Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Cebu Dancing Inmates - YouTube Sensation Once Again!


The dancing inmates from the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) are once again YouTube’s sensation after their performance of Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ dance routines. They danced the routines from the ‘Drill’ and ‘They Don’t Care About Us’ at the maximum prison’s quadrangle. They were trained for more than a week by no other than Michael Jackson’s choreographer Travis Payne and dancers Daniel Celebre and Dres Reid who also joined them in the dance performance. It was reported by Travis Payne to the media that MJ saw the different MJ’s songs performances of the dancing inmates and immensely enjoyed them.

The dancing inmates that include murderers, drug traffickers, rapists, etc. gained global fame in 2007 when their video performance of MJ’s ‘Thriller’ was uploaded in YouTube. They have become a YouTube phenomenon as they have performed Michael Jackson's Thriller, medley of Queen Songs, Filipino music, as well as tunes by the Wonder Girls, Black Eyed Peas and Flo Rida.
Byron Garcia, the son of the former governor of Cebu and the brother of the incumbent governor, Gwen Garcia turned his back on business to help rebuild the lives of thousands of prisoners to become Cebu Jail Warden. He says that "The whole concept of discipline and dancing as methods of rehabilitation has never been in the books. It deviates and does not conform to the principles of jail management and penology.” Byron, being a son of a political scion transcended from his political and landlord roots to do 'the very least for his brethren' – turning dregs and scums into human beings worthy of respect and admiration.

A message in one of the dancing inmates' videos aptly summarizes Byron’s reasons for allowing the dance routines in this high security-area - "If we make life a living hell for these fallen angels then we might just be turning out devils once they are released and re-integrated to society."

4 comments:

  1. Sabi 2 days lang silang nag practice?...eh basta!kahit ilang days pa yan, ASTIG pa rin ang PINOY! :)

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  2. Saw it last night through the prodding of Jess of Lifemoto. Nakakatouch. Pero quite frankly, it would have been better kung puro ung mga inmates lang ang nagsayaw.

    Gayunpaman, lubha talaga akong natuwa at nagalak sa sayaw nilang ito.

    Have you seen their other performances? Nakakabilib. At may mga paid concerts na rin sila huh. Doon din sa loob ng penetentiary.

    Really amazing.

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