IT’S back to work for me with a nourished spirit and the energy to work better, then aim higher, in this mission of preserving and promoting our cultural heritage.
These past weeks have presented an exhilarating experience as I accepted an invitation to serve as juror during the Tinalak Festival street dance competition in South Cotabato and in the 19th Buyukcekmece International Arts and Culture Festival in Istanbul, Turkey.
Serving as a jury member in one of the biggest festivals in the world was an honor and a personal growth experience. Having to choose the best from among 27 countries was tough, and having to defend my choices during deliberations appeared to be even tougher; yet it proved one point, and that was: as jury members coming from the same industry, we still judge and see the performances through different lenses.
Ultimately as artists and as professionals, we abide by the decision of the majority, thereby coming out with a unified decision.
Declared as the biggest and most fabulous of its kind, the 19th Buyukcekmece Festival continues to repeat its mantra: “Love for each other; peace for all.” The competition brought together more than 800 dancers, a thousand photographers, as well as sculptors who left behind their treasured pieces as their legacies to the world, including those of puppeteers, weavers, jewelry designers and various artisans.
‘Inspired and impressed’
FOR more than two weeks Buyukcekmece showed to the world, as well as to the community of artists, the many faces of Turkey. Despite the horrors we heard and read about the country, we all graced the event inspired and impressed by the leadership of its mayor, Dr. Hasan Akgun and the president of the country’s Folklore Association, Gurhan Ozanoglu, with joyous expectations as we shared our own small contribution to world peace and culture.
From across the continents, the same theme is repeated again and again: “Peace and unity through dance.”
The festivals served their purpose of bringing together people from all over the world to shout out their longing for unity and peace by bringing the best stories of their cultural lives through dances, arts and music.
I enjoyed the two weeks-plus sojourn: from the land of durian and the dream weavers, to the country of beautiful palaces and the Bosphorus River. I relished the evening soirees as I sipped lentil soup instead of wine at Dalyan Café, and grappled as I chose between grilled sea bass or bursa kebabs.
However, fun and laughter would end our usual hectic schedule and despite the language barriers, we made friends from around the world through our common understanding and passion for dance.
Aspiring for peace
I LOOK forward with excitement to the forthcoming general congress of the federation of dance festivals in South Korea, where I serve as chairman for Asia, and again I am honored to serve as juror for the much-awaited grand world dance festival competition in its province of Cheonan, next month.
But first there is our season production at the Cultural Center of the Philippines scheduled on August 23, 24 and 25 entitled, Traditions Renewed, Filipino Quilted Dreams in Dance. A scrumptious serving of Bayanihan’s treasured masterpieces in quilts await every Filipino who takes pride in his own rich tradition and cultural heritage.
As one famous ballerina would say, “Dance is the hidden language of the soul.” And it is through this that we are united in our aspirations for peace, powerfully expressed all over the world in dance.