Headliners for FACC's 32nd Gala Night confirmed

The Schindler Sisters 

By Susan Palmes-Dennis

Charlotte, North Carolina—A Filipino-American dance troupe based in Asheville, North Carolina will be among the headlining performers scheduled for the 32nd Gala Night of the Filipino-American Community of the Carolinas Inc. (FACC).

The Filipino American Community-Western North Carolina (FAC-WNC) Cultural Dance Troupe had been invited to perform in cultural shows and festivals in Charlotte, Greenville, Columbia and Atlanta, Georgia since 2001.


The group’s background was spelled lout in a message by choreographer Mary Ann “Day” Rodriguez as published in the FAC-WNC souvenir program. 

The group will perform the ‘Sinulog’, ‘Tinikling’ and for their finale, the song ‘Piliin Mo Ang Pilipinas.’

The Sinulog is one of the biggest festivals in the Philippines and honors the miraculous image of the Infant Jesus and is celebrated every third Sunday of January over a nine-day period. 

Devotees honor the child King with processions and street dancing with the dancers chanting “Pit Senyor.” 

The Tinikling or the bamboo dance is regarded as the Philippine national dance and takes its name from the movement of the ‘tikling’ birds as they move between grass stems and tree branches.

Another dance group called the Krush Krew will perform a ‘ K-Pop Song Medley’ number, a mix of traditional and modern Korean dances. Krush Krew is headed by Lauren Lee with members Angel Thai, Naomi Ksor and Terrell David .

A contemporary dance number will be performed by the Schindler sisters Carmella and Jiji.

Carmella is 19 years old and is enrolled at the Belmont Abbey College majoring in biology.  She is part of the Gaston Dance Theatre since she was three years until she graduated high school. 

Carmella played roles such as the Snow Queen in the ballet Nutcracker production as well as Tinker Bell in a dance production of Peter Pan.

Her 15-year-old sister Jiji is in 10th grade at the Highland School of Technology in Gastonia. She is also with the Gaston Dance Theatre since she was five years old and took advance ballet at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. 

She has played Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker Production in 2018, Fairy Godmother in Cinderella in the Spring Show 2019,and Snow Queen this coming December.

Other performers for the 32nd Gala Night include the youth group of Grace Point International Church who will perform a mime of the Christian song ‘Who Am I’ with Joy Moore leading the kids. 

The GPI kids are Miko Therrien, Marielle Gorlach, Maxie Gorlach, Jaasiel Williams,m Andie Palting, Nigel Tranquillino, John Reid and Jospeh Matthew Carballo.

Miko Therrien is studying at the Gaston Christian School while Marielle Gorlach and sister Maxie are enrolled at the Piedmont Charter School.

Miko Therrien is the daughter of incumbent FACC president Muffy Therrien and had performed the ‘Who Am I’ hand mime at her school.

Speaking of which, the FACC’s 2019 Board of Directors will perform an interpretative dance number of the 32nd Gala theme ‘World Class Pinoy.’

The US and Philippine anthems will be conducted by  Kee Martin and Karen Sedillo Dalton respectively while the attendees will be serenaded by the Pinoy Jam Barkada (PJM) of Sain Diaz during dinner time at 6:30 p.m to 7:30 p.m.

Pinoy Jam Barkada which consists of Gerry Canta, Adam Yabes, Glenn Espiritu, Sain Diaz, Tara Hang and Oliver Rodriguez last performed during the FACC Spring Picnic last June.