Talent and Advocacy in Motion: Tali Serves Justice on the Dancefloor

by Jazel Ann Maghilum and Eula Grace Logarta


The Crime Alert is ringing, and the citizens of Townsville are once again in need of the mighty Tali’s help.


Coming in hot in your area, leaving trails of green as they flew through the sky, the crowd was drawn in by the spectacle. Although our heroes usually need to be home by eight, they broke that rule as MSU-IIT’s Night of Dances brought forth the third segment of this year’s PALAKASAN 2025 on April 4.


Anticipation and excitement filled the gymnasium as the Townsville citizens shouted and yelled their college names. The lights dimmed before the performance, and they quaked in their seats.


Music opens the stage for CASS Tali with a montage of monsters that have long plagued the country. Red hues envelop the heroes as murmurs of bad news stream their images. One big kick and their fight began, like fierce tamaraws pushing through, their movements giving off strength and grit.


Their outstanding performance emits social commentary woven into a dance. The crowd went wild as topics like extrajudicial killings, empowerment, and corruption were portrayed with crump and a hint of grace. Chains covered their body as they were clothed in darkness, symbolizing the painful truth of our society. However, at the end of each struggle and fight, nevertheless, one finds light amidst it all.


Though the Powerpuff Girls were made with sugar, spice, and everything nice, our weavers’ powerful performance was quite an interesting recipe.


Janica Pagunsan, a third-year student from the Bachelor of Arts in Literary and Cultural Studies, stated that their amazing dance was created from a fusion of being universal, empowerment, and a voice for others. Altogether, these heroes proved that everything is better when we all get together for a change.


Collectively at the end, colors of the flag were raised, and each streak was a blaze of such energy as they waved and danced about, resonating to the citizens that witnessed the performance from near and far. As the heroes embody the spirit and essence of Filipino dances, bringing out the palette that surely screams, “I am proud to be a Filipino.”


An explosion of culture and arts colliding altogether in one breathtaking dance, ending the Mass Dance segment with a bang!


Coming right after such an explosive performance, the Lyrical Dance segment brought a surge of calm and peace to soothe the eyes and heart. However, thinking that the Talis’ piece would only bring such tranquil emotions would be a grave mistake.


Swaying to the beat of Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love”, the performance began with two dancers – one garbed in a white lab gown and the other in a blue hospital gown – entwined in a dance that can only be described as searching, seemingly testing each other’s intentions. Soon after, another dancer dressed in black joins the fray, and the emotions produced by a flurry of entangled limbs and awe-inspiring acrobatic movements.


The nature of the performance itself can be interpreted by onlookers in many different ways, but the highly possible theme that surfaced from the performances was that it was a reinterpretation of life and death, a frail dance between the two sides that can pull a person in in a heartbeat. The message was not very sugary, but it was a depiction of a reality that can befall anyone, even invincible heroes made of everything nice, at any given moment.


After the emotional interpretative act of each powerpuff, coming up next is the Pop Dance segment in the zone, starting with an energetic showdown of different genres, ranging from K-pop, French pop, and our very own OPM. The near-ending night of dances became a melting pot of cultures around the world. Yet, among those amazing displays of art, the green light never ceases to shine above it all, as the dominating weavers of fate entered the stage with such a peaceful yet striking act.


Breaking free from the race of grit and strong performances that came before, a taste of refreshing coolness came over. CASS Tali pop dancers moved like waves, so serene and elegant with their sashes imitating the calm seas of a time long gone. Hues of blue and white envelope their bodies, their veils moving with their whim. The audience catches their breath as together they dive into a world the heroes curated in their movements.



If you thought the party was over, it had not finished yet! Darkness clouded the stage, yet, like daylight slowly creeping into morning, streaks of light emerged from the depths of their palms. Sparkling like stars in the night, citizens roared in amazement as they received a wonderful surprise. As they came together to fuse in a constellation of lights, bringing out the hope, truly the essence of “Liwanag sa Dilim.”


John Lloyd Suaring, a 2nd year Bachelor of Arts in Sociology student, shared that the story and goal behind their performance was to show that despite the darkness, there is always light, and to break the cycle of competitiveness. When asked about the three ingredients for their breathtaking performance, the recipe he provided was collective ideas, trust, and most of all, courage.


No hero would end such an epic battle with an unsavory note, so for the last part of the evening, the Talis decided to show everyone who the bosses of the stage were. With a battle cry of “naega jeil jal naga” (I am the best), these powerpuffs set the whole gymnasium on fire with an energy to scare even the most formidable supervillains out there into submission.


The dim surroundings and strobe lights set the tone for a night out on the streets with the prettiest and the coolest ladies in town. This year’s Wannabe performance takes inspiration from the K-pop group 2NE1’s YG Concert in Japan “I AM THE BEST” live performance. They had everything down to a tee, from the amazing lip syncing to the dancing motorcycles.


The entire piece remained true to the song choice. It was a dazzling display of red, blue, sequins, and flashy lighting for almost three minutes. The crowd roared with excitement every time the music rolled, and the performers on stage gave their all in the bid to create a performance that would leave all the others wanting to be a Tali.


As the spectacle ended with the dimming of the lights, these mini heroes had again woven their own fates into a luminous web that touched many. Townsville was saved once more. The formidable Talis has once again conquered the odds with a lot of glitz and a whole lot more of heart – and that is all before bedtime!