Comedic superhero skits, a reenactment of Enchanted’s “That’s How You Know” and traditional Filipino dances set the stage for Kaibigan’s 2008 Pinoy Show on Saturday.
The sixth annual Pinoy Show, themed “Zero to Hero”, kicked off with the American and Philippine national anthems in Ryan Family Auditorium. The show followed a storyline similar to that of X-Men, starring Dr. ‘Javier.’
The Pinoy show features the same traditional dances every year, such as Tinikling, where two people hold two bamboo sticks on the ground while dancers hop in and out of them. Kaibigan tries to provide variety by rotating other dances yearly, said Executive Co-Chairman Anton Galang.
Some of the dances had hints of other cultures like Cariñosa, a Spanish-influenced dance.
“There are lots of different dances in the Filipino culture with outside influences, and we try to cover them,” the Medill senior said.
This year, the show followed a script instead of just performing dances, Galang said.Along with traditional dances, the show incorporated different aspects of pop culture. The superhero skits and dances were broken up by a Geico car commercial, a hip-hop routine and a fake episode of the MTV show “Next”.
An audience of about 100 cheered during the Vinta, a Muslim-inspired number in which performers danced on wooden benches and balanced on bamboo sticks in traditional dress – colorful skirts and headpieces. And during the 10-minute intermission, the audience was able to go on stage and perform dances led by Kaibigan’s Liezl Rivadelo, a Communication sophomore.
The event was fun, but also a good way to educate people about the Filipino culture, said Lisa Stene, Kaibigan’s co-president.
“I’m half-Filipino,” the McCormick sophomore said. “It helps me explore that side of my heritage.”
After the Vinta, people made their way to the Tech Café for authentic Filipino food donated by the families of performers.
“Not many Filipinos come to Northwestern, so we are representing a community that is not well represented,” said Weinberg junior Christian Alvia-Ramos, the group’s other co-president. “So we really want to show the culture.”
