Dynamic Duo
TV show hosts Dan Miranda and Marie Dinolan liven up the scene with their vibrant brand of hosting
By Fiona Patricia S. Escandor
FIVE minutes into a meet with television show hosts Dan Miranda and Marie Dinolan and you would consider pouring yourself five cups of coffee just to keep up with their energy. That’s how much enthusiasm Dan and Marie carry with them whether they’re on cam or not.
Starting this November, Dan and Marie once again team up as they launched their latest project, “Life at the Park,” a lifestyle show that zooms in on two communities in the city: the Cebu Business Park and Cebu IT Park.
“In a nutshell, it showcases food, fashion, music, events, personalities—you name it,” Marie said.
Add in the vivacious, chatty personas of the two, and you get one of the most energy-filled shows to grace your television screen. Directed by Nath Ybañez, Life at the Park’s pilot episode aired Nov. 19 on MyTV.
Crowd ready
Dan and Marie call each other “bro” and admit they occasionally text each other in upper case just to inject a sense of loudness in their otherwise mute messages. A friendship founded in the limelight, it has transcended off-air, resulting in genuine camaraderie.
Growing up, the two ladies were no strangers to being on stage and speaking in front of a crowd. Dan used to dabble in theater, and at some point was a nationwide finalist in a PLDT-sponsored personality search, while Marie used to actively participate in debates, orations and declamation contests in school.
Ultimately their paths crossed, their hosting careers jumpstarted when they joined Real Cebu Television (RCTV, where Dan was its first VJ intern and Marie won in the channel’s VJ search. Soon they became VJs in Alexis Yap’s “Around Town,” and they also anchored their own show “Scene Around Town.”
“In my first hosting stint, I had to interview all sorts of people for a concert in the Terraces,” Marie said. “It was my first time to be in front of the camera and boy, was it swell! It was an adrenaline rush like no other.”
One gig leads to another
The experience led Marie and Dan to hosting gigs elsewhere—school events, private functions and parties. Still students at that time, it became the norm for them to rush from class to gigs and back, while prepping to be camera-ready in the car on the way.
“But amusingly enough, I enjoyed the stress,” Marie noted. “I liked the idea of keeping myself busy, meeting new people, and experiencing different hosting environments.”
Contrary to popular belief, hosting is not all about the the glamour. Beyond the spotlight, designer clothes and applause, Marie said, “Even for someone spontaneous like me, it’s still a grueling job.”
Not everyone has the guts go in front of a crowd, even more so the ability to connect with them. Although one might say this is already innate in Dan and Marie, they have also had their fair share of mistakes, from which, they said, they’ve learned from.
“I do occasionally get the jitters but just in small doses,” Marie said. “When I do, it’s usually just for the first few minutes. After that, the stage feels like home.”
Doing the good work
Dan is currently helping out with her dad’s resort in Toledo, The Ranch, and she is an active volunteer in Citichurch, where she is stage manager and serves in its youth ministry, Elevate. Just as fervently, she said, “There is no greater joy than when you give yourself wholeheartedly to a cause. In my case, it is for God, country and people.”
As for Marie, who recently finished her university studies, she is filling her time with family travels and advanced piano lessons as she prepares for her plans of joining an acting conservatory and studying filmmaking abroad. A talented pianist as well, Marie has been playing the instrument since she was eight, stopped when she was 15, and it was only recently when she got back to pursuing it.
Last Nov. 20, the two hosts took time off from their busy schedules to lend a hand in relief operations in northern Cebu that was organized by Dan’s aunt, Joey Arevallo. They brought boxes of bottled water and other goods, which according to Dan, were all “unexpected goods.”
“It was amazing,” Dan said. “My aunt asked for donations online without expecting that much people to respond. Fortunately, so many friends from all over the world responded to her call, and so she contacted friends and family to help out.”
On screen, the two ladies, fabulous as they are, may seem too far off to reach. But as what Marie said, “I can be prim and proper on stage but I can also be your next-door chick that shares the same interests or hobbies as anyone else.”
Driven and passionate at what they do, and at the same time, know how to have fun — there are no better role models for the community and the kind of life that they will be talking about in their show.
Quick facts about Dan and Marie
Dan
Age: 23
High school: Miriam College-Manila
College: University of the Philippines-Cebu (Mass Communication)
Hobbies: “I recently started blogging as my simple way of reaching my community through good vibrations and a large dose of sunshine. You can follow me at (mirandadan.tumblr.com).”
Dealing with stage fright: “I learned in my theater career that when I get nervous, I should push a wall or scream at the top of my lungs. But as I got older, the effects wore off. This might sound cliché but now I pray. It really works.”
Marie
Age: 21
High school: Sacred Heart School-Hijas de Jesus
College: University of San Carlos (Linguistics and Literature)
Hobbies: “I enjoy traveling, going to the beach and snorkeling. I’m more of an outdoor person but I also enjoy the occasional ‘lazy movie marathon’ sort of day spent at home. I’m also a foodie. Leave me in a kitchen and I’ll end up whipping up pasta and crepes for you.”
Dealing with stage fright: “I find that the simplest and most effective way to calm my nerves down is to just take a huge breath, pause and collect my ideas—then I’m off to a good show!”
Photography: Alfred Gregory E. Bartolome
Make-up: Noe Villagonzalo
Hair: Rainjay Sala
Clothing: Barbie Alvez (COVER)
XOFS by Christy Gothong (INSIDE)
Venue: Ayala Terraces, Cebu City Marriott Hotel & Cebu Business Park
