‘A fabulous dance musicale’

It was an evening of enchanting surprises. The dance musicale presented by West Negros University’s Ka-anyag Pilipinas Dance Company recently, was a revelation to the appreciative audience, who thoroughly enjoyed the evening’s program.

 A sizeable culturati crowd had gathered at the WNU Gym by the time our group arrived. Suddenly, the house lights were dimmed and the sound of gongs filled the air as the program began. The show started with a stirring Overture by the Rondalla. The first part of the presentation opened with dances from the Mountain Province: Raragsakan – pretty Kalinga maidens in colorful costumes balanced huge Laba baskets on their heads, while dancing to the quaint music of their region.

The Ifugao Festival Dance was a lively number with intricate steps and acrobatic influences. The Spanish influence in our Filipino culture was very much evident in the Lanceros de Negros, Paseo de Iloilo and La Jota Moncadeña where the dancers were clad in elaborately-elegant costumes of the period. The Muslim Suite began with the mesmerizing sound of gongs and kulintangs as the dancers began their hypnotic movements in the breathtaking Singkil (my favorite of all). As the music crescendoed to the finale, we applauded with wild abandon at the artistry of the amazing young dancers.

 Part 2 was the Contemporary Portion. It was the story of a young man who had a dream. From his humble beginnings, the young man dreamt of being a success someday.

For us in the audience, it was like watching a local version of West Side Story as the performers gave their all in their interpretative movements. The soloist dancers were terrific, so graceful and visually appealing.

 The dance “What I did for Love” was so poignant and romantic. They went through a menagerie of twists, turns and caresses expressing the agony and the ecstasy of love in its purest form. The energy and vitality of the dancers were so apparent in their hip hop numbers until the final moment which had the audience burst in rapturous applause.

 Everyone raved over the production, the costumes, the artistry, the music and the choreography. Girlie Belzunce, the artistic director-choreographer of Kaanyag, was given a standing ovation. Dr. Oscar Suarez, WNU president, thanked everyone for their collaborative effort in making the evening a huge success. BRAVO!*