Swagger, Baby

Young Pinoy hip hop dance group A-TEAM debunks the nega notion of hip hop by, with hope, setting the Las Vegas stage, the Olympics of hip hop dance culture on fire, one pop, lock, krump, and break dance at a time.

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
July 7, 2014

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She doesn’t have it anymore, not a single trace of that distinct ballerina stance—the grace, the poise, the fluidity. She used to dance ballet when she was four and stopped when she reached second year high school, she was 15 then. Now, Marla Angela Teresa Sison Go, 22, moves with swag, with attitude, with power. “I cannot say that I love hip hop more than ballet,” says Marla dressed in rubber shoes, short shorts, and loose t-shirt, the “outfit” of a hip hopper. “But they are two distinct dances, it’s just that I guess I found where I am more comfortable.”

(Images by Noel Pabalate)

Transitioning from ballet to hip hop is not a walk in the park, Marla says, but she’s thankful for the finesse and flair ballet dancing has taught her.  Now, Marla and the rest of the A-TEAM crew, a group of 39 members age 15 to 28, are practicing their four-minute hip hop dance routine in time for their international competition in Las Vegas. The World Hip hop Dance Competition is the Olympics of hip hop dance culture. The annual event is held in Las Vegas, Nevada every August with over 2, 500 dancers participating from more than 40 countries. Although hip hop is a Western influence, A-TEAM president Angela Rayos del Sol says that Pinoy modern hip hop is gaining popularity and acceptance, “because it is very popular, it’s shown on TV and movies, it’s hip and fun.”

#REPRESENT A-TEAM, a group of young hip hop dancers krump, break dance, and pop lock their way to the World Hip Hop Dance Championship in Las Vegas.

Funk style hip hop flava like popping (jerking of the muscles and joints), locking (freezing an upbeat movement then locking it in a position), break dancing, and krumping (exaggerated and sharp moves) among others flourished in the ‘70s in the United States, specifically in New York and California. Its popularity broke loose in the local scene during the early ‘80s. According to the Filipino-American Experience Group 5’s blog, filamexperiencegroup5.wordpress.com, with the popularity of the emerging hip hop, Electric Boogaloo, which involves popping and free styling, the Pinoy music and dance lovers were split between disco dance, thanks to Saturday Night Fever, and hip hop. Other moves like moonwalks, crazy legs, robot, waving, and sideway moonwalks flourished from the streets of New York to our local dance floors. Pinoys are not considered newbies in the hip hop dance scene, the hit MTV show, America’s Best Dance Crew, has produced in 2008 the world-class all male group Jabbawockeez, a partly Fil-Am hip hop group composed of Rynan Shawn Paguio, Phil Tayag, Chris Gatdula, Kevin Brewer, Ben Chung, and  Jeff Nguyen. Jabbawockeez is an iconic group known to hide their identities and expressions behind their signature masks and gloves. In 2012, the group has been conferred the Living Legend of Hip hop Award at the World Hip Hop Dance Championship finals, the same competition the A-TEAM group is joining.  Another world-class performer meanwhile is the Philippine All Stars group who won in the 2006 and 2008 World Hip Hop. These groups have set the standard high, but the A-TEAM is not losing heart. “Seeing our fellow kababayan making it big out there makes us proud. As for the A-TEAM, we’re more inspired than ever to take our talent to a global level and show the world that we, too, can make it. The road will not be easy, but it is a journey we wish to make, not for fame or money, but for the experiences,” Angela says. The three-year-old A-TEAM group is not an amateur though. Among many of its accolades are bagging the championship in the 2014 Hip Hop International Philippines National Championship mega crew and varsity division, and ranking sixth out of 40 Asian dance crew in the Singapore Dance Delight Volume 3. One of the setbacks the group faces is the lack of funds to support their ventures abroad. The group needs to reach four million pesos to go to Las Vegas. Thanks to fundraising concerts and support of private companies, they’re all set for the contest. One may think that dancing is just for the heck of it. But nope. Angela, Marla, and the rest of the gang hail from various schools—St. Paul, Claret School, University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo de Manila, and De La Salle University, among others—all with the goal of expressing and sharing their dancing skills.  The group agrees that it’s better to spend their time dancing—they practice every day after school—than engaging in vices and unproductive things. “We don’t want to call it as a downside, but Pinoy dance groups prioritize their studies first, unlike in other countries where they stop going to school and focus on hip hop instead,” Angela, a UP Diliman student says. Besides, these kids have other big dreams. A few of them want to be engineers, artists, accountants, and doctors. In the end, these kids dance for a goal: “What we do is hope for the best, that through our performances, we open closed minds to what hip hop truly is—that its depth goes way beyond  its grimy image smeared with graffiti and crime. We envision that everyone appreciates hip hop as, rightfully on its own, an art just as beautiful as others,” says Angela.

Swipe, swipe, swipe!

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
July 6, 2014

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How sweet it is to swipe your way through life. Swipe to shop. Swipe to travel. But hold your horses, shopaholics, credit cards are an affordable luxury, but if and only if you keep them under control. 

“When I shop, the world gets better, and the world is better, but then, it’s not, and I need to do it again,” so says our favorite funny fashionista Rebecca Bloomwood in Confessions of a Shopaholic. But when it is payback time, Rebecca found herself bankrupt, unable to swipe her way out of financial ruins. What a shame.

The same embarrassment happened to finance company executive Frank McNamara. It was 1949 and Frank was dressed to the nines, ready to meet his friend, Alfred Bloomingdale, grandson of the founder of the Bloomingdale empire. They had dinner at a New York restaurant, but when it was time to pay, Frank, who thought he had cash on him, realized he left his money in another suit. He was penniless. According to dinersclub.com, “He resolved never to be embarrassed again” and in 1950 went on to found the Diners Club, the first multi-purpose charge card in the world.

Alfred, his dinner companion, predicted that there would only be two kinds of people: Those with credit cards and those who couldn’t get them. More than 50 years later, the world now carries the indispensable plastic.

According to statisticbrain.com, there are 176.8 million credit card holders in the US alone. Creditcards.com says there are 7.37 million credit cards in circulation in the Philippines.  The same website also breaks down the purchases by credit card in 2012: Clothing (67 percent), gas (64 percent), food (64 percent), and travel (62 percent).

Frank had a noble intention when he invented the plastic wonder. “It is convenient, great for emergency purposes, offers special deals, and gives opportunities to build your good credits when you pay back money on time,” says Security Bank card deputy head Gerry Dy. A credit card saves you from holdups, gives you convenience to buy major items without cash, and showers you with perks. Security Bank, for instance, offers the Diners Club card, a specialty card for travel, dining, and entertainment. The Diners

Cardholders, in general, can avail of exclusive travel promos and leisure and lifestyle deals with local merchants in partnership with a credit card brand. Majority of credit cards are accepted worldwide. Sounds fun, right? But here’s the fine print: It is important to note that using any credit card is still a form of borrowing and comes with risks. If you don’t pay off your balance in full and on time, the interest can spike, while your debt, if you won’t pay on time, can quickly spiral out of control. The article “Credit Card Basics: Everything You Should Know” by Luke Landes, published in Forbes, says that according to scientific studies, “people are more likely to complete a purchase if they intend to pay with a credit card than if they intend to pay with cash.” Recent statistics by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas says that the total credit card debt in the Philippine banking system is P157.394 billion.Club card offers access to more than 500 airport lounges worldwide, from Tokyo to Thailand, from the Philippines to Pakistan. The credit card lets you escape from the commotion of some of the busiest airports in the world, thanks to its extensive network of international airport lounges, replete with butlers.

Rebecca, in her crazy attempt to cut down her shopping frenzy and inability to pay her bills on time, puts her poor, poor credit card in a container full of water and lets it freeze in her fridge. While you can always try her tactics, here are three sure-fire tips to save you from financial ruin.

• Resist the urge to shop for unnecessary items. Ask yourself, is a new bag a need or just another accessory?
• Pay in full and on time to save you from increasing interest rates.
• If you’re not strong enough to resist temptation, leave your card behind.

S(k)inful

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
July 6, 2014

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Images by Rudy Liwanag

“Everything —the layout, the old design—got predictable,” says Preview magazine editor in chief Pauline Suaco-Juan. “We wanted something unexpected.” Boom! Enter Ellen Adarna, in all her naked glory, fronting the magazine’s 19th anniversary issue, which Pauline says, “is one for the history books.” Shot by master photographers Mark Nicdao and BJ Pascual in their first collaboration ever, the issue, Pauline adds, is all about celebrating and getting comfy in one’s own skin, which was the theme at the Best Dressed Ball party (and Pauline’s sort of birthday bash) at Hyve.

The color trend? Nude, white, and black. From deconstructed suits to thigh-high slits, sexy back, leg veils, and barely-there club wear, name it, the bare skin fun fare brings all the boys and girls to the yard. Nope, they are not hubaderas and hubaderos, it’s just that “the cold never bothered them anyway.”

• • 

    TIM YAP

    

    KATARINA RODRIGUEZ

    

    LA AGUINALDO

  

Francis and his fantastic gowns

Francis Libiran’s newest wedding gown collection fulfills Everywoman’s fantasy.

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
June 29, 2014

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English dramatist and writer Douglas William Jerrold said it best: “There is something about a wedding gown prettier than any other gowns in the world.”

You don’t need to look far for proof. In the recent Top 10 Prettiest Celebrity Wedding Gowns list, made by spot.ph, Maricar Reyes landed the top spot in her blinged-out ball gown created by master couturier Francis Libiran. Mrs. Poon looked delicate and divine in his creation made from soft tulle and heavy layers of silk organdy with intricate embroiled lace and embellished Swarovski crystals.  In classic Francis Libiran fashion, the gown evokes elegance, much like the iconic dresses the designer made for Miss World Megan Young and international supermodel Tyra Banks’s evening dress that gave her a place in the Best Dressed list in the annual Blossom Ball in New York.

At the recent fashion show staged in The Peninsula Manila, Francis reinvented the wedding gown silhouette women thought they already knew. The Maricar Reyes gown last year was only a preview. In his creations were pocketed serpentina long gowns (“So you can stash your cellphone and checkbook,” Francis says, laughing) and sheer and sexy and lightweight mermaid silhouettes. There is one requirement: A pair of sexy nude underwear. Francis brings to centerstage the “leg veil” fashion trend dominating Hollywood’s red carpets, where ladies wear floor-length dresses with legs on peek-a-boo, thanks to sheer material. Model Alessandra Ambrosio was photographed strutting the leg veil trend at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Actress Jennifer Larence also wore a sheer grey Dior floor length ball gown at the Hunger Games: Catching Fire LA premiere. But unlike Rihanna’s raunchy sheer crystal gown the singer recently wore for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)—which left nothing to the imagination—Francis’s are done with taste, and are wedding appropriate. His are dreamy creations with sheer sexy back, sheer sleeves, or sheer leg veil.

SEXY SILHOUETTE Fashion designer Francis Libiran and his muses Iza Calzado, Karylle Tatlonghari, Venus Raj, and Kim Jones in their wedding dresses that emphasize their respective shapes. (Images by Noel B. Pabalate)

For the more conservative, there are full-embellished, high neck gowns that spell classic yet modern. Francis plays with blush, white, and off-white colors.

Kim Jones

In the Bride Wars movie, Liv Lerner (Kate Hudson) exclaims while fitting her wedding gown, “You don’t alter Vera (Wang) to fit you, you alter yourself to fit Vera!” But in Francis’s case, any woman of shape and size can perfectly fit in his pieces. In Christian Dior’s words, “A dress is a piece of ephemeral architecture designed to enhance the proportions of the female body.” From the thinnest to the curviest runway brides like Shamcey Supsup and Iza Calzado, the women owned the catwalk thanks to their elaborate gowns that emphasized their shapes. “I was thinking of different kinds of women—different shapes and different insecurities—when I did my designs, hence the variations of style. I want to show off their figure. Some are figure hugging, some are Princess cut. I really want to highlight their shapes and sizes because weddings are very special so I always put my energy to it,” says Francis.

The models’ “no makeup” makeup and simple chignon hairstyle complemented and completed the whole look.

For the dashing grooms, actors Sam Milby, EJ Falcon, Christian Bautista, and Jake Cuenca, all looked dapper and Mr. Sleek and Suave—much credit to their crisp and clean-cut tailor-made suits. The materials are made from velvet and wool.

Libiran’s favorite? Everything. “They’re all like my babies, it’s hard to choose.” Yes, Francis, we feel you.

No pair, don’t care

A no-nonsense guide on dealing with those singlehood feels

by Jacky Lynne A. Oiga and Nickky Faustine P. De Guzman
June 22, 2014 (updated)

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Here’s the thing, we don’t think anyone chooses to be single, it’s just a matter of a) no one likes you; b) you don’t like anyone, or c) both. But no matter what your reasons or circumstances are, they don’t really matter because singlehood is a blessing—you just don’t know it yet. Soon enough, you will know. For now, while the time (and feels) away with these self-help books and insightful singledom quotes.

I can say I’m quite choosy. I found someone whom I thought was ‘the one,’ Though it did not work, he raised the bar quite high. Nobody has ever

come close.— Cristina Raposa, blogger

Decide to be in a relationship when you see yourself with that person for the rest of your life. If not, what’s the purpose of being in one? I guess I haven’t found that person yet. —Janey Sandejas account executive

He’s Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo

Based on a popular episode of Sex and the City, this in-your-face book is a wakeup call for women. Greg and Liz know you’re a smart, beautiful, and funny, so don’t waste your time chasing after the wrong kind of man. You deserve someone better, someone who’s so, so into you.

I was cheated on by my boyfriend of six years. I decided it was way better to be single but happy than be in a relationship and be miserable

and paranoid. —Chuchie Ledesma, makeup artist

The last relationship I had was a long one. After that, I needed time to pick myself up. I needed to be happy with just being me. I wanted to rebuild relationships I put aside when I was still with my ex. —Renzelle Palma, travel writer

How to Find Your One True Love by Bo Sanchez

In Bo’s short but sweet self-help book, he divulges the eight steps to attract true love, the top 10 attraction secrets of a woman, and the number one attraction secret of a man. (How come a man only needs one?)

Getting married is like trading in the adoration of many for the sarcasm of one. —Mae West

I believe that ‘settling’ for just anyone who comes along just because one has been ‘single since birth’ or because everyone else’s getting engaged or married, or just to ‘experience’ having a boyfriend is unacceptable. —Lea Oiga, Neurology resident

Single: The Art of Being Satisfied, Fulfilled, and Independent by Judy Ford

This book packs a punch and speaks this universal truth: it’s okay to be single because everyone is single. Think about it. We are born single and “if we examine our situation more closely, we see that regardless of our relationship with others, we are still just one person.”

Have Him at Hello: Confessions from 1,000 Guys About What Makes Them Fall in Love… Or Never Call Back by Rachel Greenwald

Dubbed as the “Wife Maker,” Rachel Greenwald takes us through her fascinating 10-year research project on why guys call back one woman but not another. Here are unabashed answers and raw details every woman should read.

Young, wild, and free

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
June 17, 2014

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She could pass as a beauty queen, thanks to her statuesque stand. But the 25-year-old Hotel and Restaurant Management student Elizabeth Supnet chooses the road less travelled by girly-girls. She opts for the rough road often traversed by daredevils—because Elizabeth is a skateboarder.

“Wala lang,” she says when asked why, of all sports, she chose skateboarding. “My friends influenced me and I thought it was cool, fun, and thrilling,” says the skateboarder newbie, who has only started riding a month ago. She adds that gender does not matter once you’re on the road skating and doing tricks. Apparently, there are girls who are into the sport, but men, still, are greater in number.

Images by Noel Pabalate

“It doesn’t mean that because you’re a girl you cannot do it,” she says, “as long as you have the guts. Basta feel mo siya gawin.” She says she’s ready for possible bruises and cuts and broken bones because it is part of the game.

Demetrio Cuevas, 21, meanwhile has been skateboarding for seven years here and abroad. He’s been injured one too many but says it does not stop him from doing daredevil stunts and tricks. But why do them in the first place? “I don’t know, just riding for the fun of it I guess,” says Demetrio, sporting a cap and baggy shirt and pants.

In the Philippines, board sports enthusiasts, like skateboarders, are considered part of the subculture. Like gangsters, punks, rockers, grunge, and emos, skateboarders are part of the subculture many traditional Filipinos stereotype and fail to understand. Many still thought that they are “rowdy, destructive, and pa-cool.”

“I don’t know. Do you think we’re cool?” Demetrio asks me. “As long as we’re not doing anything wrong against anyone then, we’re cool,” he says.

Last year, a viral video of a Makati police and a teenage skateboarder playing in Ayala Triangle drew mixed opinions among netizens. The video excerpt showed the skateboarder and the officer pushing each other. Another viral video, with over one million views, meanwhile, shows American wakeboarding—another type of board sport where a rider slides over the water—daredevil Brian Grubb gliding on the Banaue Rice Terraces. The video drew split views as well. Some said the stunt was disrespectful of nature; others meanwhile thought it was cool.

Just outside the Manila Bulletin office in Intramuros, a group of young skateboarders often gathered in the Walled City. The street arts, beside the less trafficked road, add an extra dash of punk to their daredevil rides. So far, no one has complained against the kids’ pastime.

GO GIRL! Skateboarder newbie Elizabeth Supnet Shows off her tricks.

As much as skateboards want to play anywhere, there are sweet spots for skating: in Heartbreak Hill Juan Luna UP Diliman, Kapitolyo Park, BGC, and Circuit Makati, among others have open terrains perfect for riders.

Just recently, youngsters and hipsters gathered at Circuit Makati to party the release of True To This movie screening celebrating the 23 years of America’s first boarding company, Volcom. The 40-minute video captures the energy and artistry of board riding in its purest sense.

“This movie is a tribute to the ‘anti-establishment movement’ philosophy we adhere, meaning, breaking the barriers of what people think is acceptable. We’re not rebellious, but by ‘establishment’ we mean the norms that the society force on people who are pressured to become someone accepted by the community,” says Volcom brand associate Mikey Punsalan.

He adds that skateboarders only want to express their personality and individuality.

“I don’t think that skateboarders are innately disruptive, it’s just that people don’t give them the chance. People think they are noisy but they promote an example of strong community and camaraderie,” he adds.

The sport, according to USAToday.com, started in early 1950s in California when surfers wanted to practice on land. The rest, as they say is history. In the Philippines, meanwhile, the activity may have started in the ‘80s. One of the pioneers of the sports, Willy Santos, was hailed as “one of the best street skaters during the dark early 90s” by Thrasher Magazine. While the history of this action-filled sport is blurry in the Philippine setting, in Banaue, Ifugaos boast of their wooden makeshift scooters, which they use to traverse the rocky road of the mountains. During ancient times, men race against each other while on board the scooter to set land conflicts and ownership. But then again, history set aside, it all boils down to individuality. As book author Jim Morrison says, “The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are.”