UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Hip-hop, Streetdance, and the Remaking of the Global Filipino Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/16q5z7gp Author Perillo, Jeffrey Lorenzo Publication Date 2013 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Hip-hop, Streetdance, and the Remaking of the Global Filipino A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Culture and Performance by Jeffrey Lorenzo Perillo 2013 © Copyright by Jeffrey Lorenzo Perillo 2013 ! ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Hip-hop, Streetdance, and the Remaking of the Global Filipino by Jeffrey Lorenzo Perillo Doctor of Philosophy in Culture and Performance University of California, Los Angeles, 2013 Professor Susan Leigh Foster, Committee Co-Chair Professor Victor Bascara, Committee Co-Chair New York-based African American, Latino, and Caribbean immigrant youth of the 1960s and early 1970s gave life to one of the world's major contemporary cultural movements: Hip-hop. Initially misunderstood as a faddish form of Black male musical expression, Hip-hop's cultural resistance practices were quickly recognized as four core elements (emceeing, turntablism, graffiti art, and b-boying/b-girling). In the global context, Hip-hop has generated scholarly discourse that points to either the cultural globalization of American Blackness or a "global village." My project interrupts this conversation and focuses on the unique, multi-site cultural history of Filipino identity as constituted through practitioners of Hip-Hop dance. My work argues that a community of Filipinos, situated in different geo-political loci—Berkeley, California, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, and Manila, Philippines—configure prevailing concepts of Hip-hop while remaking conditions of ! ii dispossession and displacement in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. My study advances its argument through a theorization of remaking comprised of three broad themes—Hip- hop dance is part of a repertoire for Filipino race relations; decolonization is tied to Hip-hop's institutionalization; and dance offers an alternative perspective of Hip-hop's globalization. Using ethnography and choreographic analysis, I conduct close readings of select dances, dance events, and dancers in order to offer innovative views into the politics of race and culture. Specifically, I analyze the ways Filipinos in Berkeley remake the dominant racial paradigms of liberal multiculturalism and colorblindness with counter-hegemonic history and politics; Honolulu-based Filipinos creaate spaces for decolonization; and Filipinos in Manila rework the grammar of American neocolonialism to access otherwise proscribed spaces of gender and dance. Informed by fields of critical race studies, postcolonial studies, and performance studies, my dissertation uncovers the often neglected choreography of Filipinos to complement these fields and assert a practice-based approach to understanding global Hip-hop as a strategy for equality and social justice. ! iii The dissertation of Jeffrey Lorenzo Perillo is approved. Janet M. O'Shea Lucy M. Burns Victor Bascara, Committee Co-Chair Susan Leigh Foster, Committee Co-Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2013 ! iv This dissertation is dedicated to my Inang, Oliva dela Rama Lorenzo and Grandpa, Juan Pantua Perillo. ! v TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract of the Dissertation ii Acknowledgements vii Vita xv 1 Hip-hop, Streetdance, and the Remaking of the Global Filipino 1 2 Doin' the Robot: Choreographing multiculturalism and colorblindness in Pilipino Culture Night 27 3 Punctuated Spaces: Local Hip-hop dance culture 79 4 Maria Clara and Hip-hop: Choreographing Filipinas 133 5 "America in 3D": Stereoscopic Empire 182 Bibliography 202 Notes 230 ! ! vi Acknowledgments An earlier version of "Doin' the Robot: Choreographing multiculturalism and colorblindness in Pilipino Culture Night" appeared as “Doin’ The Robot: Anxieties of Racial Futures,”!Extensions: The Online Journal of Embodiment and Technology 6 (2010). "Maria Clara and Hip-hop: Choreographing Filipinas," contains modified sections that were published earlier in “'Empire State of Mind’: Hip- hop Dance in the Philippines,” Hip-Hop(e): The Cultural Practice and Critical Pedagogy of International Hip- Hop, edited by Michael Viola & Brad J. Porfilio (New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing, 2012), 42- 64. In accord with Hip-hop practices of giving credit where it is due, I have the honor of naming everyone that helped make this project possible. This research is nothing without the energies and support of the individuals and groups of dancers and cultural workers that form a network across the Pacific. In Berkeley, lasting impressions have been made by fellow PCN chairs, especially Rani de Leon, Sharlene Aquiler, Joey Bernal, Karen Merto, and Frank Lozier. PCN Choreographers—Garrick Macatangay, Sarah Escosa, Christine Gatchalian, Raynelle Gipson, and Trisha Mitra—generously shared with me their knowledge and expertise in dance. Frank generously introduced me to Culture Shock, where I shared many dance floors with Kim Sims-Battiste, Lee Lee Coleman, Dani Clement, Angie Bunch, and Morvarid Shahidi, each modeled for me a Hip-hop dance way of life in their own ways. Pilipino American leaders including Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, Tracy Buenavista, Hannah Masbad, Karmela Herrera, Tina Shauf, Stephanie Sampang, Tes Esparrago Lieu, Steph Carriaga, and Raissa Diamante guided my critical thinking about cultural politics. It was a privilege to collaborate with the 2010 PCN Producers Ading Brian Batugo, Eugene Pascual, and Joy Regullano and this work was rejuvenated by their creative community activism. ! vii In Hawai‘i, mahalos go to B-girl Mo-Shen, B-girl Jem, Nixon Dabalos, Skill-Roy, Style-Len, the mothers at the Center, and my students at the In-Motion program at Farrington High School, the Movement Performing Arts Center in Kaimuki, and the Samadhi "What If ..." Performance Arts Summer Experience. Henry Kapono, Jonathan Sypert, and fellow dancers at Te Vai Ura Nui and Iona Contemporary Dance helped me learn about the local dance scene. Sky Fung has been most generous as a fellow 808-based Hip-hop dance scholar. I would also like to thank dancers of Samadhi Hawaii Aerial Company, David Linhares, Jamie Nakama, and Nicole Young. Mahalos to my cohort—Johanna Almiron, Constancio Arnaldo, Daya Mortel, Kristy Ringor, Lani Teves, and Erin Falarca (in memoriam). My survival through this long academic journey is definitely owed to Jojoh, my academic galang-galang partner-in-crime. Lani and Ceej have continued to share with me their secrets of success. Daya models for me a resilient activism I can only aspire to. I thank faculty and staff at the University of Hawai‘i including Theo Gonzalves, David Stannard, Mari Yoshihara, Vernadette Gonzalez, Robert Perkinson, Rod Labrador, Jon Okamura, and Amy Agbayani. My gratitude to Clem Bautista and the Office of Multicultural Student Services for helping a computer-less graduate student get by. Ric Trimillos' influence was extremely formative and he is a paragon of mentoring excellence that I can only hope to live by. Jerome Dimalanta warmly welcomed me into his dance circle. As one of the founders of streetdance studies in the Philippines, his life and work always inspires me to organize, dance, and write better. Chelo Aestrid, my twinsie, has been one of the main reasons I can claim to know anything about Manila's Hip-hop dance community. She is a triple threat in the performance world and I continue to learn from her Hip-hop way of life. B-boy Reflex Gotangco and Phil "Adrum" Pamintuan are role models for dancers worldwide and I look forward to imparting the knowledge that they have shared with me. Deo Bantillo accompanied me to many research sites and shared many dance floors. I would not have been able to produce this study without the research assistance ! viii of Jared Luna, who was outstanding in his support. Von Asilo and Mycs Villoso welcomed me into their crew and schooled me about the world of dance. Lema Diaz deserves maraming salamat for always receiving my project and me with open arms. Mad props to Crisis Hyperion for bringin' the party to another level time after time. In my Manila, I spoke and danced with many people whose voices might not appear directly in this dissertation, but who will most definitely appear in later iterations. Maraming salamat rin sa lahat ng mga dansers: Michelle Salazar, Sandy Hontiveros, Pinky Nelson, James Wong, Robie Punsalan, Japheth Reyes, B-girl Eyevee, B-girl Beatch, B-girl Phlo, Madelle Enriquez, Charm Esteban, Joshua Zamora, Angelica Arda, Niño Guerrero, JJ San Juan, Jason Cruz, Gino Ong, Nica Carlos, Joy Aggabao, Steffi Maala, Ace Lebumfacil, Vince Mendoza, Mycs Villoso, Kath Sison, Kel Pariña, Lovela Sabio, Coach Jungee Marcelo, Jim Libiran, Eauj Corpuz, and Hitmaster Fish. Big ups to the Crew—Aye Alba, JM De Jesus, Xernan Alfonso, Sam Abriza, Michael Arda, Jeremiah Carcellar, Vimi Rivera, Chinky Ramoso-Asilo, Hanna Sollano, Ron Pajela, Rosie Pajela-Marzan, Yang Gagelonia, Louie Canaria, Trizza Tolentino, Toki Sta. Maria, Erik Javier, Randell San Gregorio, Wincheska Young, Shayna Young. I am indebted to the Philippine AllStars, especially Naomi Tamayo, Heidi Riego, AC Lalata, and Krista Roma. Thanks also to Tha Project, Roz Manlangit, and Carlo Posadas. At UP-Diliman, I had the unexpected honor of sharing intellectual ground with Ruth Pison, Clod Yambao, Roland Tolentino, Elizabeth J. Aguilar, Neal Matherne, Sarah Raymundo, and Sir Steve Villaruz. I am grateful to the cultural workers at the CCP including Josefina Guillen, Chinggay Bernardo, and Teresa Rances. I would like to extend much recognition to Jeng, Randy, and Zac Dizon for their wonderful hospitality. In Los Angeles, sunny smiles and thanks go out to Arnel Calvario, Anna "Lollipop" Sanchez, and Tiffany Bong for continuing to feed my thirst for dance histories. ! ix There once was a graduate student that looked across a desk at his advisor and, in a blend of ma-arte and naiveté, confessed that he was not sure if he could make it.