In honor of the Blu-Ray and DVD Release of Michael Jackson’s “This Is It”, the beloved Dancing Inmates have added to their performance list by celebrating Michael Jackson yet again.
The Philippines “Dancing Inmates” from Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), a maximum security prison, were treated to a visit by Michael Jackson’s long-time choreographer Travis Payne and dancers Daniel Celebre and Dres Reid to learn performances from THIS IS IT.
The YouTube video shows the results of the 3-day dance-intensive visit.
Philippines “Dancing Inmates” from Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), a maximum security prison, hosted Michael Jackson’s Concert Team as they showed appreciation to the “Thriller-Dancing” Inmates — for their tribute to the King of Pop and to the many hours of amusement Michael enjoyed when watching their past dance tributes — by Teaching Them New Choreography from THIS IS IT.
The idea behind the dance came from the prison’s warden, Byron F. Garcia. Byron was initially inspired when he watched the classic THRILLER video and realized how the prisoners and the lifeless forms were similar in some ways. So he added dance and song to their regimen to “give the prisoners” life and energy. The convicts marched and danced to several other songs, including “In the Navy” and “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People.
In June of 2009 the inmates were inspired to re-create the dance as a tribute to Michael after his tragic death and that video also became a YouTube phenomenon.
Now, to celebrate of the January 12, 2010 DVD release of This is It, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment sent Travis Payne, Associate Director/Choreographer of This is It along with two of Michael’s top dancers, Daniel Celebre and Dres Reid, to convey their appreciation to the prisoners by teaching them two of the dances from the concert as they would have been performed.
