Filipinos can easily gain social media attention by doing things with a cultural touch everywhere they go.
Take a look at these Gen-Z students from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States who went viral online for their modern take on Tinikling, a popular traditional folk dance in the Philippines.
The ‘modern tinikling’ video gained traction all over the internet, with over 7 million views on Facebook as of this writing.
The Georgia Tech Filipino Students Association from Atlanta performed the Tinikling to the tune of American rapper Lil Nas X’s song “Dolla Sign Slime” and created a ‘Gen Z’ version of the Pinoy traditional dance.
The breathtaking performance was said to be part of the student organization’s “Halo Halo Mixer,” a cultural event held on April 16, 2022, that sought to foster Filipino culture through different forms of music, dances, food, and activities. The federation’s mission is to promote Filipino customs to students through social occasions and meetings to bring students with diverse cultural heritages closer together.
Tinikling is considered the national dance of the Philippines. It is a traditional folk dance that originated in the Spanish colonial period, bringing it into the list of the oldest dances in the archipelago. The dance involves two people tapping bamboo poles on the ground and against each other in coordination with one or more dancers who step over and in between the poles.
People online expressed their admiration for these Fil-Am students who went viral. Positive comments flooded the video:
While many seemed to like the video, some did people comment negatively on the students’ level of performance. Some even noticed that the Philippine flag was displayed incorrectly.
Despite some errors, we should be proud that these Gen Z students represented the Filipino community abroad by creating a modern rendition of Tinikling. This is just another proof that the modern generation can still express themselves through traditional norms and cultural influences.
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