Bethany Briones: an Exemplar in Education

The Edwin Parr Teacher Award was established in 1964 by the Alberta School Trustees’ Association. This award is presented annually to a first-year teacher who exemplifies dedication to students, as exemplified by Edwin Parr, an educator and community leader. Each education zone in Alberta brings forward their own representative, and for this year, Edmonton Public Schools (EPSB) has selected, out of four first year EPSB teacher finalists, Bethany Briones.

Bethany is a Grade 1 teacher at Ormsby School. She is cited by senior administration as a teacher who strives to provide the best possible learning environment and experience for their students, developing strategies that can be adapted to meet all of the learning levels and styles in the classroom. What is distinct with Bethany is her use of art and music when adapting to students’ learning styles - the use of visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning. She incorporates music into her classroom routines & leads the class in a morning song which offers a special time to showcase each student and their gifts. She took a leadership role with the school’s music program - organizing the handbell choir and leading them in performances. She has also accompanied the choir on the piano, inspiring students to learn the piano, and eventually offering free after-school piano lessons to disadvantaged students.

Bethany is the daughter of Paul and Maria Allen Briones. We have known this family since our first year in Canada more than a decade ago. When we established our dance company, Chameleon Dance Edmonton, Bethany was one of our original dancers. She was the youngest and probably the gutsiest. She had no qualms and no inhibitions traversing unknown territory and the discipline we demanded on our dancers. As I got to know her, I realize that this is her pattern and approach to all her challenges and adventures.

Edmonton Public Schools Awarding

Bethany is a dutiful daughter. It was due to her parents’ prodding that she studied piano at the age of 5, and later on, guitar lessons and dance classes with Chameleon. She was also active in school sports, leadership activities, volunteer work and church activities. In all these endeavours, she would throw herself 100%, challenged into overcoming difficulties, and recognizing that one can achieve anything with determination and hard work. She was awarded the Superintendent’s Award in Gr. 9 and a Rotary scholarship in Gr. 12.

Bethany’s servant leadership revolves around education and the church. Even as a young girl, she had always wanted to be a teacher, working with children and being instrumental in providing them a better life and opportunities for growth. She recognizes the importance of a good foundation brought about by a strong family unit and faith in God, as exemplified by her own family. She also acknowledges that not everyone is fortunate enough to have this. It is interesting to note that, even though Bethany dabbled into the arts as a form of recreation, and she does not consider herself first and foremost an artist, her distinct mode of service and giving back is music and dance. As she had found enjoyment and life lessons on discipline with piano and dance, she shared these when she assisted school and church choir and band performances, and choreographed the school musical as a student. Now as a teacher, she is providing students who would have no way of affording piano lessons, a safe space, an alternative form of expression and recreation, and inspiration and motivation to achieve more. She has shown leadership and initiative by partnering with Alberta Music Education Foundation in providing keyboards to her students.

Bethany with her parents, Paul and Allen Briones

Bethany is just on her first-year of teaching and has shown compassionate and enthusiastic leadership. One that is honed by strong family love and support, divine faith and a quest to make life better for herself and for others. Whether or not she is handed the Edwin Parr Award later this year, she is an exemplar as a daughter, a student and a teacher. Ever heard the phrase that one lives up to the meaning of one’s name? I looked up the meaning of Bethany and came up with “house of song” and “daughter of the Lord”.

This article was published in the April 2017 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.

Proud Luisa: Love’s Got Everything to Do With It

A read-through of Luisa Marshall’s write-up will leave anyone awestruck with her stunning success. What is more impressive, however, is the underneath driving factors of love, humility, strive for excellence that propels her to expand her boundaries.

Luisa’s story starts with a childhood dream of being an actress, performing in various musical productions. Her singing has allowed her to travel to different countries and the decision to be a permanent resident in Canada in the early 1990s. She carries the immigrant story of sacrificing for the family, of homesickness and of the resolve to acquire and lead a better life. In all her trials and eventual successes, her philosophy is “to live life, love life to the fullest. To be compassionate and have moral responsibility to help others. To give back to Canada and to empower immigrants to be productive, to work hard and to follow their dream”.

Luisa Marshall is a Renaissance woman - singer, TV host, producer, publisher, advocate, wife, mother (not in any order of importance). As a singer, Luisa performed with the popular Manila band Ambivalent Crowd. She then went on tour as lead vocalist for Hall of Fame throughout Asia, the Middle East and North America. It was in one of this tours that a random act of donning a Tina Turner wig while doing a cover of Proud Mary, that her entertaining circuit turned a cornerstone. With her strong vocals and a resemblance to Tina Turner, the tribute artist act became another vehicle for her talent. This was capped by garnering the Grand Prize at the World Rock n Roll Tribute Artist Championship in 2003. Highlights of her tribute artist stint are guestings at the Ellen Degeneres show and Oprah Winfrey Show - performing in front of Cher and Tina Turner herself (!), and portraying the role of Tina Turner in the stage musical “TINA, A Rock n Roll Journey” in 2006.

Based in Vancouver, Luisa hosts her own tv talk show Simply the Best, which is now on its 8th year, in the Shaw Multicultural Channel. Together with husband Steve Marshall, they publish the MetroVan Independent News. The tv show, the Tina Turner tribute shows and their newspaper are the platforms for her advocacies. The tv magazine format allows her to inspire people through lifestyle, health, and self-empowerment features. The newspaper is a voice for accountability, societal equity and information. And the Tina Turner tribute shows serve as a medium to bring joy, to raise funds, and to increase awareness for different causes. Her tribute shows has seen her in tours for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force which included war-torn Bosnia and Sarajevo, and for the Multinational Force and Observers in Israel and Egypt; fundraisers for calamities in the Philippines, Haiti, United Way, Red Cross, Cancer Societies, among others.

Unsurprisingly, she has received accolades, recognition and rave reviews from both ends of the world: voted as one of RBC’s Top 25 Canadian Immigrants alongside two time NBA MVP Steve Nash (2013), which she considers as one of the most defining moments in her life; a feature in “My Filipino Connection, The Philippines in Hollywood”, authored by Ruben V. Nepales, Chairman of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (2012); the MIDES Award 2011 (Mother Ignacia Del Espiritu Santo) given by the Gracean Worldwide Inc. in Las Vegas; the Gantimpala Award by the University of Santo Tomas (2010), among others.

With her various undertakings, family supersedes everything else. Luisa considers herself first and foremost a mother to their two daughters, Kimi (a musician, songwriter, and arts director) and Zenia (actor, singer, songwriter). It is a mutual admiration club - she gets her inspiration from their love and they think the world of her. She is their superhero, the inspiration and exemplar, and the best cook. Her husband Steve, whom she teasingly refers to as “the biggest slave of all”, is her anchor, allowing her the space and time to spread her wings, at the same time grounding her amidst all the whirlwind of activities and stress. They are a family truly involved in each other’s lives. Last year, the family went on a performance road tour across Canada to raise funds and awareness for Canadian military Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Encountering the beauty of Canada while simultaneously raising about $30,000 was a truly bonding experience for them.

Amidst these heady achievements and worldly accolades, Luisa retains a philosophical and humble disposition. In the bustle of all her activities, she strives to live in the moment, stay positive, and be grateful. To quote her, “Once you have a grateful heart, you have a happy heart! With a happy heart you can do wonders and it’s sometimes surprisingly magical how you can make a difference to others. We can all do this by dedicating our life to a cause, a goal, a dream.”

Luisa will be performing her Tina Turner Tribute show in Edmonton on April 29, Saturday, 7:00 pm at the Howard Johnson Hotel. Tickets are available through Brenda Kaminsky Entertainment Productions at 780-964-2513. When you watch her show, you don’t just experience a full evening of delight and talent, but also celebrate everything she stands for - a Filipino, a renowned artist, an exemplar, a crusader, and an enthusiast of life.

Asked on what is the utmost lesson that she wants to impart, she replies: “Never be afraid to dream and to live the dream. Be wacky, be impossible, be different, be cool, be weird, be who you are! But make sure you are realistic and level-headed going for your dream. Always make careful plans and reasonable steps to get there without causing misery to others... That love is greater than money. That love for one’s self motivates more productivity that ignites the spirit within. That nobody’s perfect but you can work hard to be the best you can. That respect, gratefulness and compassion are important. But, most of all, be humble!”

Luisa’s turning points in life have been propelled by love - love for her singing, her family, and for service. And as the saying goes, love indeed makes the world go round. Such is the case with Luisa, and she has done it with grace and magnanimity. Be proud of yourself, Luisa, as anyone who knows you and meets you is, or will be, proud of you.

This article was published in the March 2017 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.

Cynthia Hicks - a life in the theatre, the theatre as the life

Cynthia Hicks is one of those people who one can say was born to be in the theatre. She jokes about starting her dance career while still in her mother’s womb. Mom is Maria “Nanette” Hicks, who was the co-founder of Philippine Barangay Performing Arts Society, and Dad is Graham Hicks, writer and former columnist at Edmonton Sun.

Cynthia’s childhood was steeped into dance - Philippine folk dance, highlands, ballet, jazz and tap. She then discovered drama classes via the Citadel Theatre School, eventually taking over her older sister’s role in the Christmas Carol at age 8, and then moving to the Edmonton Opera’s production of South Pacific. She remembers having so much fun at the theatre and being treated so well by other actors that she naturally kept on performing - in dance and musical theatre all the way to junior high, an opera production in the summer for the Fringe festival, and eventually challenging family tradition with her desire to study high school at the Victoria School for Performing Arts.

as Maid Marian in Robin Hood

It was during this time, her Grade 10 year, that my husband Jojo and I worked with Cynthia. She joined our dance company, the Chameleon Dance Edmonton, in our performances at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland. At this time, aside from Chameleon, which had already a rather rigorous training and rehearsal schedule, Cynthia was also committed to Philippine Barangay, mostly as leader and choreographer, and the St. Albert Musical Theatre. I remember her rushing from one rehearsal to another. No matter how much I wanted to shake my head with what I then regarded as her “suicidal and masochistic” artistic tendencies, I couldn’t help but commend her for her dedication, enthusiasm and persistence. Cynthia as a dancer was like a sponge and clay - having the capacity to absorb corrections,  and the malleability for our coaching. As one who has grown in the theatre, her approach to her art was and is intelligent and respectful.

Cynthia as dancer

At Grade 11, she joined the Citadel Theatre Young Musical Company. It was at this point, constantly surrounded by like-minded individuals, and having acting, directing & dancing included in her daily curriculum and after-school activities, did she consider theatre school for post secondary studies. After high school, she spent a year at the University of Alberta, applied for six theatre schools across Canada, and got accepted in all six. No mean feat. She elected to go to the National Theatre School in Montreal, which was such a pipe dream in the first place, and graduated in 2015. In between all these, she underwent training at the Performing Arts Project at North Carolina, the Banff Centre Musical Theatre Intensive, and the Broadway Theatre Project in Florida.

Based now in Toronto, Cynthia’s life consists of the valleys and peaks of an actor’s life - endless auditions, back to back bookings, indeterminate lulls. It is exciting in that it is unpredictable, varied, nomadic and competitive - the exact same traits that one may hate about it. She has done commercials, workshopped plays, performed in a pantomime musical, works in a restaurant and babysits during lean months, and is the General Manager of Hataw, a Philippine fusion dance company in Toronto. In the immediate future, a web series and a tour production are lined up.

Caucasian Chalk Circle at the National Theatre School

Cynthia has a very strong sense of community and civic commitment, which she says is her Mom’s big influence. Since her 16th birthday, she has been doing personal fundraisers to benefit orphanages in the Philippines, requesting for donations in lieu of gifts. She

dreams of eventually going back to school for an Education degree, and teaching drama at Victoria School as a way of paying back; to write a play and be an advocate for stories that are not told enough; and to build a community of minority artists, people who are trailblazers and breaking barriers in their art, in Edmonton. The passion is gradually turning into a vocation.

Child Cynthia with 2 older siblings

I like keeping tabs on all our dancers. I hope that they live their dreams and especially for those who are instill into the arts or theatre, I worry when or if they live a precarious and "starving" artist's life. I reflect on what I know about Cynthia and I see images of someone finding a calling at a young age, propped up by a supportive family; a determined and hardworking girl who will stop at nothing to achieve her goal - availing of every possible grant, bursary, scholarship, training program, working odd jobs to save money; smart and introspective using her art experiences and work to unravel her layers as a person; and courageous in following her bliss. Cynthia has dedicated her life to her art and lives her life through her art. It is one rollercoaster ride where she revels in all it has to offer. Oh yes, Cynthia Hicks knows how to live her life and at the very least, she will just be alright. To quote John Wooden, "Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out."


This article was published in the February 2017 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.

Emerging Artist Series: Young Morrie

Apart from opportunities to work and collaborate with established artists, one of the satisfying moments in an arts career is taking note of emerging artists and following their career trajectory. Admittedly, some of those I’ve observed did indeed soar to dizzying heights, and some have crawled to frustration and oblivion. As someone who has gone through the artist’s ups and downs, I always harbor high hopes for an emerging artist. And one such fellow is rap artist Young Morrie.

Young Morrie is Ralph Giralao in real life, 25 years old, born in General Santos in the Philippines, and was on his third year of nursing studies when his family moved to Edmonton five years ago. And like any young man eager to claim independence in a foreign adopted country, he worked different jobs mostly in the food and entertainment service industry.

As a young child, Ralph remembers accompanying his father to the video rental store and seeing a drum set in the store next door. And because he was still too small to play that particular drum set, his father started him on piano lessons instead. He would later train himself on drums by observing and imitating other drummers, using the couch and whatever was handy at home as his drums. His love for music was established during his elementary years - performing with school bands and composing his first song in Grade 5. The band gigs and song writing would continue up to his adult years. His favorite music artists and influences would include Eminem, Andrew E, Blink 182, Bamboo, Salbakuta, Kawago, Story of the Year, Snoop Dogg, and Powerspoonz.

In Canada, he looked for a band to join but for some reason, it just did not pan out. This lead him to a period of frustration, desiring for an outlet for his music. Being an introvert, music was his way of connecting with people. This period also lead him to a period of introspection, of self-discovery, and a mature way of looking at life. He saw the inability to join a band as the universe’s way of telling him that he just might need to go in another direction. He thought, “If I can’t find a band, why not use my music writing myself?” Fortuitously, at work, where he has the habit of singing/rapping out his latest beats, a co-worker encouraged him to come up with a mixed tape. This was when Ralph decided to use the stage name Young Morrie, inspired by Mitch Albom’s book Tuesdays with Morrie. The emergence of Young Morrie was in August 2015. Since then, he would record and upload his music, and perform during Open Mic nights at Tavern on Whyte.

I first came into contact with Young Morrie through the Edmonton Filipino Fiesta last June 2016, where he was one of the performers for the Entertainment Program, of which I was the organizer. He then struck me as a very easy person to talk to, respectful and at the same time intense. He was one of the few performers in the Fiesta who sang original works, instead of doing covers. To date, he has a total of 25 compositions, 14 of which still need to be recorded. Among those recorded and available in the Young Morrie YouTube channel, Facebook page and iTunes are: In It, Get the Money, After 5, Blue Wave, Moment with You, High, Question Air, I’m Sorry, Drive, Hold on Tight, among others. His album was produced by Juno-nominated, Western Canadian Music awardee, and Canadian Independent Music awardee, Mr. Sandro Dominelli. Based on public feedback during the Fiesta, Young Morrie was one of the favorite performances.

Since then, we’ve been in touch through social media - listening to his new music, providing feedback when solicited and keeping up with his various guestings. I am struck by the contrast in persona of the Young Morrie and Ralph Giralao. Whereas Young Morrie comes across in performances as the confident, ready to face the world and its challenges, young man, Ralph on the other hand, portrays the typical young artist treading on career insecurities, obstacles and wistfulness of one yearning for validation and recognition. His dialogue in our conversation vacillates from a determination of living out the dream, to the practicalities - facing the realities and hardships of life. He counters this conflict by inspiring and motivating himself through his favorite books: Tuesdays with Morrie, Steal Like an Artist, Awaken the Giant Within, and Relentless.

The music of Young Morrie is a snapshot in time of Ralph Giralao’s life. Music is Ralph’s way of verbalizing and expressing his thoughts and feelings, and once it’s out there, causes him to reflect and understand his behaviour and dreams. It is admirable when someone makes himself vulnerable, opening one’s heart and mind. He is focused in being true to himself and in living life to the fullest - essential lessons and guiding principles learned from Tuesdays with Morrie. I am glad that Ralph has the Young Morrie alter ego to channel and harness his aspirations. In this quest, how can one not hope but only for the best for him in all his endeavours? For Ralph Giralao/Young Morrie, music is his journey. With or without fame and fortune, I wish for him an awesome and extremely fulfilling ride.

For all artists, both the established and especially the emerging ones, a rapport with the audience is essential, and a validation of your work. Go check out his music and connect with him through the Young Morrie YouTube channels, Facebook page and better yet, purchase them through iTunes.

This article was published in the January 2017 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.

Arts in a Business Model

The Panciteria de Manila in downtown Edmonton has evolved through the years, from its opening in 2012, from a family run eatery on popular Filipino foods, to a Filipino hang out, and incubator of emerging and suppressed talent. Owned and operated by Bayani Alcantara, together with wife Lorena, they have, wittingly or unwittingly, woven art in a successful business model.

I initially regarded Panciteria de Manila as another one of the sprouting Filipino restaurants in the city, eager to brand it based on which Filipino food/s it would stand out against the others. However, while organizing the entertainment program for last June’s Edmonton Filipino Fiesta, I noticed that there was a circle of performers whose common denominator was the Panciteria de Manila, and Bayani Alcantara. This then made me very curious and eventually impressed with the ongoings at this hive of a place and the person behind this concept. 

Bayani Alcantara hails from V. Luna, Quezon City, studied at the University of the

Philippines and worked at St. Luke’s as a cardiovascular technician. His family arrived in Edmonton in April 2002. Like other immigrant stories, he took on an assortment of jobs in Edmonton all the way up to Fort McMurray. He has a passion for youth causes, so it’s not surprising that the restaurant has become a vehicle for this - to detract them from vices, to develop a sense of belonging in the restaurant’s circle of customers and performers, at the same time providing an opportunity to demonstrate and hone their talents. He also sits as Director for the Clairview Multicultural Centre, under the auspices of the City of Edmonton. 

Belonging to a family in the restaurant business, Bayani conceptualized Panciteria as a fast food type of restaurant (place your order in the counter, no servers type) with an area for karaoke, considered the Filipinos’ favorite past time. Gradually, customers would request for extended time to sing, then a scheduled performance, and later on, suggestions for technical equipment and stage set-up. These would normally be people who belonged in bands and were performers in the Philippines and are wanting to find an outlet for their talents here in Edmonton. Bayani would readily accommodate these requests, eager to nurture and improve their shows. The restaurant now hosts a weekly karaoke and live band night, produces special shows, and functions as a performing venue for veteran performers, and training ground for emerging ones.The acts were no longer confined to karaoke but broadened to acoustic music, improv-comedy, open mic and poetry nights (“Hugot Lines”), bands, variety shows/musicals, art exhibits and fundraisers. 

These opportunities have not only given growth to the individual performers but have also fostered collaborations amongst them. Through his connections with the Clairview Multicultural Centre, he has provided performing engagements for his in-house artists. He dreams that the artists he has been instrumental in developing will find viable careers and gain renown in their chosen fields. 

Some of the products of this performers’ incubator and who have continued to earn engagements elsewhere and developed a following are: The Girls of Crazy Sexy Cool; Sooner Band; Escapo; Dos Diablos; Genghis Rex; Stringed Sessions; Kainos; Diversity; Headcakes; and hosts Ode Mamu, Kriss Diva, Donna M., Emjae, Nelly, Bhelle, Kim JD and TJ. The Panciteria has also featured Enoch Attey, Jamaican singer and guitarist and Music Coordinator of iHuman Society, who was a regular customer, and other Canadian artists of country music, thereby increasing the restaurant’s customer base. 

During his student years, Bayani used to hang out in this folk/pub house where the likes of Lolita Carbon, Heber Bartolome and Noel Cabangon used to play. It is sweet that he has come full circle now, having hosted shows by Lolita and Heber this year at Panciteria. Other produced shows include: Bamboo (2014), Parokya ni Edgar, Ely Buendia (2015) and Klowns Komedy Bar (2016). 

Although the support provided to these performers stemmed from his passion for youth causes, it has generated more income for the business - emphasizing the symbiosis of arts and financial sustainability. The in-house shows have been a vehicle to reinvent the restaurant. This is a model where one aspect of the business markets the other. 

Filipinos normally don’t bond together easily but they bond together through food, drinking, singing. It is not uncommon to have people in different tables, strangers to each other, end up connecting their tables and becoming fast friends. Panciteria revives the atmosphere of a town plaza/square where people commune, congregate to celebrate. A percentage of Filipinos come to the restaurant to celebrate their Canadian citizenship after their oath taking ceremony at the Service Canada a couple of blocks away. It has also been a place where romance has blossomed and a subsequent wedding celebrated. 

Panciteria de Manila has evolved in a way that not even Bayani has envisioned. But this evolution has been organic, stemming from the man’s passion for youth development, and a basic desire to relive what he misses in his life back in the Philippines. He performs the roles of entreprenuer, talent developer, promoter and booker with a humble and cheerful disposition. In Bayani, I found a kindred spirit in aspiring to elevate the profile of the Filipino within a multi-cultural society, and the honing and showcasing of Filipino talent. Kudos to the man who is indeed living up to his name of being a hero and a champion to so many he has helped and is supporting in his endeavours!  

* This article was published in the Alberta Filipino Journal December 2016 issue.

Filipino Voice for the Airwaves

The Akash Broadcasting panel

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)  released  a call for applications  for an ethnic radio station in Edmonton. Edmonton’s population growth over the past two years has outpaced that of Alberta as a whole, and was over three times that of the current estimates of growth for Canada. The largest groups of immigrants come from the Philippines and India. Alberta Employment and Immigration found there were over 130 languages identified by new immigrants destined to the province as their mother tongue with English, Tagalog, Punjabi, Mandarin, and Spanish consistently in the top five languages. With currently only  one radio  station  for the ethnic communities, 101.7 World FM, the need for at least another ethnic radio station was evident.

I  was approached  to be a part of the panel for the application for a license by Akash Broadcasting, based in BC. This was my first foray into the world of radio broadcast, not counting the few projects I did as part of my Theatre Arts Bachelor’s degree at the University of the Philippines. Needless to say, the whole experience was fascinating to me. The amount of work and resources required for an application alone, is staggering. There’s the engineering survey, the market research, financial feasibility, audience demographics, programming options, to name a few, that needs thorough research. And then comes the most crucial phase of the application, which I was involved in, the hearings with the Commission.

My commitment involved four intense days of preparation and the actual hearing day, with a very dynamic and committed group representing different sectors of the community: Tejinderpaul Singh - well-known broadcaster with Shaw Multicultural Channel, performing artist, teacher, and volunteer; Herkiranjeet Kaur Mann - entrepreneur; Marco Luciano - advocate of migrant rights; Nav Kaur - educator and equity advocate; Simrat Cheema - radio and television broadcaster; Satnam Rai - financial advisor; Kanak Chamarty and Julie Zhang - journalists; Jagdeep Sandhu - telecom engineer, talk show host and DJ; Stephen Zolf - legal counsel; Andrew Forsyth - broadcast consultant; Kerry Pelser - consulting engineer; and Rita Cugini - adviser. The five-day stint we shared was marked with enriching, diverse dialogue, validated and challenged perspectives, and initiated relationships. We shared our vision and desires for an ethnic radio station, immigrant stories, employment issues, child rearing practices, educational philosophies, ways of life, entertainment preferences, and humour. In all these interaction, I kept in mind that I was there primarily as a Filipino and an artist.

There were a total of 11 applications for this call. The hearing for all applicants went for four whole days, sometimes stretching to the evening. The whole process allowed for inquiries and rebuttals from Commissioners, other applicants, supporters and opposers of an applicant.

The applications had commonalities in their objective - to complement, and not compete, with the existing ethnic radio station, in offering extended programming for underserved communities mainly in the languages of Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog, Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu. For programming dedicated to the Filipino community, 101.7 World FM currently allots 3-4 hours one day a week.  

It does not need to be emphasized that another ethnic radio station in Edmonton will only benefit the Filipino community. As an artist, I see this as a bonus opportunity to develop and promote works of Filipino artists, and open up avenues of collaboration with other cultural groups. As a Filipino, this is a way to build a community with other Filipinos in this country and to reflect on our culture in a global framework. As a Canadian, this is a platform that stresses the importance of, and regard towards diversity, and honouring each other’s cultural perspective. So regardless of which applicant is granted the license, regardless of whether we have supported an applicant or not, the Filipino community should rally to support and patronize whoever is granted a license to operate this ethnic radio station.  Because as succinctly articulated by Thomas Berry, “Diversity is the magic. It is the first manifestation, the first beginning of the differentiation of a thing and of simple identity. The greater the diversity, the greater the perfection.” Let our voices be heard.


This article was published in the Alberta Filipino Journal November 2016 issue.

Dancing in the Park 2016

When you live in a place marked by harsh winters and freezing temperatures, you maximize the outdoor time nature provides you with sunny +20 weather. Yesterday was such a day when we decided to stroll around the Farmer's Market at South Common, the Street Performers Festival at the Churchill Square and the Dancing in the Park at the Alberta Legislative grounds.

Dancing in the Park was a roving performance of five groups - Read Fenton and Happy Hep Cats, Hit that Jive Dance Crew; Tia Kushniruk, Katherine Semchuk (and another girl whose name I missed); CRIPSiE (Collaborative Radically Integrated Performers Society in Edmonton); and Toy Guns Dance Theatre, lead by Artistic Director Jake Hastey. The evening ended with a swing dance lesson and party by Let's Swing Dance.

The reason we went to Dancing in the Park was to see Katherine Semchuk perform again. We were so impressed with her technique, musicality and movement sensibility at the Feats Festival of Dance last July 8, which we watched due to our son's performance with Synaethesis Dance Theatre. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that Katherine was one of the dancers we gave master classes to at Victoria School of Performing Arts, and in Jojo's choreography "Women in Waiting". Amazing dancer.

It was wonderful to see CRIPSiE once again. The first time I saw them was in an Orchesis show at the University of Alberta. I was so moved that I joined them in a movement class at the Glenrose.

Toy Guns Dance Theatre was an absolute delight. It's a pity that it took us a while to know of this group. Easily rectifiable, their next show is at the Fringe. From the title alone, "Watching Netflix at 3am Questioning Your Mortality" you get a sense that you will witness tongue in cheek humour. But you get more - strong and eloquent dancing, clever choreographic counterpoints, movements and musicality that felt Pina Bausch-y. And yes, we found out after the show that he did follow the Pina Bausch company like a groupie (in a good way). Good to know too that there's a little bit of history with choreographer/artistic director Jake Hastey, as our paths have crossed at some point with the Edmonton School of Ballet and Dance Unlimited connections. As mentioned previously, do catch the Toy Guns Dance Theatre's performances at the Fringe Festival. They are so inspiring that I even verbalized the idea of taking their class. Well, let's see how my body and courage will hold up to that.

Needless to say, our foray into outdoor performances yesterday made for one exhilarating experience.