The embodiment of social dynamics: a phenomenon of Western pop dance within a Filipino prison

Abstract

In January of 2010, in Cebu, a southern province of the Philippines, a collaborative dance performance occurred between 1500 Filipino inmates, the choreographer Travis Payne, and backup dancers representing the late American pop star, Michael Jackson. The event took place at Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Centre, a maximum security prison where the inmates were incarcerated and awaiting trial for charges including murder, rape and drug abuse. This performance echoed numerous dance activities beginning in 2007, when the prison became globally renowned for its choreographed rendition of one of Jackson’s music videos. Since these events, it seems recidivism within the prison has declined, highlighting the performances as an example of rehabilitative success. Further developments reveal the evolution of the performances into international commodities. An evaluation of the prison’s adaptations of Jackson’s movement therefore questions why the prison dances have transitioned from being a mode of punitive rehabilitation for the inmates to a source of entertainment that resonates on a global level. An examination of this phenomenon considers the potential for using dance as a response to conflict and a bridge towards social cohesion by exploring the impact of social, political and economic enterprises in relation to movement and confinement.