When Kian Gilangos decided to join his local Filipino dance group, he was excited about the opportunity to be part of a family tradition that stretches back four decades.

Regina's Maharlika dance group has existed since the 1980s, which is when Gilangos' father first joined the group as a teenager.

"Maharlika was a really good opportunity to bring together other Filipinos that had immigrated or had been born here, and it was a really great way of sharing culture, and I decided I wanted to do that too," the 14-year-old said.

The Maharlika Dance Group was formed in the 1980s. Kian Gilangos' father, Bob, joined as a teenager in that same time period. Here, Bob Gilangos performs the tinikling dance, that involves dancers stepping over bamboo poles. (Submitted by Kian Gilangos)

The youth

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