Features Arts & Culture South Cotabato holds 6th Mindanao modern dance national competition | South Cotabato holds 6th Mindanao modern dance national competition |
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| Written by Marrio R. R. Mapanao | |
| Saturday, 11 August 2007 | |
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South Cotabato holds 6th Mindanao modern dance national competition Starstruck ultimate survivor Mark Herras survives hosting chore Koronadal City, South Cotabato - While there are different sections to a broadsheet's entertainment, culture, and lifestyle pages; in the province of South Cotabato the peoples' live and breathe a lifestyle that is not only culturally uplifting but entertaining at the same time. A case in point is the Mindanao modern dance national competition which the province has ably hosted for the past six years. With working chair provincial accountant Cynthia Barrientos, the office of Cong. Arthur "Dodo" Pingoy, Jr. of the congressional second district, the provincial government headed by Governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes and stalwarts from the turning 15-years old home grown Kahayag Community Dance and Theatre Company; they banded and blended together to stage a world class production in this seemingly far flung corner of the archipelago. This took place on July 17 at the 5,000 capacity South Cotabato Gymnasium and Cultural Center on Alunan Avenue. The presentation opened with a cleansing ritual performed by Marlon Rebollos of Kahayag together with the community based Helubong performing arts group of T'boli municipality. Then Rebollos to the spoken narrative of Grace Nono from Lines to My Love poetry of Trinidad Tarosa Subido, moved around the stage with the 10 participating dance groups who had joined him, coming from the main and side entrances. Likely recognizing the value of this engagement, entertainment celebrities like the "bad boy of the dance floor" Mark Herras not only survived hosting, but performed in an intermission number at the competition itself with his more expressive mentor Miguel Tanchangco who served as a judge also. Every year for the past six years has seen 10 young contemporary dance groups from islands Philippines. From Luzon this time came the Neo-Nescas Dance Company from Malate, Manila and Danz Zone of Batangas, Lipa City. Visayas was represented by the Irong-Irong Dance Company of West Visayas University, Iloilo City; Poseidon Dance Theatre of VMA Global College in Sum-ag, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental and Passi City Performing Arts, also from Iloilo City. Mindanao had five participating dance theater groups: Me'dal Kolon Datal Dance Theater Ensemble of Koronadal City; Capitol University Dance Troupe from Cagayan de Oro City; Folkloric Dance Troupe of Liceo de Cagayan University, also in Cagayan de Oro; Kathara Dance Ensemble from Davao City and Teatro Ambahanon of the Ramon Magsaysay College in General Santos City, South Cotabato. With 8-10 participating dancers, they were set to perform for 8-10 minutes. Mark's opening spiel recognized the mark South Cotabato has created in the Mindanao and Philippine contemporary dance scene, by giving due credit to Noel Garrovillo who founded the competition. He had served for the longest time as artistic director of Kahayag and is an NCCA-Dance committee member, now charting new territory into digital filmmaking. History Starting out as the Mindanao Modern Dance Competition in 2002, it became national in scope in 2004. Aside from the places mentioned, participating young contemporary dance groups have come from Bohol, Pagadian City, Sarangani province and Digos City in Davao del Sur. The average age of participating dance companies is said to be four years . At the recent years' national dance competitions in Koronadal, Bag-ong Surigao from Surigao City with artistic director Randel Ruaya won over the Chamelion Dance Company of Quezon City in 2005 and Paul Morales' Air Dance in 2006. A who's who of renowned dance choreographers who have served as judges at one time or another are name droppables the likes of: Douglas Nierras, Denisa Reyes, Myra Beltran, Steve Villaruz, Gener Caringal, Gelene Eugenio and Alleluia Panes from Los Angeles, USA. Chairing this year's competition is Nes Jardin, President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), who came to see for himself what is it that is putting Koronadal City on the destination not only of Mindanao and the country's culturatti and tourists, but that of the world. Other members of this year's distinguished panel of judges were: Agnes Locsin, Shirley Halili Cruz, Nonoy Froilan and Edgar Bautista of GMA7 as with Tanchangco. 8th T'nalak Festival The 6th Mindanao modern dance national competition was but one of the many components of the 8th T'nalak Festival in celebration of the province's 41st foundation anniversary with the theme: "Expanding Horizons Towards Global Excellence". The annual Festival has at the helm the Arts, Culture, Tourism and Sports Council (ACTS) with Senior Tourism Operations Officer Cesar Sulit. Other activities involved street dancing competitions on July 18 with three separate categories this time instead of competing against each other: Madel Be'Lan for T'boli and B'laan indigenous communities, Kadsagayan A Lalan for Maguindanaon Muslim and Kasadyahan sa Kapatagan for lowland migrant settler communities. The regional agri-industrial, technology and trade expo at the ProTech Center also ended July 18. For the years since the dance competition started, the trophies for the top three performing groups were contributed by sculptor Bing Cariño from General Santos City, a former NCCA-Visual arts committee member. Winners all The 7 groups who did not place in the top three received consolation prizes of P20,000. each for their effort. Declared the 2007 Most Oustanding Young Contemporary Dance Group of the Philippines and receiving a cheque of P100,000. was Poseidon Dance Theatre of VMA Global College, Bacolod City. Their winning piece entitled In the Navel of the Sea has for artistic director and choreographer Danny Vale. The synopsis goes: Living in the margins … dependent on the bounties of the sea … exposed to the harsh elements of nature … This is our story.Costumed only in shorts/swim trunks and goggles by their forehead, this is a highly recommended production number that Ben Chan of Bench should consider to open his annual parade line of underwear, with memories of the movie Muro Ami, only this time performed not by children but of youth age. Second place with P75,000. went to the Passi City Performing Arts of Iloilo City and their piece Siki, meaning "crutch". Dancing to and with it, what if a dancer would lose it? Both first and second placers were a fine mass of ensemble dancing reflecting the whole discipline that goes into their love for the craft. Third placer Neo-Nescas from Manila in Asylum, while having the requisite dancing in unison, had individual roles such as kid, partner, dancer projecting their "happiness in solitude, sadness on failures and confusion as to identity" to some haunting Japanese meditative melody and Freddie Aguilar's Anak. Judging from the presentations, the successor generation of choreographers, artistic directors, lighting designers and contemporary dance performers is in place. Aside from celebrity host Mark Herras, this year's competition concept and direction was by Noel Garrovillo, script by Dwight de Leon and lights design by Ronald Suelo. Peoples' Culture Based Tourism As the maverick John Silva critically views the tourism promotion line of beaches, beauties and malls; cultivating and developing a peoples' culture based and environmentally conscious tourism is the way to go. And South Cotabato is a living example of living and breathing festivals: from commemoration days that have to do with planting and harvest rituals, anniversary foundations, religious as in patronal and inter-religious and even beauty contests. As a visiting Dutchman married to a local lass goes, he has been visiting every July for the past two years to witness the festival. He said of the street dancing competitions July 18 morning: beautiful, (it's) one of a kind. With Tourism Secretary Ace Durano speaking at the province's anniversary celebration at the street dancing competitions showdown, hopefully he would have similarly embibed the spirit and learned from the community-based experiences of the peoples' of South Cotabato. |
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