Dance, dance on, Streetboys!

They were just wide-eyed boys 12 years ago when they showed up for the auditions of a dance group director Chito Roño wanted to organize. More than 75 aspirants registered at the Equinox Disco in Makati City that fateful day in March 1993, their dancing feet itching for action, with the number winnowed down to 15 who were made to undergo rigorous training in both dance and discipline.

"All the boys had in mind then," recalled direk Chito, "was to be able to enter the Equinox Disco for free and have the chance to perform on its dancefloor at least twice a week after midnight. Who would have thought that they’d end up in a group that would make its own history in the ‘live-dance’ genre?"

And that was how Streetboys was born.

The boys’ reputation as expert dancers spread fast and wide. Soon, other discos were queuing up to sign the Streetboys, followed before long by recording companies. By then, the Streetboys have invaded television, winning more fans along the way.

"Why did they click?" asked direk Chito. "I guess it’s because they innovated the contemporary dance; they created their own style which was soon imitated not only by their fans but also by other dance groups. A year after I organized the group, the boys’ style had become so popular, such a hit, that there was hardly any dance group in the country that didn’t incorporate into their acts the Streetboys style. Imitation, as they say, is the highest form of admiration."

A good part of "the Streetboys’ style" was contributed by Jhong Hilario who, during the auditions, did a dance sequence that incorporated the now-famous "back flip" based on which the Streetboys developed a choreography that combined acrobatic and gymnastic moves.

In 1995, the Streetboys were introduced in a movie with the Universal Motion Dancers (organized much later and which has since been disbanded) and released their first compilation album called Street Slammin’ (under PolyCosmic Records).

It was also around this time that the members started appearing in TV dramas and in movies. In 1996, they were launched as movie actors by Regal Films in Stokwa, an unexpected hit, followed by Spirit Warriors (also by Regal) which was shown at the 2000 Metro Manila Filmfest. Three years later, Regal produced a sequel called Spirit Warriors - The Short Cut for the 2003 Metro Manila Filmfest.

Three members – Meynard, Sherwin and Nikko – have been with the Miss Saigon tour for a few years now.

Today, Streetboys have 14 members, eight of them senior (Danilo Barrios, Christopher Cruz, Jhong Hilario, Nikko Manalo, Meynard Marcellano, Vhong Navarro, Spencer Reyes and Sherwin Roux); and six junior (Jonathan Granaderos, Fritz Tibay, Jmarth Lalic, Carlo Quintos, Mark Pastrana and John Paul Garcia).

The Streetboys have so far won several awards, including as Most Popular Dance Group from the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Awards in 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2000; Best Entertainer (Group Award) of 1995-1998 from Parangal ng Bayan; Best Group of 2000 from the Centennial Excellence Awards; Top Entertainer (Best Group Category) of 2001 from the Millennium Excellence Awards; Best Group Entertainer of 2003 from the Consumers’ Choice Awards; Top Entertainer (Group Category) of 2003 from the Gawad Makamasa Awards; Best Group Entertainer of 2003 from the 19th Consumers Quality Awards; and Best Group Entertainer of 2004 from the 20th Consumers Quality Awards.

Some of the members have graduated to movie/TV actors (but have remained with the group), making a name of their own, such as Vhong Navarro who has turned solo recording artist (Pamela Wan, etc.), starred in TV sitcoms (Home Along da Riles/Airport, etc.) and movies (Gagamboy and Mr. Suave as topbiller, etc.); Jhong Hilario who won as Best Supporting Actor for Muro-Ami (one of the movies he has done with direk Marilou Diaz-Abaya, the others being Sa Pusod ng Dagat, Jose Rizal and Bagong Buwan); Spencer Reyes (a serious actor in Nasaan Ang Puso, etc.); and Danilo Barrios (also a serious actor in Dekada ’70, Yamashita: The Tiger’s Treasure, Magnifico, etc.).

So, as the Streetboys enter their 13th year, all we can say is, "Dance, dance on!"

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