Tubig, lupa, apoy, hangin — water, earth, fire and air. These elements represented various nations that once coexisted, until attacks by the Apoy Nation disrupted their harmony.
This was the premise of the annual Pinoy Show hosted by Kaibigan, Northwestern’s Philippine American organization. Through dances, skits and videos in this parody of the animated series “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” Kaibigan members fought to restore the balance.
This year’s show also broke a record Saturday night, selling 408 tickets.
“There’s a main show, there’s skits, there’s singing, there’s dancing,” one of Kaibigan’s Buwan pamilya heads and McCormick sophomore Rosita De Real said. “(My friends are) like, ‘How do you fit that in two hours?’ I’m like, I don’t know — you’ll see.”
De Real said she performed in all but one of the dances in the show and choreographed three of them: Kai-B-Babes and both Modern and Traditional Tinikling.
In addition to the skits, Kaibigan continued its “Avatar: The Last Airbender”-inspired story through some of the dances, De Real said. Sakuting, which involves hitting sticks on the ground and with other dancers’, portrayed a battle that ensued after the Apoy Nation infiltrated a fortress.
Other dances matched specific elements in the animated series. For example, Pagapir is a fan dance that is closely tied to the air element and Hangin, or Air, Nation. Similarly, Pandanggo sa Ilaw, in which dancers balance candles in their hands and on their heads, served as a celebratory dance in the Apoy Nation.
In the show “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” the Fire Nation attacks the other element nations. Kaibigan’s parody made several references to the Philippines’ own history, the organization’s external president, and Weinberg junior Glennemil Robles, said, as Spain colonized it for over 330 years.
For instance, when Aang — the lead character — is talking to the former avatars in Pinoy Show, he is visited by Gabriela Silang, a Filipino military leader who fought for independence from Spanish colonial rule.
“It’s really interesting to use a show that’s so tied to Asian history, while also having that fantastical element,” Robles said. “That goes really well with the idea of Filipino magical nonfiction, which I think is a good way to tell a story in a Filipino way.”
At the start, Pinoy Show co-Producer and Medill senior Beatrice Villaflor, a former Daily staffer, said the show was graduating seniors’ “final love letter to the club that has given us so much.”
Kaibigan began planning the show in Winter Quarter, Robles said, adding that the show will be successful regardless of what happens on stage.
“Even if the final result is very stunning, very showstopping, the important part to us is really engaging our members to really be a part of the club and really understand their positionality (in the diaspora as Filipino Americans),” he said. “That’s something that this show does the best.”
The student organization hosted its annual alumni dinner Friday and final rehearsals before the show Saturday.
Pinoy Show Publicity Committee member and SESP sophomore Sophia Barandiaran described the week leading up to the show as “a lot of practice, rehearsals everyday, late nights,” but she said being a part of Kaibigan and Pinoy Show has helped her stay connected to her family and culture.
“Most of my family lives in the Philippines,” Barandiaran said. “I’m one of the only people who lives in the United States. So, I also feel like being involved in the show helps me stay connected to my culture and my family, even though I’m not in the Philippines with them.”
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