It’s 4 a.m. It’s winter-cold. Bodies ache. Endurance fights fatigue. Hunger is constant. But for members of the award-winning hip hop dance troupe PAC Modern, the long and strenuous hours of practice are far eclipsed by the rewards.
As the modern branch of the Pilipino American Coalition (PAC) student organization at Cal State University Long Beach, PAC Modern members thrive on the high-energy thrill that is hip-hop. For them, it’s more than a diversion. It’s a way of life.
“Joining PAC Modern really changes your life,” Sonny Filamor, the troupe’s artistic coordinator and junior kinesiology major, said. “You’re out there pushing each other, helping each other make the group better. Everyone has that drive. It’s great.”
But the group’s ambition would be hollow were it not for the special bonds PAC Modern members forge in their dedication toward each other.
“Being in PAC Modern, you make best friends, people you can count on and trust,” junior nursing major Jolene Samson said.
PAC Modern consists of about 40 dancers. Together, they rock the stage in a synchronous flurry of dynamic, bounce-and-glide power moves, which leave audiences breathless.
The camaraderie between group members has sustained them, as when they once “saw sunrise for two [practice] weeks straight,” Filamor said.
Such discipline and spirit helped garner the group first prize in the Fusion Hip Hop Dance Competition of 2006.
But as satisfying as formal recognition is, “[w]e don’t care about trophies,” Filamor said.
“What we care about is giving the audience something to talk about – something that’s going to
stick in their minds way after the performance.”
Hip-hop comprises a worldwide sub-culture known for its vibrant urban street energy and expressive, stylistic cool. The dance is characterized by a series of intricately choreographed elements: breaking, or break dancing, which involves acrobatic floor moves; locking, which is funky, free-spirited movement meant to call out a challenge; and popping, which is marked by fluid moves followed by sudden jerks of the body.
“What sets us apart from other groups is innovation beyond hip-hop music,” Filamor said. “We try to find underground stuff, then remix it with our own style.”
In the dance community, anticipation tends to build as to what PAC Modern will whip up next, Filamor added. “We’re always known for coming up with the craziest ideas. We always strive to be different, to offer something new each time.”
However, setting the bar high doesn’t come easily. From offering a platform for talent, to forming lasting friendships and supportive social networks, from acquiring organizational, teamwork and leadership skills, to staying physically fit -and having a great time doing so -PAC Modern is a testament to student verve and commitment.
“What I love about PAC Modern is that they encourage you, give you lots of moral support [and] the self-confidence that sees you through,” Samson said.
Samson said she gets a “huge rush” out of their performances. “When you feel that vibe — with your friends next to you and who’ve worked so hard together – it feels so good!” she said. “You just want to go back out there and do it all over again.”
Samson said she was involved with dance before entering CSULB and found here a perfect niche for her passion.
Filamor got hooked on hip-hop dance as a student at Torrance High School and was
thrilled to segue his moves onto the CSULB campus. Moreover, a cousin of his was one of the
founders of PAC Modern in 1995.
Filamor was also quick to point out the deep sense of cultural fulfillment and pride that comes with involvement in PAC, the umbrella organization of PAC Modern.
“Being involved with PAC, you learn so much about Pilipino culture,” he said. “It keeps you close to your roots. It empowers you.”
For that reason, all PAC Modern dancers first participate in PAC. Even though the former has no stylistic similarity to the traditional Pilipino dances and customs taught and performed by PAC, PAC Modern dancers bring a richer spirit to their efforts based on the cultural grounding and sense of community they develop in PAC, Filamor explained.
As one example, PAC members recently helped provide Thanksgiving meals to Pilipino-American war veterans at historic Filipinotown in Los Angeles.
It’s a humbling experience that “makes you strong, that makes you feel more connected to [everyone],” said Stephanie Papa, co-coordinator of PAC’s Pilipino Cultural Night event and junior communicative disorders major.
PAC and PAC Modern open their doors to students from all backgrounds. PAC’s mission is not only to help nurture awareness of Pilipino culture, but also to promote harmony among all ethnicities, Papa said. Not all group members have to be CSULB students, some students from the University of California at Irvine have also performed with the group.
PAC Modern dance enthusiasts extend beyond the state’s boundaries as well. Filamor relayed the story of a late-night post-performance encounter in Union City, N.J., during Spring Break this year. Famished after their gig, the PAC Modern dancers headed to White Castle – the famed Midwest hamburger chain. Some junior-high and high school youth, who attended the group’s performance, were also there. They clamored up to PAC Modern and asked, “Hey, aren’t you the guys on that magic YouTube video?” The dancers happily signed their programs.
“It’s just amazing that there are people out there who look up to you, who are inspired by what you do,” Filamor said.
Others closer to home have been just as inspired.
This summer, new PAC members purchased a bona fide star in honor of their mentors. The “newbies” named the star “Stay Hungry.”
As Filamor explained, “Stay Hungry” became a PAC Modern motto when the most frequently asked question during late-night practices was, “Are you hungry?”
The motto is also sounded in the group’s prayer circle before every performance.
“It psyches us up and reminds us of who we are,” Filamor said. “It means it’s time to put your game-face on.”
For the members of PAC Modern, motivation and success come from within, “from being true to who you are,” Samson said.
The troupe practices twice a week outside the Walter Pyramid from 8 p.m. to about 1 a.m. And in the run-up to coveted events, practice extends to three nights and lasts close to sunrise.
