest, French Spring 7: Pockemon Crew, CCP Main Theater (June2007)

Major Events/Gigs/Concerts:

* Republ1c Launch Party, NBC Tent (Feb2009)
* Nestle Kick-Off Event, SMX/EDSA Shangri-la Hotel (Jan2009)
* Gary V Live at 25, Araneta Coliseum (Nov2008)
* Afterparty, Salvatore Ferragamo’s Autumn/Winter 2008 Collection Preview (Oct2008)
* Marithe Francois Girbaud Fashion Show, The Block (July2008)
* Gilbert Arenas Agent Zero Tour, Trinoma (July2008)
* Flo-Rida Tour, SM Malls (June2008)
* Penthouse 7: The Grand Reunion, NBC Tent (April2008)
* Hooters Launch, San Miguel by the Bay (April2008)
* Penshoppe Event, Boracay (April2008)
* front act, Ne-Yo in Manila, Araneta Coliseum (Feb-Mar2008)
* Sanuk Footwear Feashin Show, Glorietta (Feb2008)
* Speedo Spring/Summer Fashion Show, Bonifacio High Street (Feb2008)
* Nestle “Win As One” Event, Sofitel (Feb2008)
* front act, Christina Aguilera Back to Basics Tour (July2007)
* MTV VJ Hunt Finals, Mall of Asia (June2007)
* Jollibee Kiddie Jamboree, Mall of Asia (May2007)
* PPL Meet APL, Human Fashion Show, Mall of Asia (Mar2007)
* Lovapalooza, MOA Open Field (Feb2007)
* Apl vs Paquiao Victory Christmas Concert, CCP Open Field (Dec2006)
* Animax Fashionability, Glorietta Activity Center (Nov2006)
* Nokia 5500 Sport Launch, Rockwell Tent (Nov2006)
* AXN’s Amazing Race Asia Promo Tour, Mall of Asia (Sept2006)
* ADIDAS T Mac Launch, Meet & Greet, Mall of Asia (Aug2006)
* Bench Fever: Underwear & Denim Show, Araneta Coliseum (June 2006)
* Adidas Philippines MVP Night, Bellevue Hotel  (June2006)
* Hip Hop Awards (2006, 2007)
* South Border & Jasmine Trias concert, Grand Convention, Cebu (Mar2006)
* Levi’s Engineered Jeans & MTV Homecoming Tour (Jan-Feb2006)
* SEA Games Aero Gymnastics Opening, Rizal Coliseum (Dec2005)
* Levi’s Engineered Jeans Free to Move Launch, Volvo Showroom (Nov2005)

TV Guestings/Interview/Features:

* Proudly Filipino, QTV11 (Oct2008)
* America’s Best Dance Crew (Performance for Live Audience) (Aug2008)
* Rated K, ABS-CBN (June2008)
* Wowowee (June2008)
* Sharon (May2008)
* Boy & Kris
* ABS-CBN Summer Team Kapamilya Station ID (Mar2008)
* (2005-2007) TFC Bravura, Sports Unlimited, TV Patrol, Kay Gandang Umaga, Life @ ANC, Mornings @ ANC, 700Club Asia, 100% Pinoy, Unang Hirit, Homeboy, ASAP, GroopieTV, E-TV, Eat Bulaga, SOP, Master Showman, Urban MYX, Star MYX, MTV Jukebox

Competitions:

* judges (Kyxz, Maya) Hip Hop Dance Battle, Pagadian City (Oct2008)
* judges (Lema, Kenjhons, Laurence) Groove Manila, Crossroad77 (Oct2008)
* judge (Lema), Buhawian: The Metro Manila Dance Idols (May2008)
* judge (Kyxz), Last Crew Standing 2007, Oahu, Hawaii
* judges/performers (Patrick & Reagan), Suntec Dance 2007, Singapore (Sept2007)
* judges (Lema, Kenjhons, Kyxz) & performers (Allstars), Hoopdreamz Groove Urban Festival, Olympic Park, NSW, Australia (Dec2006)

Allstars Flava Workshops with Guest Choreographers:

* Lenny from Canada, Reo from Norway, Ron from Canada, Mikey Disco of Soul Sector from Bay Area, Chung Peng of Static Noyze, Mark (Swarf) of Pink Mafia from UK

Givin’ Time, Love & Support:

* GK Expo, The Fort Open Field (Oct2008)
* Step Up for Life Dance Workshop with US Embassy, DSWD & SM (Lema & Sheena with Rick & Joel of Havikoro), Davao, Cebu, Manila (May2008)
* Adidas/GK Christmas Outreach Program, Brookside, QC (Dec2007)
* Assumption/GK, Hiyas ng Maynila (Dec2008)
* (for GK) FilAmfest: Arts & Culture Festival, San Diego, CA (Oct2008)
* (for GK) The 16th Annual Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture, San Pedro, CA (Sept2007)
* Educathon: Walk for Education with Pathways, Marikina Sports Center (April2007)
* GK1MB, Araneta Coliseum (June2007)
* Knock-Out Drug, Panabo Cultural Center, Panabo, Davao (Dec2006)
* Water Pump Inauguration (c/o Rotary Club), Old Balara Elementary School (2005)
* MU Variety Show 2006, Philippine General Hospital (2005)
* The Eugene Tejada Benefit Show, San Juan Arena (2005)
* Pathways Workshop for Public School Students, Ateneo Covered Court (2005)

ALLSTARS Concerts/Events
* Beyond Hip Hop, SM Ampitheater, Pampanga (Jan2009)
* Hip Hop Generation, Clarke Quay Arena, Singapore (Sept2008)
* Choreographer’s Birth, Irwin Theater, Ateneo (June2008)
* Beyond Hip Hop, Balara, Bataan (2008)
* Beyond Hip Hop in San Diego, National City, CA (Aug2007)
* Allstars Anniversay/Dance Battle, Ratsky’s Morato (June2007)
* Allstars Studded Night: The Send-Off Party, Embassy Superclub (July2007)
* Beyond Hip Hop: The Repeat, Metrobar (July2007)
* Beyond Hip Hop, Metrobar (June2007)

HIS-TORY the MOVIE is a documentary film in the making that chronicles the true story of the PHILIPPINE ALLSTARS preparing its way to the most compelling and prestigious hip hop dance competition. The World Hip Hop Championship in Las Vegas, USA on Aug. 2-3, 2008 will determine their fate if they will bring back first-place glory to their country, continue to inspire and uplift other artists around the globe and represent His Story to the fullest.

* * * * * * *

* Produced by Sheena Vera Crua
* Starring The Philippine Allstars
* Art Direction by Sheena Vera Cruz & Christian Redil
* Director of Photography by Christian Redil, Gino Feraren & Rycher Christian Alfonzo
* Original Music by Christian Redil
* Written by Sheena Vera Cruz & Chelo Aestrid

We would like to thank everyone who made CHOREOGRAPHER’Z BIRTH a huge success! To all the people who have been a part of it in one way or another, to the people who watched and gave love, lalung lalo na sa mga nanggaling pa sa mga malalayong lugar, maraming salamat! Isa kayong alamat! Hehe! To those who bought the shirts, thank you!

Dahil sa concert na ito, we were able to pay our debts. Opo debt-free na po kme (after 3 years haha!), that we will now able to concentrate more on things that matter. Mga plano, mga dreams, having you all in mind. *wink*

Dahil din sa concert, Allstars will be able to fly to Las Vegas to represent the PI again in this year’s World Hip Hop Championship on Aug2-3! We’ll update you soon kung sino ang top 8 this year. *wink* *wink*

Thanks heaps to the people who gave their invaluable time, support, love, artistry & good vibes:

our family & friends
Direk Maui Manalo
Company of One
Karen Romarate & the Dance Avenue Studio
Arlie
Jane & the ACTS Production
Meg Mariano at ang FOH people
Mr & Mrs Enriquez
Tito Mar Chua
Brewing Point Studio
ADIDAS Philippines
Gold’s Gym
Irwin Theater
Wave 89.1
Sports Unlimited
VIP Pass-Cinema One

Kitty Girls
Iya Villania
US Embassy Manila
Mark Reyes
Parokya ni Edgar

ang mga Photographers
Videographers
Ushers & Usherettes
Security
(names to follow)

at ang sponsors
Spinning Bugs
San Miguel Beer
Mahalo Deep Sea Water

at higit sa lahat,
ang mga guest choreographers
at dancers na nagbigay ng oras, pagod, buong kaluluwa at puso nila
Isa kayong alamat din!

Thank you again & again! We can’t thank you enough. Twas really a blessed night and all of this will not be possible kung wala si Bestfriend! All glory to the Man upstairs!

Para naman sa mga hindi nakanood, walang Repeat eh, hehe.

Pero magkakaroon ng DVD. Keep posted na lang po kung kelan ito ilalabas!

“jabbawockeez” are way way way wwwwwwaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy better than you guyz.. some of you didn’t even know how to dance properly… by d way, you guys always point to the sky as if ur 2 good or sumthin, praisin’ GOD… but how come ur music or the music ur always using contains EXPLECIT WORDS… isn’t it IRONIC.. pack of wolves dressed in a sheep’s clothing… tsk..tsk..tsk’

Dearest Ryan,

Thanks so much for giving us some of your precious time by writing that! I love writing long blogs about special people who enter our lives (please also read ‘Third Place Might As Well Be Last’). But don’t you know how this world works? People hate on Beyonce too ‘cause she has Christian songs but wears midriffs and mini-skirts and sings about sex. But she’s one of the top artists out there… You know why? ‘Cause she stayed true to herself. That she’s human and she’s gonna have impure thoughts. But that don’t mean she’s not a good, hard-working person. It doesn’t mean she goes around lyin’, stealin’, and cheatin’ on JayZ.

If we walked around like perfect angels, do you think anyone
would be able to relate to us? It’s not the good people, like yourself, that we
want to reach with our work, it’s the 99% of the world who are lost and in
trouble like every member of Allstars has been or still is. If you only knew my
past or my co-members, you’d even have more to say about us! We use certain
music and do certain moves because we like them and we think our audience will like it too, simple as that. The truth is, we’re all sinners, and you know
what, please don’t play the Sunday Christian. Unless you are God, do not judge
others who you don’t know, because only He has the right to do that. And HELL
YEA, Jabawockeez are probably better than us, we never said we are the best.
You should hear how many times we say we suck!!! But why do you think Allstars won the World Championship? Through this group, we found our way to the Lord. Yes, we are still getting to know Him, and we are quite surprised He is so close to us, but don’t be jealous now! If Allstars has inspired one person through the two-and-a half years of being together, we’ve already accomplished enough.

You’e damn right too! We are ‘sheeps in wolves clothing’! Wolves are hungry and strong, while the sheep are obedient and weak. That’s Allstars in 12 contradictory words… And besides, God created both creatures for a reason, just like there’s a reason you hatedly commented us: So we can tell the rest out there who think the same thing as you exactly what I just said! One love bro, you keep walking with Bestfriend and work really hard and maybe a bunch of people will hate on you too someday.

To everyone else, please send more hate comments so I have more to write about! Especially about us being crappy dancers and being wanna-be Christians! I LOVE doing this!

God Bless you all!

Yours truly,

Chelo

P.S. To all our friends who continue to understand, support, and inspire us, we are forever in debt to you. Let’s continue to help the Philippines rise, and to keep pointing to the sky, and to make His-Story through His Glory! Ridicule and hate is the path of a true disciple, for it was also the path…of our Savior.

Written by: Chelo, 11-23-07

People just don’t know. They have no idea what we, the
Philippine Allstars, have gone through as a group. Instead of
appreciating what we’ve done for our country, they hate. And hate. And
hate. And the more sad fact is: most of the haters come from the
Philippines itself.

Please get it right. We did everything we could to win again. But if
it wasn’t our destiny this year, then we accept that and still
appreciate the fact we beat out 34 other teams from across the world.
But others don’t see it that way. Those that were only there for us
when we were on top don’t know our name anymore now that we are
‘merely’ third place.

People just don’t know. So let me tell you all a little bit of what
this group has done. And this is only a little recollection, because to
tell all would take the length of a novel. Ken, Lema, Madelle, Sheena,
and everyone else in the group all tirelessly talk to countless people
we meet and strive to inspire them. What do we talk about? We talk
about being proud to be Filipino; about being proud to be a dancer (an
understated artist); and most importantly, about God: everyone’s true
Bestfriend.

So are we at all disappointed that we didn’t get first place? Of
course we are. But now, we see that touching the lives of the people
we’ve met on our trips is a greater accomplishment than any title we
can ever achieve. One woman in a concert we held in San Diego said
something like this to Ken, "I have been searching for God in this city
for five years; it is only tonight that I’ve found Him." That one
statement alone is better than any first place ranking.

And let’s see, what else? Before the competition, the group kept
praying for the health of Nikko’s mom and told God that if she gets
better, we’ll sacrifice the Championship Title for her life back. And
guess what, she is 100% healthy now. If you don’t believe in the power
of prayer, believe it now. We are testimony to that. A life saved is
more miraculous than any first place ranking.

Everywhere we go, people of all races say, "I want to be Filipino!"
because they think we are all happy, talented, and inspiring people.
Allstars is always trying to put out positive vibes even in a highly
competitive environment such as the World Hip-hop Championships. If
there was a prize for the Congeniality Team, that would be us. I’m not
trying to be conceited, but I just want you all to realize it’s not
about winning. Sure victory is definitely sweet, but if only we could
share with you the unified love all the countries have in the
competition then you’d know why we still feel like winners. Look up
"One Love at the World Hiphop Championships" on YouTube and you’ll see
a little bit of what I’m talking about.

We are also involved with Gawad Kalinga. For those of you who think
we were just vacationing in the States, well know now you are wrong. We
stayed that long for many reasons, but as a group we were helping GK
with one of its main goals for next year: to bring 1000 Fil-Ams back
into this country to aid in helping the poor. We went to festival after
festival, spreading the word and work of this amazing organization and
asked for nothing in return except for them to help us sell our
t-shirts so we can somehow get by.

My team members are some of the most awe-inspiring people I’ve ever
met in my life. But to the haters, we are just dancers. Or we are
ungrateful. Or we are ’sosyal’. Or we have done nothing for others. Or
we are a burden. Or we are losers. (Sigh) If you really took the time
to know who we really are, you’d never think such things.

But you know, God works in mysterious ways. Because, instead of
blessing us with the title again, he gave us the eyes to see who our
real friends are: the people who are still there after the
disappointing turn-out; those who still see us as winners no matter
what our world rank; those who inspire us in return to keep striving
for the gold again next year. And believe me, we aren’t promising
anything, but this time around, we’ve learned. We’ve learned who in our
world are really true. We’ve learned from many innocent mistakes we’ve
made from being a young team. We’ve learned to persevere in the face of
defeat. And I guarantee one thing. We are a stronger team.

If I sound a little angry, that’s because I am. I don’t have a fire
tattoo on my arm for nothing. Usually, I stay quiet when I hear stupid
things that people say. But this time, we were blatantly disrespected
in person a few days ago. To the people thinking the wrong things about
us, I’d like to say, ‘Thank you’. Thank you for giving us more fuel to
re-ignite the group’s torch to rise up again.

To all our real friends, you know who you are. Thank you to you and
Bestfriend for showing us that you are true in friendship, support, and
love.

So my title, ‘Third Place Might As Well Be Last’ is a false
statement. To the haters, when you try to jump on our bandwagon again
when we are on top, you’ll sadly see that there will be no more room
for you.

As a non-participant Allstar who flew to US, I (with Chelo, Laurence, Madelle, Niko, Prince & Deo) was tasked to do the following: to be a team leader, to act as a team coach, & to run errands.  Niko became the team leader and Del the "team coach". So I and the rest: sold beads & shirts so we could pay for our food & hotel accomodations, bought food & energy drinks, took care of the registration, and basically just follow them around like doctors on call 24/7.

It was a totally different world for me, being a former top8, to being not. It wasn’t that bad, in fact I think I felt as much pressure as they did. I was as tired as them from all the runnings here & there, the mental notes, the stress, "pickin’ up" after them so they could just focus on their competition piece. So it was really a group effort, from the 8 that competed, down to the "logistics" (as Lema would call us).

When we arrived at Torrance Marriott at 3pm on 27July, the scene was like a family reunion. Besos, hugs & warm greetings filled the lobby of the hotel. We were all cathcing up with the other crews, making new friends with first-timers, breaking language barriers again. But it was cut short coz the 8 had to rehearse & we had to register for them. Chelo & I tried to sell the shirts discreetly to our pinoy friends while Madelle went to look for a cheap hotel nearby.

As dusk approached, I checked on the 8 to find that they weren’t even rehearsing! They were in a circle and talking!… I overheard Lema saying, "The piece is done, we’ve polished some routines, we’re physically ready. But we are not in one page." So I understood why they needed to talk. They did that for hours. Some teams from other countries would check on them and their routine but Allstars never rehearsed. There even came a point that some shouted at each other, exchanging hurtful words. There were really a lot of issues that they had to patch up and that was the only time they had to do that, and so they did. Finally, they prayed. It was the only thing that could finish it all. And so they were one again.

Around 9:30pm, they were called to block on stage. For the team blocking that night, each team was given 5 minutes to do everything, blocking & run-through and i thought, "Yea right! 5mins is not enough. Allstars pa, pinakamatagal yan mag-block! Haha!" But as i watched them, I realized that they were already given 5 minutes, and their music wasn’t played yet! And when they were asked to run their piece, Ken asked 10 seconds more so they could pray first. And they let them! (They were so strict with the other teams!). As I saw them do the prayer and shouted "Allstars!" I was like, haha it was weird. Ganon pala itsura ng star namin from the outside. Parang ang corny naman ng mga ‘to… which is a lot different when you’re inside.

After them, it was Dziah’s (New Zealand) turn. I noticed that they weren’t given that much time. Parang, ano yun special treatment sa Allstars? But I forgot about that when we watched their piece. Man, it was packed! Andaming blow-ups. I got scared coz malapit ang itsura ng piece nila sa Allstars, so we concluded that they were the team to watch out for. But we still gave them love, like brothas ya? Kia Ora. We love ‘em Kiwis! =)

10-12am, the 8 rehearsed til they dropped.

The next day, we woke up early for the Delegation Welcome. Ang saya! Ang daming countries! Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, USA, South Africa, Belgium, Japan, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Colombia, Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, Switzerland, Spain, Netherlands, Russia, United Kingdom, Mexico… Philippines had 2 teams, Allstars and The One (Theirs is also a story of miracles). World Hip Hop family’s getting bigger & bigger every year. Imagine NBC tent brimming with dancers of different colours, height & languages! It was that big! It’s so amazing how all these people come back every year despite the distance & financial drawbacks.

I was pleased to see Eclectik (Trinidad & Tobago) again this year. One of them talked to Sheena & Lema last year & expressed not coming back after just placing every year (for 3 years, they were either 3rd or 2nd, never Champions). But they still came, nevertheless they looked tired, and old. They said it was really hard to even step up or even get hip hop dance to a competitive level in their country. Partially like mainstream dancing in the PI where some dancers were content to the level of dancing that they are in. That’s why it was also hard for them to find new members.

Japan had the most delegates (next to USA). Despite the language barrier, they (especially the kids) came up to us & huddled around us like ants to a miniscule cube of sugar. They were so sweeeeet! It was also very apparent how they’ve leveled up compared to last year.

Canada… whow, Canada had 2 pinoy teams. Some of the kids were starstrucked with Allstars. They said Allstars were their biggest influence. I think they were the ones who bought most of our shirts & necklaces, hehe! And their moms, wow stage moms talaga. They were the ones who would make kwento how their anaks would spend a lot of time watching Allstars’ videos in the internet. It’s different pag yung mga nanay na ang nagkukwento. It’s like giving us their blessing to shape & mold their kids into better individuals, thanking us cause of how we’ve changed them.

The friends that we’ve made in Australia during the Groove Battle were there too, Fearless of New Zealand.

After Howard Schwartz announced the order of teams for the eliminations (Allstars was last, being the defending champs), each country introduced themselves to the world.

After that, they spent their time rehearsing again… Then it was time for the eliminations.

Around 7pm, after making sure that they’ve eaten rice (kelangan yun eh) & taken Rockstar (energy drink), I went inside the Ballroom where the competition was held (with Chelo, Nisha–maya’s ex, Deo & Joyce–Niko’s girl) and braved through almost 30 teams. Man, it was nerve-whacking & heart-wrenching or whatever. I dunno how to describe it coz as the teams went by, mas nakakakaba, nakakasuka, at nakakahilo. Ako yung kinakabahan sa kanila. At one point, Niko came to us and we’d ask kung kumusta sila. And he’d say, "Ayun nag-iiyakan na naman. Pero ok sila. Sobrang united more then ever." I’d be calmed with that for a while but still nakakakaba pren. I think it was more because I remembered how it felt to be the one dancing last year: waiting for almost 4 hours for our turn (coz we were also the last to perform), calming ourselves by rehearsing, praying, talking, praying, warming-up, praying.

I was awed when I watched Kaba Modern. They were tight. They were technically good, especially with the isolations. The blow-ups were simple but solid. I knew they’d place in the top3. Eclectik was what they’ve always been, only this time mas makulit at mas nagsasayaw na sila. Dziah, I thought was our biggest threat coz (like Eclectik), they did 300 (Sparta!!!) & their blow-ups were whacked! People were like screaming, applauding every 4 eights. Of course their krumping balled me over. It was like they owned it, gave krump a different face. After those 3 teams, I knew it was a tight fight. It will all depend on the judges.

Then it was Allstars’ turn. This year’s piece was a continuation of last year’s. It starts with a voice-over "Previously on Allstars." Then goes on to tell the story of their struggles after winning the Gold last year and how they’ve kept the faith amidst "devils tryin’ to break us down." It was a piece that risked criticisms & sneers coz it used a lot of their routines from their previous dance pieces. But that was only because most of Allstars’ pieces were uploaded all over youtube, accessible to a lot of dancers (maybe even the judges) around the world. But it was still a piece, a whole story they had to tell through dance.

Anyway, it was weird watching them. It was like seeing them for the 1st time. Not like a fan but like a stage mom watching her kids. The first thing I noticed was the costumes (they wore big camo shirts–airbrushed by Maya–& camo pants). It didn’t highlight the moves. It didn’t help them at all. For me, being a "mom," it made them look weak. And their old school routine was kinda lame. They weren’t able to deliver it. Other than that they did a good job. So I thought, bahala na si God. =)

When they announced the top12 that will advance to the finals, we were all ears. "9th place, from New Zealand… Dziah!" We were like… kriikk kriik! What the… Dziah, 9th place? It was really unbelievable. Thoughts like if they were 9th, pano na ang Allstars, 8th? 6th? "3rd place, from the Philippines… Allstars!" Ok na rin kse ang weird na ng feeling. Eclectik got 2nd, Kaba got 1st which was absolutely ok coz out of all teams, sila yung pinaka-iba. (Most teams this year were apparently influenced by Allstars. Last year’s piece a tough act to beat, that’s why they had a lot of blow ups. Kaba stood out coz 90% of the time, they were "dancing".)

Here was the result of the eliminations:

Junior Division:
   1. Fresh (Canada)
   2. Kana Boom (Japan)
   3. (japan)

Varsity Division:
   1. Flipside (USA)
   2. Canada
   3. Fearless (New Zealand)

Adult Division
   1. Kaba Modern (USA)
   2. Eclectik (Trinidad & Tobago)
   3. Allstars (Philippines)

Filos are steppin’ up, coz the 1st placers (Fresh, Flipside & Kaba) are all pinoys! We are so proud of all of them.

The next day, the day of the finals, I took a break… literally. Deo & I, with bgirl Una teamed up with pinoys from Battle Monkeys (Vex & Cris) & Sickstep (Josh & Laurence) to represent the Philippines in the World Battle. Yes it was all for fun & experience. But I still got nervous especially when they announced that we were up against Killafornia on the 1st round! Chyeah! Battling Ruen, Li’l Rock & Machine is pang-experience lang talaga! Shempre kinain kme but it’s all good kse masaya naman! Sobra … Meanwhile, Prince repped up for the PopLock battle & we daresay, even if he was eliminated on the 1st round, he gave his opponent a hard time! His strong point was his musicality. Dang, prince could sing through his body! But his opponent was obviously a veteran, so it was all good. Prince was already high with the whole experience.

While we were doing our thing, the 8 rehearsed, changed their old school routine & polished some more. They’ve also decided to change their costumes.

Around 4pm, all finalists headed to Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center for blocking. We followed around 7pm. When the parade of delegates started, I got so excited. But at the same time it was painful for me to watch them being not part of it anymore. I realized now why those people come back every year (which not everyone was able to experience): being able to share the stage with the World, being able to dance for Him & through Him, and being able to share their God-given talents to the rest of the world. I admit that that feeling was kinda addicting. I didn’t get to experience it this year so I was like having a withdrawal sydrome, eliciting weird emotions & thoughts. But in the end, when flags of different countries were all lined up on stage, what I felt didn’t matter anymore. What I saw was the bigger picture, everyone in the world was one. Through hip hop dance, the world became smaller & filled with unity & love.

The finals started with Junior division, then Varsity & Adult. Triple8Funk from New Zealand, Rewind from Australia, USA’s Formality & Germany’s Physical Funk were all swell, performing the same routine from the elims.

Dziah (New Zealand) changed some parts. They started off with Kaspar (the white guy in their team) doing double back flip which was wow. We never saw that he had hit his head hard on the floor when he landed. I just learned that after seeing him with a huge bruise on his forehead. I give him props for getting on despite the bad landing.

Eclectik (Trinidad & Tobago) did the same routine, though not that tight as what they did at the elims.

Kaba was still awesome! =)

When the Allstars came in, the first thing I noticed was how much they looked better with the new costumes. They did their thing, and they looked so much relaxed.

(Kyxz would later on tell me that before they got on, there was a time that they all let go of the competition and concentrated on Allstars’ real mission which was to spread the Word and the love backstage. They soon began to relax, and just talked to the other dancers.)

Here was the result of the finals:

Junior Division:
   1. Fresh (Canada)
   2. Japan
   3. Japan

Varsity Division:
   1. Canada
   2. Canada
   3. Flawless (New Zealand)

I was surprised to hear Flipside (USA) didn’t even make it to top3! I got scared for Allstars coz weird talaga yung judging! I was scared that Allstars wouldn’t make it too. When they announced the result:

Adult Division:
   1. Eclektic
   2. Kaba Modern
   3. Allstars

I was a bit rattled at first. After the Allstars were called at 3rd place, I thought Kaba made it which was good coz they were almost perfect! And they are pinoys! But then, they got 2nd and the Trinis got the Gold…

It soon dawned on me that whatever the outcome was, the Trinis deserve it. What with their grit determination & perseverance, it was their time to use the title for a purpose. It’ll help them a lot to spread the love, the dance & the word in their country. Few believed them before. Maybe now, they will have voices… Just like what Allstars had when they won last year.

We are so very proud of them! Eclectik are very transparent people. I could not see frustration, deperation & wariness anymore. In their faces I could now see joy & contentment. They could joke around with us this time, even sang Trinis song for us! What a sight they were to behold! One of my favorite parts from the whole experience was the bus ride back to the hotel from Redondo. We were on the last trip, Philippines, (except for Jhong & Maya who walked for an hour & a half. They even "carnapped" a cart from Ross, brought & "parked" it to the hotel. Haha lakas mag-trip!) Trinidad & Tobago & Germany. We were all beatboxing, singing local songs, boom tarat, Michael Jackson hits & "We are the Champions". The bus was like filled with high school kids on a field trip.

Then the rest of the night was spent partying at Torrance Marriott. The ballroom was filled with dancers freestyling, bboyin’, whacking & vogueing, krumping, poppin’ & lockin’, reggae-ing, etc. Ang saya. =)

We got 3rd, but we still felt champions. I beam with pride especially for Ken, Lema, Sheena, Kyxz, Maya, Jhong, Reagan & Pat, as I overhear people saying, "Oh you should’ve won!" One of them bouncers of the event, after shooing all of us out of the performing arts center (coz they had to close & everyone was lounging around too much), turned to Lema and said, "You should have been champions." Lui (our favorite boy from Germany) said to them, "Allstars, how do we beat you? Last year, you had bboys. So we put bboys. And now you are flying!" In an interview for the TFC channel, Shane Sparks (of "So You Think You Can Dance" & "You Got Served," and also one of the judges) was asked, "Out of all the teams in this competition, which one stood out for you?" He said something like, "Allstars ripped it!"

It was flattering. It wasn’t that those words were consolations for us when we get home. More like a sign of how people accepted us in their hearts. Coz I knew they weren’t just talking about the dance piece.

But that didn’t matter anymore now. As what Lema said, it’s not about winning the Gold. What matters is the purpose, what you become, how you will change the world after winning. And as Miel (our student, Krumpinoy) pointed out (and what Allstars has realized at the backstage during finals), our success started a year ago and it will continue, with or without the Gold… as long as we have Him!

I want to finish this whole thing with this vid. This is the real essence of the World Hip Hop. Sabi nga ulit ni Lema, it’s not about the competition, not the hating, and who places first and last… It’s about respect and giving love to other teams that came and represented their country… It’s all about the passion and unity… and giving back the glory to the greatest Man above that makes everything possible… HIPHOP is one love and as Kenjhons said, "In HIS eyes we’re ALL STARS!"

* * * * * * *
acknowledgements:
World parade pics - Erica
World finals video - B-wang
Welcome of Delegates & One Love vids - Arnel Serrano