Thoughts on the 2009 World Hip Hop Championships


Written on August 8, 2009 – 4:46 am | by allstars3

Thoughts on the
2009 World Hip-hop Dance Championships
By: Chelo Aestrid

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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  1. 35 Responses to “Thoughts on the 2009 World Hip Hop Championships”

  2.   By romeo on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    grabe ung mga judges…omg todo todo ang pagpost ko ng mga hinanakit ko sa mga judges dun s blog nila sa blogspot…basta pagpinagpatuloy p nila to ang credibility n nila ang masisira o sabihin n nting sira na..hihiihih basta galing

    TAAS NOO…TAYO ay FILIPINO

  3.   By miguel on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    youR sTiLL the bEsT aLL sTaR..I wILl keeP on supporting you. take caRe aLways

  4.   By jc simpino on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    you guys are the best..

  5.   By michael on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    kykz know me personally from his brother like richard(not really a brother)… you know what guys? GOD never gave us things for no reason… even i as a choreographer here in pampanga always ask GOD why cant he give me a break? like be one of you guys, or dance wherever and be seen… but what i didnt know is, my students keeps on multiplying every year… that these people always say “ang galing mo kuya”,
    “puede ka maging all stars kuya” ” kuya papaturo kami ulit” “kuya ang galing ng recital…. that i never thought i had more than i want to have… great smiles, applause, appreciation, repeat teachings, multiplication of students, being loved by people and most especially i am able to share the talent with them… and then i started talking to GOD again.. and humbly saying… “im sorry GOD for questioning you… that i kept on asking you things when you have given me basically more than ive expected to have and asking for…”

    and then thats it… i was enlightened… thanks to him ofcorse…

    thats why you guys need to just be humble and be boastful that GOD is with you always… yes they have the crown now… but what they dont know is, youll struggle more, sacrifice more, practice more and be more closer to GOD… so then next year might be different and people will realize what theyve done…

    well i want to say a lot though but i dont have enough time, for i’ll be teaching later… GOODLUCK guys and GODBLESS you…

    its mike from pampanga… a true kapampangan, cebuano, FILIPINO, die hard fan of yours and a son and follower of GOD… saying im still believing in you and i know that you can achieve whatever you want as long as you keep on talking to him…

    i love you Philippine All Stars… keep it tight

  6.   By Russell Michael on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    HI CHELO MY DEAR,

    GOOD DAY ITS ME RUSSELL LLAMES IF YOU STILL REMEMBER WE’VE MET BEFORE SA BREWING POINT. I BOUGHT A SHIRT AND CAP FROM KENJHONS. :)
    NAPANUOD KO NA YUNG FRANCE SA YOUTUBE. AND I WAS SHOCKED MYSELF. WELL THEIR GOOD YES THEY MAY HAVE THE MOVES THE STYLE BUT THEY DONT HAVE THE ENERGY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE…
    IM NOT SAYING THIS JUST BECAUSE IM A PINOY..

    KUNG SINO MAN KOKONTRA SAKEN EH “PANUORIN NIYO KAYA AND TRY TO COMPARE” OK? HEHEHEHE

    PERO NANGYARI NA EH.. MUKANG MASAMA GISING NG MGA JUDGES EH HINDI YATA NAKAPAG TAHO NUNG UMAGA.HEHEHE

    AND THERES NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF..HEADS UP ALL THE TIME…YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE MEDALS/ RECOGNITION THIS TIME. BUT YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE OUR RESPECT/HEARTS ALL THE TIME SIS..

    YOU SHOWED TOUGHNESS THROUGH VICTORIES. NOW SHOW EVERYONE HOW IT IS TO BE TOUGH EVEN IN DEFEAT AND THATS THE TRUE MEANING OF TOUGHNESS! THATS THE PHILIPPINE ALL STARS….!!! KEEP INSPIRING US….. TNX TO YOU GUYS

  7.   By john on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    sad talaga ako sa resulta.. kahit junior division kayang talonin yong na nalo.. piro kei lang yan guys… sa amin at sa boung mundo. na nag mamahal sa inyo.. kayo parin ang
    CHAMPZZZZ….. filipino… filipino.. fili..fili…fili.. filipino. PAS you are always number 1…wooooooooooo….. Godbless you..

    MAINIT-MAINIT.. Proud to be PINOy

  8.   By meme on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    its ok guys in our hearts you guys are the best! ;]]

  9.   By rANz on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    yes..yes…The Judges want to give medals to 3 new countries/new crews…coz Allstars just got the Judge’s what they want..so in that case…the Judges already know who will win(it is the PAS)…look at the Prelims…you’ve got to the TOP…but they made decisions after Prelims…they want to put new crews/countries to the TOP 3…LOOK>>3 new winners…but they don’t want to fail you(PAS)…they put you(PAS) as 4th placer..so it would be fair…i just don’t know why the Kaba Modern & SoReal crew didn’t get to 5th/6th placer…but anyways..the Judges have their FAIR decision.
    >

  10.   By helenne on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    Indeed! Dance is the greatest form of art.Winning the most prestige the title in any competition won’t over-shed the victory felt by the people who have seen the effort beyond this masterpiece. In the first place, it was God who have given you the privilege to show the world how great you are guys! I guess all the effort you’ve made to prepare for this competition still worth it. You still have more chances of bringing the victory but you already brought up the real “victory” beforehand,that’s the victory from God. Don’t stop! You’re group made me feel special in my race. No regrets!See you again in WHHDC in succeeding years:)

  11.   By rANz on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    I am the 1st Commentator…^^..tHankS :)

  12.   By nhie on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    as i’ve watched the competitions.. it was really an upset.. comapring from the performances of the 1st and 2nd placers, none of it can defy the intensity that the philippine all-stars show to the crowd everytime they represent.. well, the competitions is already complete.. it is already a part of history.. i just hope to see the philippine all-stars next WHHDC..

    always never look back because you’ll just be in despair.. move on..

    god bless all of u guys..

    nhie from tondo :)

  13.   By jurixy on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    pre hindi namin kayo iiwan…we are your avud fans…you showed the world onces more that all stars will always be one step ahead of everyone…sure you did not make it to the top 3 or top 1 place..but always remember that you will always be the champs in our hearts..we filipinos will never ever leave you…keep on dancing guys..remember..that you have us..supporting you..

    mabuhay ang mga pilipino

    taas noo kame sa inyo..

    mabuhay PAS

  14.   By pj gonzales on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    Ur still number 1 parin para samin ^^ alam ng buong mundo and mga filipino’s kung sino talaga nanalo…

    godbless po mga idol..

  15.   By dan-soy on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    Sometimes we must face challenges that we don’t expect what would be the outcome…but again, you fought hard for it, you sacrifice blood and tears on it…i should say, it pay off…you have all the support. a lot of people would say “they should win, they got the moves, man! the judges are dumb!, the winners suck!they dont know what hip hop is, is it dancing? and etc.”. if we all sum this up, you guys win the hearts of the filipinos. i guess, its not just about winning…but its, indeed, love.

  16.   By chLOeph* on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    .. waT u’ve sHOwn in WHHDC was rEaLLy remarkabLe!!!

    ..dOn’t KnOw wats wRONg??? maYbE d JUdges??!!!
    ^^

    ..eVEryTHing HApPens 4 a pUrpOse.. sO gUYYzz!!! cOntinue wAt ur dOIng!!!! u deServe sUMthing betTer dan daT,, maYbe iN d rYt tym..

    .. gREat jOb!!! pROud 2 be a FiliPino.. bCOz ur 1 of d riZOns!!!

    AN INSPIRATION!!!

    ..GodbLEsS oLweiz!!!

  17.   By glenn ross caalim on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    pra sakin kayo tlga pnalo!

    but dont worry god is always ar ur side guys…

    malay nio nxt yr ull be the champ…

    gling nio mga idol!

    om glenn from dasmarinas cavite phil.

    myakap ko n kenjohns and maya hhehehehe!

    yngats ^__^V

  18.   By jennlou on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    you did great guys!
    dat’s all i can say,
    I’m a dancer,,and I’ve seen yo perform live for a couple of times…your all great!
    two thumbs up to the routine you guys have made this year..^_^
    hope to meet you all personally..^_^
    “LET’S ALL DANCE, ALL FOR THE LOVE OF GOD”

  19.   By Michael/nikko on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    hmmm..I must say you’re routine was still very nice ..really..i am an avid fan of yours guys..sobra.di man kau nanalo,u still serve the best for me and for the Filipinos..Still, “itaas ang mukha,Look up to the sky and party..” :p

  20.   By hearty on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    still love you guys! you’re all still in our hearts and we’ll always be proud of you. Mabuhay ang Pilipino!

  21.   By Hazel on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    you know what? since i watched your prelims routine, i had waited for the result of the finals.. i slept for about 3 hours only…i prayed hard for you to have a better and cleaner execution..well, yeah, you had a cleaner execution but you lost..

    when i knew that you had lost, my heart cried… i couldn’t believe it…man! i saw the top 3 crews, a big question stucked into my mind, “is this for real???”.. so real cru and kaba modern were better than them.. that made my day really really sad and i told my friends about and they were shocked..

    anyway, i love you, guys.. you are still my favorite crew..for God!

    i remember shane sparks kept on telling the SUPER CREW during the ABDC 2..that they had to feel the hunger..the hunger to win that’s why they were often in the bottom 2..

    keep inspiring people..bless God, PAS!

  22.   By Johnell on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    ate chelo tama ka po..I’m the All stars number 1 fan here in the UK..sabi nga naman po ni kuya kenjhons sa making nung “mainit”..”kung walang hirap, walang sarap…”marami po kayung lahat na napagdaanan and i think even though you guys didn’t get the medals this year, you guys still won the heart of many people..and i think sarap pa din yan after all ng mga paghihirap nyo..you guys are a messenger of God, and through your dance routines and in those 2 minutes we all are impressed and touched in many different ways..llife changing nga kung baga, ung mga gnagwa nio just 2 urge us people to keep fighting for what we believe in..hehe..sorry if i’m not that good in speaking tagalog..but in my heart and soul you guys are the champion!!

  23.   By jamskie on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    sa totoo lang po, yung nanalo sa world hiphop ngyn eh questionable..simula po sa music hanggang sa dance routine eh hindi naman po hiphop..diba WORLD HIPHOP CHAMPIONSHIP?..
    malamang nga po may katotohanan yung sinabi dyan na “business” yung competitions..

    anyways, astig pa rin po sayaw nyo..

  24.   By awee on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    God is good. :) Keep doing what is right. Mas madami ang bilib sa PAL. Two thumbs up! :)

  25.   By lynnea on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    i’ve always been proud to be Filipino. First is because of the bloodless revolution. Second is how the Filipinos create solutions to problems in a happy way. Lastly, the Filipinos are such gifted with amazing talents. AllStar Philippines makes me really happy when I see all of your vids on YouTube and say “pinoy yan!”

    para samen, panalo pa rin kayoooo :)

  26.   By jeff on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    very well said Chelo Aestrid.

  27.   By jeff on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    well said Chelo Aestrid

  28.   By badong thetrueasiatik on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    oh! this is sad…:(

    but were still proud of you guys!!!!

  29.   By Mike on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    FILIPINO ALL STAR you are always star fo us, Keep up the good work and gudluck to the next battle! Godbless… Cheersssssss……..

  30.   By inthelightofthesun on Aug 9, 2009 | Reply

    Kahit nabigo. Panalo pa din kayo sa puso namin. :D Panapanahon lang yan, kayo naman talga yung magagaling. ^^ May next time pa. :)

  31.   By ejhay on Aug 9, 2009 | Reply

    yea ok lng yan ate chelo.. u guys did a great job.. we all know who are the real world champs ryt??.. all of us are embarrass and disappointed about the result.. but its ok, god always have a purpose.. i love u all stars.. im ur no.1 fan.. -ejhay tc. and GB..

  32.   By Hazel on Aug 9, 2009 | Reply

    a true winner deserves no trophy or award.. they deserve BELIEVERS. and that’s more than the worth of the price or trophy ur gonna get. cuz believers are forever. n Filipino pipol believes u. we believe u guys!. ur still our champs..!!!

  33.   By christian on Aug 9, 2009 | Reply

    kahit d kau nanalo !!

    panalo parin kayo sa puso ng bawat pilipino !!

    atlst ginawa nyo best nyo !!!

    just dance fo our god!!

    god bless allstar !!

  34.   By Ruel Jhon Madelo on Aug 9, 2009 | Reply

    The results were really dissapointing… It hurts to think about all the efforts and risks you’ve taken to perform the “best” routine I’ve seen… But everything has a reason and it’s nice that you’ve already found some of God’s reasons why He didn’t gave this year’s championship to you guys… And in sum you’re still winners and here in our hearts you’re still number 2.. ‘coz He’s No.1!…hehe. I still hope to see you perform and win the championships back… Keep doing what you’re doing ‘coz you never fail to amaze and inspire me and my friends to be “the best versions we can be”… It’s dissapointing but we have to accept it and move on… God bless all stars!… Keep it up! I’ll pray for you and for what you’ve been fighting for… -rjmadz

  35.   By bLoodLine on Aug 9, 2009 | Reply

    STILL NUMBER ONE!.. .

    PHILIPPINE ALL STAR.. .

  36.   By Kurt on Aug 9, 2009 | Reply

    Kudos still to you guys cause you have undoubtfully inspired and have influenced dancers around the world, let this be not the end of your quest to show what Filipinos are capable of….PROUD to BE PINOY!!!

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