Dubbed as “the most diversed, colorful and entertaining stage during SF PRIDE” , the Asian & Pacific Islander Stage will be making its 9th year of entertainment, HIV education and commitment. Showcasing the best of the best Asian & Pacific Islander talents from all over the country!  Headlined by MELISSA R, 1st runner up of “Who will be the Next Pussycat Doll?” Season 1, and smooth acoustic vocalist, Bay Area local boy GABE BONDOC will be serenading everyone with his soothing voice!  Special Appearance by Commediane, MARGARET CHO!

Also performing,  Freeplay Dance Crew, Culture Shock, Elemental Remix, Funkonometry SF, Main Stacks, Project EM, Downe FX, Bollywood Babes, Nguyen Dance Company, Heiwa Taiko, Laotian Americans of the Bay Area, Rice Kings, “Pearls of the Orient DRAGMANIA Hour” Feat: Avieyonne Flieux, Chi Chi Kago, Beyonsoy, Doncha Vishuwasme!  Hosted by, Tita Aida, Malena Sarawak, Rafaellina, Steph Lee and many more!

Special appearence:

Margaret Cho

Former Celebrity Grand Marshal in 2000, Margaret comes back to SF Pride to celebrate with us!  Equipped with her tour, “Beautiful”, Margaret will be parading down with Lifetime Grand Marshal, Theresa Sparks in the parade route and will make special appearances at the Main Stage and Asian & Pacific Islander Stage! 

www.margaretcho.com

performing live:

MELISSA R

Melissa Reyes (born March 31, 1988 in New York City) is a Filipino-American singer, dancer, actress and model. She started her television career working on Quincy Jones' Nickelodeon television show, The Giggle Club. In 2007, she gained a loyal international fan base after becoming the first runner-up on the hit television series Pussycat Dolls Presents: The Search for the Next Doll. She is also a well-established figure in the Los Angeles dance industry and has starring rolls in music videos such as Marquez Houston's "Wonderful", Corbin Bleu's "Deal With It", Paris Hilton's "Nothing in This World", B5's "U got Me", and Lil Romeo's "My Girlfriends". As the featured artist, she graced the cover of Audrey Magazine's June/July 2007 issue.   She is one of the most searched Filipinos on You Tube. Currently, Melissa is touring and recording.  Her first single "Can't Stop This Girl" was released on iTunes in May 2008.

ERIC HSU OF JOHNNY HI-FI

Lead Singer of Johnny HI-Fi. With numerous US and Asia tours under their belt, Johnny Hi-Fi's alternative rock sound has captured fans all over the world. In 2005, the band's video reached #8 on MTV Chi's top 10 video charts, and helped them land the "Artist of the Month" spot on Billboard Magazine's Underground series and featured in the magazine. Later in 2006, the band made appearances on CBS News, publications such as the New York Times and World Journal, also radio stations from Texas to Taipei. The band also went on to open for Placebo and Supergrass in front of 20,000+ fans at the 2006 Beijing Pop Festival. Today, Johnny Hi-Fi is working hard in the studio preparing for their 3rd full length album release set for June, 2008. For more information and free music, visit www.johnnyhi-fi.com.

GABE BONDOC

Gabe Bondoc is a guitarist/vocalist whose talents along with his character and desire for creating music have portrayed the ultimate image of a true genuine musician in this day in age. Gabe has had many opportunities traveling nationwide to perform and has finally compiled an EP in which it has already been selling out everywhere he performs. This is Gabe’s first time at the A&PI Pride Stage.

ASIA VITALE

Reinvented from the groups “Ocean of You” and “Bionic Chicks”, Asia Vitale goes solo, returning to her passion of singing and songwriting. With record producers from Hollywood, Orange County and San Francisco, Asia is set to take on the music industry with sequined boxing gloves. Asia also took the title “ CATWALK ‘08” last March 22, in San Francisco.

PEARLS OF THE ORIENT DRAGMANIA HOUR

Feat: Avieyonne Flieux, Chi Chi Kago, Beyonsoy, Doncha

They may be slightly sticky, a bit too sweet, and have a taste for black balls, but these Pearls Of The Orient will show you that exotifying the East will only get you a kick in the nuts and a mind-blowing drag extravaganza. THIS is the real reason the price of rice is rising rapidly!

RICE KINGS

From the sizzling Thai rap underground, the sugary sweet Vietnamese cafés, and the humid bordellos of Manila... comes Big Daddy, Dang Kinki, and Tito RayRay Pansit on my Face. Together, they are a steaming hot and tasty bowl of goodness known as The Rice Kings - the Bay Area's up and coming A/PI drag king troupe extraordinaire soon to invade your wildest (and dorkiest) dreams.

LAOTIAN AMERICANS OF THE BAY AREA

The Laotian American\s of the Bay Area is a group community volunteers dedicated to the preservation, promotion and sharing of the rich cultural heritage of Laos. The group consists of 20 youth and adult dancers and musicians who volunteered to participate in the annual Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco. The volunteers include members of diverse Laotian ethnic groups from the country of Laos such as Lao, Khmu, Tai Dam, Tai Lue, Iu Mien and others. 

BOLLYWOOD BABES

Don't we love those silly moments in Bollywood films when there is a random song and dance routine? Trikone Board Member Rajat Dutta and friends took it upon themselves to dress up in South Asian drag and show off the fun, frolic, and flirtation that happen in the movies we adore. The Bollywood Babes are Anthony, Bishop, Brian, Siobhan, Vernon, and Rajat. Their debut performance was in March 2008 to the song Dhoom Machale and they continue to amaze audiences of all types.

NGUYEN DANCE COMPANY

DNDM is a multicultural performance troupe of dancers and musicians who present contemporary, traditional, and non-traditional dance styles from different countries for audiences of all ages. The troupe embraces ballet, modern, jazz, ballroom, and theatrical styles to tell stories or describe social issues in the United States and Vietnam.

Their two primary activities are performance and educational programs that present dance and music as interdisciplinary art forms bringing drama, music, dance and storytelling together to make a unique whole. DNDM is a gateway arts experience for those who are new to dance. We are primarily committed to serving communities with little or no access to the arts. We perform for communities, after school, and private concerts. We also develop education programs for children and teens in public schools. www.dannydancers.com

HEIWA TAIKO

Heiwa means Peace in Japanese.  At first, we called ourselves the Obachan Group or Grandma group because we are all grandmas and our average age is 65+....and Molly Kitajima who is 80 years young.  This is our uniqueness since Taiko players are normally younger.  Historically, only men played taiko, but since Taiko was introduced in the US, women dominate the groups.  It is a vigorous exercise and the drums are exciting and dynamic.  We love playing and it keeps us going.  When we play, we become woman warriors!Our group plays for many community groups, festivals, parades and private parties.  We are all close friends and enjoy being together, I hope our passion in playing taiko extends to the audience - we enjoy sharing the art of taiko.

FREEPLAY DANCE CREW

Freeplay is a hip hop dance group with Chinese, Korean and Filipino dancers whose members boast over forty years of dance experience including gigs ranging from the San Francisco Ballet to hip hop fitness instructors at Crunch, Golds and 24 Hour Fitness. Established in the summer of 2000, Freeplay since then has grown to a dynamic group of diverse and multi-talented members. The group boasts a measure of notoriety in Bay Area circles, having performed at numerous hip-hop dance shows and other Bay Area venues including Trannyshack, the Faux Drag Queen Pageant, Club Q, and Gay Day at Great America.
Freeplay regularly donates benefit performances, raising money for organizations such as Dance Mission, the Jon Sims Center for the Arts, Mercy High School Performing Arts Program, the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco, and the Nevada Theater Company. www.freeplaydance.com

CULTURE SHOCK

Culture Shock was started in 1993 by Angie Bunch, a professional dancer, international presenter and Nike Fitness Athlete. Starting the concept as a way of teaching herself how to dance hip-hop, Angie gathered together a professional performing troupe of dancers, and by the end of the year, Culture Shock San Diego was born. In the next few years Culture Shock would expand to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and New York. With each addition of a troupe, the Mission Statement's concept evolved into a non-profit, youth outreach and community service program that is fueled purely by volunteerism.
In San Francisco, troupe members donated time to starting a free dance and performing group concept known as Future Shock. These troupes made up of young people from 8-17 years old, are our direct link to the community. By offering free dance instruction, a safe place in which to learn and play and a performing outlet, they found that the youth were more receptive to our healthy lifestyle message.
This is the 8th year Culture Shock will be performing at the A&PI Stage. www.cultureshockdance.org

ELEMENTAL REMIX

Elemental Remix, is a high-energy, all-girl dance company based in San Jose. The lovely ladies of ER bring many different dance backgrounds and training to create their unique style--from hip-hop to jazz to bellydancing. ER believes dance is a way to create community and inspire others. They hope to inspire you.

FUNKONOMETRY SF

Funkanometry San Francisco Dance Company is a community-based, diverse group of individuals tied together by their love for dance expression. Funkanometry San Francisco was established in October 2002 as the sister company to the original Funkanometry Dance Company, hailing from Southern California. Founded by dancers and directors Kyle Wai Lin and Emerson Aquino, "FUNKS SF" was established in response to a desire for more professional hip-hop dance companies in Northern California.
In its early stage, the group was a mix of invite-only dancers who had no idea what was to become of the group, blindly trusting the directors with direction and choreography. Hailing from all over the Bay Area, Funks SF has emerged as a team that mixes various dance styles and backgrounds together.
 
Promoting a positive image, FUNKS SF has set out to redefine the art form through consistency and a unique style of funk and hip-hop that sets them far apart from others. They share their talent and passion through performances and company classes, giving other dancers an opportunity to learn from and dance with some of the Bay Area's best. Funkanometry SF prides itself on being a company in which all members contribute to its production and success, creating leaders of every member. Funkanometry SF's dedication to dance and to teach others help create a unique energy that shines on stage and off, providing them with the charisma that they have become known so well for in their short time together. For more information on Funkanometry San Francisco Dance Company, please visit www.funkanometrysf.com

PROJECT EM

Project EM is a sexy, stylized, all-male dance collective whose main focus is to entertain audiences with their highly energized, engaging performances. Established in early 2007 by Emerson Aquino, the Co-founder and Executive Artistic Director of the highly regarded dance company Funkanometry SF, Project EM is a diverse group of individuals bonded together by their passion for dance. The group serves as an outlet to train male dancers for the professional company and also to inspire other dancers by showcasing innovative styles of choreography.  Project EM prides itself on maintaining a positive vibe and a sense of family amongst its members.  Project EM is a sub-company under the Funkanometry SF Umbrella.
 For more info, check out www.myspace.com/project_em

DOWNE FX

DowneFX Dance Company's mission is to provide continuous education of urban performance arts as a tool to promote empowerment, creativity and social awareness for downe, gay, bisexual, lesbian communities of color. DowneFX has recently been established as a non-profit 501(c)(3) community-based grassroots organization in March 2005!

In 2001, DowneFX began with five original core members to promote community awareness of gay men's health issues in San Francisco. Today, DowneFX has become one of the premier queer performance arts organization in California with chapters in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. For more visit www.downefx.org.

MAIN STACKS

Started in Spring of 2008, Main Stacks is just a group of friends that love to dance! Coming from different dance groups on campus, all dancers contribute their training, choreography, and dedication to the group to make this a successful competition dance team.   We hope not to only entertain the dance community, but also spread the love of dancing to people in the community.  

HOSTS

Aloe Vera
Tita Aida
Rafellina
Steph
Malena

DJ’s

PKDJ
DJ Kevin Lee

Returning this year to the API Pride Stage will be the versatile PKDJ, spinning his signature high energy mixes of the hottest dance, house, pop, and hiphop beats.  A resident DJ at Club Dragon @ eightsf and Shangrila @ the Endup, PKDJ also drops his sticky and sweet sounds all over the Bay Area, including popular clubs GlasKat, Suede, and asiaSF.  Often giving back to the community, PKDJ is actively involved and supporting many APIWC, GAPA, Downelink, and Pride events throughout the year.

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