Queer Filipino dance group battles costs, stigma, and exhaustion ahead of Hip Hop International 2026 in Arizona.
If you scroll through Femme MNL’s TikTok page, you are immediately hit with an unapologetic wave of fierce, feminine energy. They move with the synchronized, baddie-energy precision of a Beyoncé world tour. On screen, the 40-member dance group makes their artistry look utterly effortless.
But behind the perfectly executed hair flips, the synchronized drops, and the viral choreography lies a grueling reality of 5 a.m. practices, logistical nightmares, and a relentless hustle to bring queer Filipino artistry to the international stage.
Femme MNL isn’t just a dance group; they are a movement. And as they prepare to represent the Philippines at the Hip Hop International (HHI) competition in Phoenix, Arizona, this July 2026, the price of the world stage is proving to be just as steep as the societal stigmas they dance against
The logistics of a MegaCrew
“To be honest, there’s no balance in everything we do,” admits Jeff Haley Manalo, a 25-year-old choreographer, senior member, and former president of Femme MNL, during an exclusive interview with radar Entertainment.
The mathematics of managing a 40-member “MegaCrew” are daunting. Unlike corporate-backed syndicates, Femme MNL operates more like an independent collective of passionate creatives. Their roster is a mix of freelancers, corporate workers, teachers, and students, finding a common time to train with rehearsals often stretching into the brutal hours of the morning.
“We have to adjust ‘yong time slot namin sa pagte-training. Minsan umaabot kami hanggang madaling araw, like 5 a.m., tapos minsan ‘yong iba, rekta ng work after training,” Jeff explains. “It’s really—most of the time—draining, pero at the same time, we try our best na maging light sa isa’t isa whenever we come to train together.”
But the physical exhaustion is only half the battle. As an independent group, the financial burden of competing globally rests squarely on their own shoulders. Visas, international airfare, and accommodation for 40 people require an astronomical amount of money. Jeff himself had just come from a US Visa interview the morning we spoke—a hurdle they are overcoming one dancer at a time.
“We’re aiming [for] the impossible to be possible. Kasi everything comes with a price,” Jeff notes candidly. “As in ngayon, nahihirapan talaga kami kasi hindi biro ‘yong gastos.”
To combat this, the crew has tapped into their collective ingenuity. A percentage of their earnings from corporate gigs and brand partnerships goes directly into a central team fund. It was this exact fund that paid for their food and Airbnb when they flew to Japan and won the BigCrew division at Dance Supremacy in 2025.
Additionally, the group has launched “Femme Sundays,” fundraising dance classes held at Playground Studios. These classes aren’t just a financial lifeline; they are an invitation for students and fans to experience the group’s signature baddie energy in person, effectively crowdfunding their dreams through shared passion.
Forging a safe space beyond synergies
While the financial hustle is a testament to their grit, Femme MNL’s true triumph lies in why the group was formed in the first place.
Back in 2021, Jeff—a journalism graduate from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and a former member of the Power Impact Dancers (PID)—along with other founding members, realized the need for a sanctuary. In the highly competitive, often male-dominated, and historically conservative hip-hop dance community, queer dancers needed a space where they didn’t have to compartmentalize their identities.
“We decided na mag-create ng Femme MNL back in 2021 kasi gusto din namin magkaroon ng safe space ‘yong queer community. Like okay, ‘what if tayo-tayo lang naman?’” Jeff recalls.
This unapologetic approach to their identity became their armor. During their stint on “Pilipinas Got Talent,” comedy icon Eugene Domingo delivered her iconic line: “Dapat may bakla!” For Femme MNL, it wasn’t just a punchline; it was a rallying cry. They took that label, wore it with pride, and used it to show the country how passionate, talented, and fiercely dedicated they are.
Navigating toxic stigmas
Yet, even with international medals and viral fame, the group still battles deep-rooted discrimination and toxic pressures—often from those closest to them.
The “starving artist” trope hits particularly hard in the Philippines, and for dancers, the pressure to conform to traditional, lucrative career paths is immense. Jeff openly shares the anxieties of dealing with relatives at family gatherings who constantly question the viability of a dance career. “Tigilan mo na ‘yan, wala ka namang mapapala d’yan eh,” is a refrain many of his teammates have seen pop up in their text messages from unsupportive family members.
View this post on Instagram
Worse still is the blatant ignorance they face, sometimes ,even in spaces that are supposed to be safe. Jeff recounts a heartbreaking incident during a Pride event where a transgender teammate was repeatedly misgendered and called “sir” by event staff, despite being in full glam and performance attire.
“Discrimination, syempre lack of support, especially nakakasakit ‘yan ‘pag nanggagaling pa sa mga relatives mo… nagagamit naman namin ‘yong platform namin para ipaalam sa lahat na hindi lang naman kami basta-basta, and tao din kami,” Jeff asserts.
To reach the unreachable star
Despite the staggering costs, the 5 AM call times, and the weight of societal judgment, Femme MNL continues to shatter the glass ceiling of the local dance industry. When they took the stage at the Hip Hop International Philippines qualifiers, they were a 40-member LGBTQ+ crew stepping into a space traditionally dominated by cisgender teams.
They didn’t tone themselves down. They didn’t compromise their authenticity to appease conservative judges. They played by the rules of the competition while remaining fiercely true to their feminine, powerful roots. And they won.
But for Femme MNL, the real victory happened before the judges even announced the scores.
“The moment na natapos kami sumayaw, nagkumpol kami sa backstage. Sabi ko, ‘Guys, did you feel that?'” Jeff shares, his voice carrying the weight of that memory. “As in okay lang kahit ‘di ako manalo… Kasi ‘yong feeling namin sa stage sobrang kumpleto na. Nabuhos ko na lahat doon eh.”
As they pack their bags for Phoenix, Femme MNL is carrying more than just the Philippine flag. They are carrying the hopes of every queer kid who was told they couldn’t take up space. They are proving that with enough hustle, sweat, and community, you can build your own stage—and then, you can conquer the world.
READ:
SB19 signs with UTA, cementing int’l expansion
Justin Aquino
June 23, 2026
P-pop rewritten: These 5 girl groups are defining the next big era in PH music
Denchelle Castro
June 19, 2026
Could 6ENSE be P-pop’s next big thing?
radar Entertainment
June 7, 2026
