Cristina Floirendo Brias knew exactly what she wanted for her 21st birthday and so, with the help of her supportive parents Maricris and Tony Brias, she pulled off a rock concert in her grandparents’ sprawling garden in Forbes Park.
Weeks before the anticipated date, rehearsals were scheduled at the Steps Dance Studio with a playlist carefully chosen by the celebrant from her favorite MTV songs. She even went a step further by memorizing the simple choreography so that it would almost be second nature once she was on stage.
The good-natured Cristina enjoys her twice-yearly sessions at the Lindamood-Bell Center in New York where instruction is based on an individual’s pace and learning skills.
On the day of the performance, it was apparent that all her hard work paid off. Though we knew it was lip-synced, Cristina’s showmanship kept us glued to our seats, with several costume changes that transformed her from a rock diva to Disney’s Frozen Queen Elsa, ending the short program with the finale Let It Go, one of the most internationally recognized songs in recent times. The musical was directed and choreographed by James Laforteza with the energetic Steps dancers Danica Calapatan, Bea Diche, Renzen Arboleda and Joervy Sanchez.
Merienda cena followed with old-time favorites of the birthday parties of our youth: sweetish spaghetti, barbecue, cotton candy, and popcorn. As we bade goodbye, we jokingly asked mom Maricris, which side of the family were the showbiz genes coming from and she was stumped because both sides are known to be low-key and unassuming.
As soon as the guests had left and it was time to wind down, we found out that the sociable Cristina was all ready with a list of songs in anticipation of her next birthday.
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