‘Booked and blessed’: Baby Dolls turn dreams into reality at first-ever concert

MANILA — The Baby Dolls marked a major milestone in their careers as they staged their first-ever concert at the SkyDome on Sunday — an emotional moment for the group that had begun on “It’s Showtime.”

What once seemed like an impossible dream became a reality for the dance group, whose members turned emotional as they reflected on their journey from supporting other artists to performing their own songs before their fans.

For Baby Dolls member Johaira, the experience still felt surreal.

“Hindi po talaga namin in-expect na magkaka-concert kami. Parang panaginip lang sa amin ‘to. At ngayon parang feeling ko na nananaginip pa rin kami,” she shared.

“Yung panaginip na yun na parang naging pangarap tapos natupad. Kaya sobrang nakaka-overwhelm po. Feeling namin, sobrang blessed namin kasi binigyan kami ng pagkakataon na makapag-concert.”

Eriel, meanwhile, recalled how they were performing at the same venue just months earlier, but this time, the spotlight was entirely theirs.

“Parang mga last May lang po, nandito kami to perform for Carmelle. And now we are performing our own songs. Nag-perform na po kami para sa aming first-ever concert,” she said.

For Juby, the milestone was particularly meaningful considering their humble beginnings as backup dancers.

“Hindi po talaga sumagi sa amin na one day magkaka-concert kami. Though pinangarap po namin siya, pero parang suntok sa buwan siya na mangyayari,” she admitted.

“Kasi sino ba naman po kami, di ba? Bilang backup dancers po ng Showtime, nagba-backup ng ibang artist sa labas.”

She added that the group could hardly believe how far they had come.

“Dati sinasabi lang namin na, ‘Yay, we have a prod!’ Pero today nasasabi na namin na, ‘Yay, we have a concert!'” said Juby.

Despite the exhaustion brought by preparations and rehearsals, Arianne said seeing the smiles and hearing the applause of their supporters made every sacrifice worthwhile.

“To be honest, we’re very tired. Pero hindi namin naalintana yung pagod pag nagpo-perform. Kasi iba yung ngiti ng mga manonood kapag nakita mo na sila habang nagpe-perform ka,” she said.

“For me, sobrang sumasabog yung puso ko sa greatness ni Lord na ganito pala yung pakiramdam kapag nag-antay ka talaga kung ano yung para sa’yo.”

The group also shared that they received encouragement ahead of their milestone concert, including advice to enjoy every moment of the experience.

According to Eriel, they were reminded to appreciate not only the concert itself but also the entire journey that brought them to the stage.

“Lahat ng bagay, bawat proseso, lahat ng naging journey namin from even before, i-enjoy lang po talaga,” she said.

Beyond their first concert, the Baby Dolls are also celebrating another career milestone after securing a brand endorsement.

Ina admitted that landing an endorsement was something they had previously only dreamed about.

“Dati parang mina-manifest lang po namin talaga yun na, ‘Uy, sana may brand na kumuha sa atin, sana may magtiwala sa atin.’ And ngayon po, may nagtiwala na sa amin,” she said.

The group is also looking forward to more projects, performances, and opportunities to connect with their growing fan base.

Chloe teased that fans can expect new dance trends and performances currently being planned by the group.

“May dapat kayong abangan na mga bagong dance trend. Meron din kaming mga nilulutong performances,” she said.

She added that the Baby Dolls intend to continue traveling across the Philippines to perform at local festivals and celebrations.

“Hindi din matatapos yung paglilibot namin sa buong Pilipinas para maki-fiesta sa inyo. Kaya abangan n’yo kami. Kung nasaan kayo, pupunta kami diyan.”

Meanwhile, Jelai expressed gratitude for the group’s increasingly busy schedule, describing their opportunities as answered prayers.

“Sobrang busy namin. Booked and blessed. Thank you, Lord. Ito talaga yung pinangarap namin eh. Kaya pinagsusumikapan namin, pinaghihirapan namin lahat ng ginagawa namin,” she said.