BINI’s Coachella debut last April 10 (with another show on the 19th) is one for the books. The girl group’s two performances at the Mojave stage were assembled from multiple elements coming together: shiny, glittering costumes, newly refined songs tailored for a global crowd, multitudes of Filipino references during their spiels, and, of course, the dancers who trudged, shuffled, and hip-tossed their way onto one of the world’s biggest stages over the past two weeks. BINI’s official backup dancers, called “Besties,” a group of seven dancers consisting of Kenshin Tabion, Jhorel Zapanta, JC Lumanog, Germond Eisma, Lance Delos Santos, Julian Garcia, and collaborative choreographer Matrix Katindig, have faced several challenges to help the girls make one hell of a Coachella debut.
All the dancers who auditioned to become part of the Besties. They came from different dance groups like And Friends, Team Package Makers, Bawz, The Crew, and Up Street. Katindig appeared in the video for Troye Sivan’s “Get Me Started” in 2023 and choreographed for other P-pop groups like FINA for their dance performance of “Paramdam” this year. He came from the dance troupe Femme MNL, whose members are included in the official backup dancers. Even as the attention centered on BINI, the queer dancer still couldn’t believe he was part of a milestone this massive.
But the lead up to and the performance itself were not without a few hiccups, such as microphone problems and in-ear monitors falling off the ear of their dancers in Week 1 and one of them having to run backstage to get Aiah a functional microphone on Week 2.
“Honestly, while I was still backstage, the only thing on my mind was, ‘Don’t mess this up,’” Katindig tells Rolling Stone Philippines. “The pressure was real since this was such a huge moment, not just for us, but for Filipino artists.”
BINI doesn’t usually bring backup dancers on tour, so Katindig never expected the assignment from ABS-CBN and Star Magic coaches. But Coachella was an exception, and, for Katindig, it was the call of a lifetime.
“One random day in December, I got a call from Coach Mickey [Perz] asking about my availability because they were planning to include dancers,” he says. “According to him, we were handpicked by the girls themselves, which added extra pressure because we really had to prove that we deserved that spot.”
Hunger for Recognition
The Besties saw firsthand what it took to work with BINI ever since their first solo concert at New Frontier Theater back in 2024. Fast forward two years later, for over a month leading up to Coachella, rehearsals ran through sleepless nights and nonstop adjustments to changes, blockings, and sequences, all to match the group’s vision.
“I can say they haven’t changed in how they treat people,” he says. “They’re still very loving, caring, and supportive to everyone they work with. But when it comes to their work ethic, they’ve grown even more driven and hungry to achieve their dreams, especially now that they’re gaining global recognition.”
In California, where some estimated hundreds of thousands of fans saw BINI over two weekends (not counting the millions who watched the livestream of the performances), the Besties were essential behind the scenes, according to Katindig. There were a couple of factors that had every dancer’s heart racing: the humidity, the pressure to be perfect and of performing at their best with millions watching. It was all eyes on the Philippines for a brief moment. The Besties kept their spirits up despite the demands and sudden atmospheric changes on stage.
“Ang hirap huminga [laughs]. We had to drink and inhale every time we exit sa backstage,” he says. “‘Yung saliva namin nagiging malapot at nakakanginig ng katawan.”
The Besties were also supposed to put on headwear but eventually ditched it due to issues with breathing, the lack of a peripheral view, and having troubles with blockings. Despite the challenges that encountered during the two different weeks, the Besties carried on, cheering themselves on during the moment.
“Ritual namin sa backstage ay we usually talk to each other, lift up one another, and acknowledge ourselves before we enter the stage, so lahat kami ay in-game talaga,” he says. “Zone in [dapat]. So if may clutch moments, hindi kami super na-ra-rattle since we know what to do and how to act accordingly.”
Katindig treated the performance as a way to keep improving, even if not every set was perfect. Those particular stumbles happen, but for him, what mattered was being present and having fun while the world stage was theirs, even for 45 straight minutes.
“This experience really amplified my drive to push my limits as a dancer,” he says. “Getting to watch some of my dance icons perform live inspired me even more to improve. Moving forward, I want to keep growing, keep creating, and continue representing Filipino talent internationally.”
