Video of Cebu's dancing inmates included in Jackson's "This is It" press launch kit

CEBU CITY, Jan. 27 (PNA) - Cebu's famous dancing inmates earned another chance to gain worldwide fame after their video performing Michael Jackson's song "They Don't Really Care About Us" was included in the "This is It" DVD launching worldwide.

Michael Jackson’s choreographer Travis Payne, along with two Jackson back-up dancers from the “This is It” movie, choreographed a new dance for the inmates Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC).

Sony Pictures DVD uploaded the video of the inmates on the video sharing site YouTube last Jan. 22.

As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, it had more than 1.1 million hits and 5,706 comments.

The inmates rehearsed Payne’s choreography in just one day on Jan. 18 and shot the entire dance the next day.

The dance was among the contents of the press kit for the “This is It” DVD launching scheduled Tuesday, said Capitol consultant on security Byron Garcia.

The dance was to be featured in CNN’s AC 360 by Anderson Cooper, Byron said.

Unlike in previous dances where the inmates wore their orange prisoners’ uniforms, they wore a black shirt with Jackson’s silhouette printed in front and their orange pants.

The shirts were a gift from Payne and dancers Ricardo “Dres” Reid and Daniel Celebre.

“They were very happy to wear what they called state-side shirts,” Byron said of the inmates.

The dance ended with the inmates forming the iconic peace sign.

Payne, Reid and Celebre led the dance.

Payne had been in Cebu for the Sinulog and had a two-day session with the CPDRC inmates.

Byron said Payne told him that Jackson was able to watch the dancing inmates perform his hit “Thriller” which has so far earned more than 37.5 million views on YouTube.

Payne, in a video, said the King of Pop loved the video and would watch it while taking a break from a grueling rehearsal.

“He watched it all the time just to put a smile on our faces,” Payne said in the video.

But despite the fame of the CPDRC inmates, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said Capitol will not commercialize them.

“Whatever should be given in the form of donation shall go back to them. But we will never put a price tag on them. And in that sense, we will always refuse any request for CPDRC to be used in any commercial,” the governor said.

She said that there was an attempt to use them for a Mr. Clean commercial.

Byron Garcia said the inmates are not product endorsers.

If they are going to allow the inmates to promote a certain product, the “nobleness” of what they are doing will be lost said the governor.

“This is something we never imagined will happen but this is something truly wonderful for Cebu, Cebuanos and most of all for our CPDRC inmates,” she added.

“I am once again very, very proud of our CPDRC inmates”, she said adding that they have again caught international attention.

Garcia added that they have been able to prove that “indeed everyone deserves a second chance.”

Unlike the song, “They Don’t Care About Us”, Byron said the provincial government is treating the prisoners with care. (PNA)
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