The Faceless Performer: A Phenomenological Study on the Popularization of Hip Hop Culture in Philippine Television

Abstract

The popularization of Hip Hop dance among the Filipino youth has grown through the years, with great contribution from television’s unique ability to reach and engage a wide range of audiences. Dance has always been an integral part of Philippine entertainment and it continuous to be a pervasive aspect of Philippine pop culture. Although dance crazes and trends continue to be on the rise, dancing as a profession fails to be recognized as one that would propel a person to fame in comparison with other performance artists, such as actors and singers.

The study is founded on the lenses of phenomenology and agenda-setting in order to explain the vital role of dance and media professionals in the formation and growth of the Hip Hop dance phenomenon. Finally, this study aims to unmask the plight of dancers as faceless performers amidst the increasing popularity of Hip Hop on television, through gathering knowledge from the insider perspective of producers and relevant individuals in the dance and entertainment industry centralized in Metro Manila. Through content analysis and in-depth interviews, the study serves to deduce future possibilities and opportunities to better utilize the power and influence of broadcast media in creating a phenomenon such as dance as popular culture.

Keywords: Hip Hop, Dance, Phenomenology, Philippine Television, Faceless Performer, popular

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