Hip Hoppin' on a Sunday

The venue was at the CCP's Bulwagang Francisca Reyes Aquino. The main participants were students of the CCP Summer Dance Workshop. Some were dance teachers from the CCP Dance School. And Karissa Adea was there - one of Ballet Philippines' young ballerinas. All of them were energetic... all them - young!

There were members from the Cultural Affairs Office of the US Embassy, the old-reliables from the Performing Arts Department of the CCP Josie and Bernie, Noordin Jumalon, the CCP Dance School Director; and Leslie Noble, Executive Director of Ballet Philippines. I went just out of curiosity as Hip-Hop is slowly evolving into another genre of dance.

Tweety Straker is a ball of energy. An alumnus of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, she eventually moved into her own as a hip-hop dancer and became known as a teacher of Hip-Hop. She's done a lot of teaching in the US as well as in europe and asia. Prior to her stint here, she was in Australia and New Zealand.

For twelve days Tweety will be conducting a dance workshop in Makiling, at the National High School for the Arts. But in this workshop, she will not only be handling representatives from the CCP Dance School but from a wide swath of the youth sector who are interested in dance from all the regions of the country especially for those in the South.



Nadjla, the cultural affairs officer of the US embassy realized that HipHop was becoming very popular among the youth worldwide. So they decided to tap the 16-19 year old dance enthusiasts to join the camp. It's interesting that the youth tapped to join the event were from different social strata, different religious backgrounds and from different regions as well. It's Hip Hop and the love for dance that serves as the amalgam that binds them all toegether for 12 days.

While at the camp, they learn to eat, live and breathe HipHop with Tweety at the helm. They learn the basics of HipHop, its history, its development and its many variations. Other than that, the kids learn the values attached to HipHop, the lifestyle, the philosophy and the social responsibility that HipHop espouses.

Given the objectives of the HipHop camp, I'd give it 2 Zs and a snap! Work it, Gurrlll!!!!