STOMP is for anyone with a heartbeat

"It's going to be really loud," we were told as a cup of earplugs was passed around. I took a couple and placed them snugly in my ears. It was just in time before the wild-haired performers rushed in, dancing with their sticks and bins. Loud would be an understatement. The sounds filled the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Lobby, where the preview of STOMP was held on Tuesday afternoon. It's safe to say that the chandeliered space has never seen anything like it before. The heart-stopping theatrical sensation, which is in Manila for a limited time, began its 8-show run at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo on Tuesday evening. Only a few hours away from opening night, the stompers showed no signs of being nervous. In fact, they seemed to be raring to go. They moved seamlessly -- squatting, leaping, and flipping in the air. At some point my earplugs fell out, but I was too engrossed to mind. STOMP was infectious, and it was impossible to keep from moving along to the beat. With STOMP, you can't not move. The performers, most of whom have been on the show for years, know this more than anyone. "Performing in STOMP helps me with my other job; I do motivational speaking for kids. I teach them how to use body language. With STOMP, we try to communicate without using any words, it's about saying something. So I teach them how to be confident with the way they move, or just how they stand," said Canadian Troy Sexton, who was fifteen when he first saw STOMP. Sexton, who began drumming and dancing at an early age, joined the show when he was 19, and hasn't stopped since. "It's a bit difficult, because I'm pretty big but when we move onstage I have to make it look like it's easy," says Australian Angus H Little, who has previous experience not in dancing or drumming, but as a clown. The duo-hawked performer confesses that he likes to play around with his look a lot. Fortunately, being a performer on STOMP is exactly the kind of job that not only allows unorthodox appearances, but encourages it. It's evident that each performer has a unique personality, but they're flawless as a group, flowing across the stage in the way that only long-running shows can. STOMP has been impressing audiences for years now, since directors Luke Creswell and Steve McNicholas founded the show in 1991. STOMP has brought its unique blend of percussion, movement, and comedy to over 15 million people in 48 countries, across five continents. Melanie Joseph, who's been performing with STOMP for 13 years, says it's her dream job. "I get to perform with all these amazing people, and we get to go to places and meet people and interact with the audience. The energy is just, it's amazing," she says. Apart from the high-energy choreography, using everyday objects to create music is what STOMP is best known for. "The wheels are always turning. Sometimes they see something, and it's like, 'Hey maybe we can implement that in the show,'" shares Andrew Pang, who started stomping in 2006. Pang recalls that one of the stranger objects to have been utilized in a STOMP performance was a tractor inner tubing. "There are some things that we've used in the past that you won't see anymore, since we're always trying out new things. But some things are staple items, too, like the bins," says Pang. STOMP has been running for almost two decades now, and continues to draw crowds with its breathtaking performances. "It really appeals to everybody everywhere, whether you're young or old, male or female, whatever race or color. As long as you've got a heartbeat, you can appreciate it. It reminds us that there's rhythm in everything. It sort of brings us back to basics," says Joseph. - YA, GMA News STOMP runs from Oct. 18 to Oct. 23 at the CCP. For tickets, call Ticketworld at 8919999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph