At Plainfield East, a student-led dance group called Rhythm of the Islands works to curate an innovative and creative cultural scene.
Rhythm of the Islands (ROTI) is a Filipino dance group that began its career in February of 2024 at the second PEHS Multicultural fair. They debuted a Tinikling dance routine, which included long bamboo sticks and quick footwork.
The group is composed of several high schoolers as well as college students, who practice when available. ROTI rehearses in the backyards, garages and homes of several group members, including that of senior co-leader, Chloe Ganaden.
Alongside Jena Ecang, Ganaden helps to take charge of the group and organize rehearsals, gigs, and performances.
“This leadership thing came from marching band. I carried that over to this,” said Ganaden, “The biggest thing is patience. My patience used to be really, really low, but, ever since this, it’s had to grow a lot.”
In a group composed of several high school students, it is vital to communicate and learn to work together.
“There are always going to be people who are late. Patience, talking, those are given things. When you’re in a big group, people are going to be rowdy, especially because we are so close. It’s just hard to lock in sometimes. But the rest of the members know when we need to,” said Ina Raz, senior member of ROTI.
The group, affiliated under Santacruzan who sources them with outfits and dance equipment, focuses on sharing the Filipino culture, and has never actively searched for a gig. Through word of mouth, the group has been able to perform at places like the PEHS Multicultural fairs, Piyesta Pinoy, and the Windy City Bulls.
“The main goal of our group is to show traditional Filipino dances. We don’t want it to be forgotten, especially in this day and age,” said Ganaden.
“From a firsthand experience, I was never connected with Filipino culture at all. It wasn’t my fault, or my parents. With this group, I didn’t even know that I wanted to, until I was in it. It’s just such an amazing opportunity and I’m glad that other people can also be seen,” said Raz.
As a collective, the group has high hopes for the future both in the expression of Filipino culture, and other cultures alike. Through their student-led dance group, they work to inspire others and bring to light the importance of celebration.
“A word of advice I always give to people who want to dabble into the culture, or are afraid to, is that it’s never, ever too late. There are always going to be people who appreciate you showing that culture and there are always going to be people who are going to be inspired and want to do the same. So you might as well just do it,” said Raz.
Rhythm of the Islands has created a home for students of Filipino descent, making strides in appreciation and friendship.
“This group has allowed us to express ourselves in ways that weren’t able to before,” said Ganaden, addressing ROTI, “We have a cultural bond, and it feels like a familial bond. We are genuinely siblings, and it’s crazy because we started this a year ago. But, since then, our culture has really connected us. We all really love each other and I am super grateful.”
