Med Groove Med Rhythmia 2014: Once Upon a Time

Before anything else, let's get this out there: I am, much to my dismay, not and nor will I ever be a dancer. If I, even in the slightest bit, am a singer, then I regret to say that my schedule this year has prevented me from doing that which I may still love doing. So, my involvement in MGMR really just revolved around production work. This is not to say that it was any less important because believe you me, prod work is no walk in the park!

MGMR had me doing something that I haven't been able to do in a long time -- makeup. See, I only ever put on makeup on special occasions and/or when I feel like it, and those two have been really hard to come by ever since med school started. Suffice it to say, I enjoyed having to do it for a dance competition so much so that it's clear to me now just how much I really missed it. Even if I only got to play around white, brown, and black!

Backstage photo of my partner and me and our two tikbalangs, half-horse, half-human mythical creatures of Philippine folklore. Hi Dex and Jian! Thank you so much for letting me and Mel play around with your faces! You guys are awesome! :)

But anyway, this post is really meant to celebrate our dancers. I can't even begin to imagine just how much hardships they had to go through to get to the championship, so all I can say is that I am incredibly proud of each and everyone of them. It's amazing how synchronized body movements are able to tell a story so beautifully, and our dancers accomplished just that in a span of seven minutes, and in the process, they also so nearly moved me to tears.

 Ang Alamat ng Isang Diwata tells the story of air fairy Wana and her journey into the human world, the land of promise, where she learns (I'm guessing) the true meaning and value of home.

So really, congratulations AMDG! Nobody, and I mean nobody, can ever doubt your ownership of the crown. You deserve it. And I'm so glad and honored to have been part of your victory.