Dancing inmates wow MICE visitors

Applause and cheers were again heard at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) as the dancing inmates performed before 200 foreign and local visitors on Wednesday.

The visitors, who were mostly participants of the the three-day incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) convention, raised their cameras to take footage of the inmates’ dances.

Some of them were standing on top of monobloc chairs just to get a better shot at the inmates.

About 1,000 inmates danced to the tune of Jennifer Lopez’s dance hit, “On The Floor” and Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Care About Us,” a dance choreographed by Travis Pane, the late pop star Michael Jackson’s choreographer. The dance sequence involved the inmates forming a peace symbol at the end of the song.

The visitors joined the dancers in the final dance to the tune of “Rico Mambo.”

At first, some of the visitors were hesitant to go near the inmates, but when they were assured of their safety, they got over their doubts and joined the final inmates’ dance.

John Peacock, general manager of Associations Forum Pty. Ltd., Australia, said he had never seen this in other jail facilities.

Peacock said he only saw this performance on the Internet.

Peacock, the only Australian in the MICE convention, said he would spread the word in Australia about the things he witnessed in Cebu especially the dancing inmates.

Later, the visitors bought souvenir items at the CPDRC lobby.

Shirts were sold at P200 to P250 pesos.