Ten and still tops

Ten years ago, a free entrance ticket to the then popular discotheque called Equinox was all these boys wanted. They’d wait patiently at the doorsteps after class so they could snatch a chance to get into the dance floor to strut their stuff.

Film director Chito Roño marveled at the thought patterns of these teenage boys and their passion for their street-smart dance movements and came up with one bright idea: gather the most talented of these disco fanatics and form a dance group.

So together with his friends from Equinox ( owner Alex Lina, designer Oskar Peralta, pr man Resty Vergara and choreographer Geleen Eugenio), Roño called for auditions so the boys could show their wares on the dance floor.

When some of the boys performed gymnastic stunts and cartwheels, Roño got more excited. A certified gymnast (Neil Castañeda) was called in to infuse the correct gymnastic techniques into the basic dance routines for those who passed the auditions. Roño and company liked what they saw and the rest, they say, is history.

Now, ten years after, I find myself in the company of five of the Streetboys, whose lives have changed tremendously and whose passion for dance have brought them to greater heights. In a private corner at Via Mare in Greenbelt, I share bibingka, puto bumbong, and some private moments with Nichols Manalo, Christopher Cruz, Spencer Reyes, Ferdinand Navarro and Danilo Barrios.

"We’re just so happy that we are celebrating our 10th year as a group – we consider this a milestone and we consider ourselves certified survivors in this very unstable business," enthuses Nicko, who is back from his stint with the touring company of Miss Saigon, adding, "I never imagined myself to be in musical theater, more so, with a world-class production like Miss Saigon, but as they say, life is full of surprises!"

Nicko was part of the Manila staging of this Boublil-Schonbérg musical, and because producer Cameron Macintosh was so impressed with their fluid dance movements and magnificent stage presence that he invited Nicko and his fellow Streetboys Meynard Marcellano, and Sherwin Roux to perform in Hong Kong, Singapore, Manchester, Iceland and Scotland.

Award-winning actor Jhong Hilario (of Muro Ami and Bagong Buwan) has also joined the final leg of the Saigon company, serving as replacement when Nicko returned to Manila.

Nicko started out with the group when he was barely 15 years old, same with the other boys who were barely in their teens when they heeded the call to be part of this dance group. Spencer, who became Roño’s controversial prodigal son for some time, was the youngest at 14 when he joined Streetboys.

"I grew up with the group. I learned a lot about people and life and more importantly, I discovered a lot about myself – my strengths and weaknesses," he intones. Spencer broke away from the group, tried going solo on the big screen, lost his directions somehow, but managed to reconnect with Roño and the group, and in the process, picked up the pieces and found himself again.

Perhaps the most introspective among the five is Cris, usually quiet and allowing his kumpadres to do the talking. But I sense that there is a mysterious charm in his depth, a certain aura that magnetizes specially when he gives straight-forward answers to your questions while looking you straight in your cornea.

"I am usually at my best while dancing, that’s why I leave the talking to the others," he says, almost in a whisper-like manner. "I am very grateful that the members look at the group as more than just our means of livelihood, but as each others’ extended family." Cris adds that one’s success is seen as the success of the rest, specially after some of the members are now branching out to establish their solo careers.

Take Ferdinand for instance, more popular now as Vhong, who has forayed into the comedy circuit and making good money for himself outside his being a Streetboys member.

With several comedy shows and movies to his name, and a Manunuri best actor nomination to boot, Vhong says that there is not much difference in his jolly, sometimes over-the-top personality whether he is dancing with the boys or delivering his comic punchlines.

"What you see is what you get, " he says, admitting that amongst the Streetboys, "ako talaga yung pinaka-makulit."

The group’s heartthrob also happens to be their baby. Danilo, who hails from Olongapo, is the last to join the group and he recalls that he was given three weeks to decide whether he really wanted to be part of the group. "It was like an initiation. Sinabihan nila ako na hindi batayan ang pagiging gwapo para matanggap sa grupo. I have to force myself to do the split (yes, imagine Danilo spreading his legs and allowing his manhood to touch the floor!) at talagang nilagnat ako."

His hardwork paid off for soon, as he was welcomed with open arms by the more senior members. And even as Danilo started pursuing acting, he still gives 100 percent to his responsibilities as a member of the Streetboys.

Discipline. The right attitude. Professionalism. The boys are one in echoing the most important things they learned throughout their years together as a group. All of them look forward to the time when the Streetboys will be complete again – and that will be sooner than they wish for because Miss Saigon is reported to be finally coming to a close soon and the three members currently sidelined by their commitment to the musical will be back in the dance studios in a few months time.

And as for Chito Roño, the Streetboys’ manager, director, friend, parent, mentor, disciplinarian rolled into one, the pride lies not in the number of years the group has stuck together, but in the bonding they’ve established and the respect they have for each other as individuals. Ten glorious years... but the best is yet to come for the Streetboys.