One of those extraordinary children is Rhani Bigay. In the Contra Costa Times she told the story of how Filipino folk dance inspired her:
I began dancing Filipino Folk dance when I was 7. From the beginning I was hooked. There's something about ethnic dance that simply amazes me. Not just Filipino, but all cultures.
But when it came to go to my first day of practice, I threw a fit. I was scared that my parents were going to leave me all by myself with people I didn't know. Typical for an only child. I sat on the couch and cried. I thought to myself "What good will this do? Why do I have to?"
After those moments of inward thinking, suddenly, I felt different. I felt a calling to dance. It was like my whole life flashed before my little brown eyes. I walked up to my parents who were talking in the kitchen. "OK, I'll go," I said. Once we arrived at practice, I knew that this is where I belonged. I have been an active performing member of LIKHA Pilipino Folk Ensemble for eight years, which is half of my life. And it was time well-spent.
