By Leony R. Garcia
Folk dances reflect the traditional life of the people. All over the world, folk dances are showcased and used as a form of cultural exchange among nations.
Folk dancing is usually associated with social activities. That’s why no fiesta or festivity in the Philippines is complete without folk dancing.
Yearly, the Bayanihan Folk Arts Foundation hosts the Fiesta Folkloriada, an international festival of folk dance held in December at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
Under the auspices of Federation of International Dance Festivals, the Fiesta Folkloriada of the Philippines, a project of the Bayanihan Folk Arts Foundation in partnership with the Ambassador Alfonso T. Yuchengco Foundation, gathers a select group of five dance companies from the different parts of the globe to conduct cultural exchanges in various parts of the Philippines, teach and learn from each other and perform in a grand finale with the Bayanihan, the national folk dance company of the Philippines, at the CCP.
Now on its 10th year, the Fiesta is presented mainly in the city of Manila. It used to invite 10 top dance companies from around the world. But for better management and programming, the participants have been set at a maximum of five countries at 20 participants each. The Fiesta is held in December when participants can enjoy a festive atmosphere as this is the time when everyone prepares for Christmas, a very important religious celebration in the Philippines.
Project director of the Fiesta Folkloriada is Suzie Moya Benitez, the local chairman for Asia, Federation of International Dance Festivals. She is also the trustee and executive director of Bayanihan Folk Arts Foundation and serves as associate vice president, Campus Life, Philippine Women’s University and Director of the Center for Culture, Arts, Music and Sports.
Benitez welcomed the dance groups from South Korea, Italy, Poland, New Zealand and Russia to the Philippine Women’s University campus on Taft Avenue. The Fiesta opened to the sounds of PWU’s Gong Ensemble and a Water Ritual performed by the Bayanihan National Folk Dance Company of the Philippines and alumni of Bayanihan.
According to Benitez, opening ceremonies vary in setting, as it can be held in select destinations around the Philippines. Performances are also presented in select schools, universities, hotels, homes of important individuals in Philippine society and business communities, and in towns and cities near Metro Manila.
The members of Bayanihan serve as guides to the visiting dance companies to ensure that the guests get a taste of the richness of Philippine cultural heritage and an unforgettable six fun days of personal and professional enrichment and exposure. Part of the itinerary of the various dance groups is the exploration of Philippine islands and tourist destinations. Boracay and Palawan remain to be favorite spots among them, according to Benitez.
The Grand Finale of Fiesta Folkloriada was held at the CCP and featured the Bucheon Dance Group (South Korea), Abragas Folk Dance Group (Sicily, Italy), Mali Gorzswiacy Folk Dance Group (Poland), Tahupotiki Maori Club (New Zealand), Kun-Micheer Dance Ensemble (Russia) and the Bayanihan, the National Folk Dance Company of the Philippines.
Bayanihan: Working together for a common good
Bayanihan, the national dance company of the Philippines, takes its name from an ancient Filipino tradition called bayanihan, which means working together for a common good. In 1956 Dr. Helena Z. Benitez founded the Bayanihan Folk Dance Group of the PWU.
The following year, 1957, it was formally organized as the Bayanihan Folk Arts Center with the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company as its performing arm. Both the center and the dance company were tasked to research on and preserve indigenous Philippine art forms in music, dance, costumes and folklore; to restructure and enhance these research findings to evolve repertoires suited to the demands of contemporary theater; and to promote international goodwill through performances at home and abroad.
A multiawarded company both nationally and internationally, Bayanihan has awakened a new pride among Filipinos in their cultural heritage; added a new dimension to the country’s dance tradition; and has built a rich reserve of international goodwill. In appreciation and recognition of its pioneering efforts and international success, the people of the Philippines, through the 10th Congress, enacted Republic Act 8626 declaring Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company as the Philippine National Folk Dance Company. Since then Bayanihan has won six grand prizes in World Dance competitions.
Once a Bayanihan, always a Bayanihan
This has somewhat become the mantra of all those who were involved with the world-renowned Bayanihan Dance Group, which recently celebrated its golden anniversary. After all, Bayanihan has not only become a prestigious, if not enviable tag. It is, for its members, a discipline, an education and a lifetime experience.
Starting from a mere dance group entertaining tourists and guests at the PWU in 1957, Bayanihan has played an important role in Philippine history by taking our native dances and bringing them onto the world stage for all to see. The dancers have become the country’s best-known cultural ambassadors and its alumni, among our most distinguished citizens.
The group conquered sophisticated global audiences, as Bayanihan promoted the best of Philippine culture and traditions through music and dances. Earning critical acclaim and raves worldwide, it held the audience spellbound and enthralled the world with its talent and artistry. Among Bayanihan’s distinguished members are Lovely Tecson-Romulo, Rep. Lito Atienza, concert producer Francis Lumen, dance luminaries Eddie Elejar and Tony Fabella, beauty queen Peachy Veneracion, interior designer Edith Oliveros and the late choreographer Lito Calzado.
Current Bayanihan trustee and executive director Suzie Moya Benitez herself was a Bayanihan dancer. Under her care, Bayahihan staged its 60th anniversary with the production of “@60: Bayanihan’s Diamond Dance-O-Rama.”
The production dramatized Bayanihan’s growth and surveyed its folk-dance innovations at the CCP from August 25 to 27, 2016. Also launched during the milestone occasion was the book 60 years, Fulfilling the Filipino Dream, Touching Lives, Sharing Culture: The Art of Bayanihan, written by the late Sen. Helena Z. Benitez with Benitez herself, and edited by Jose Cabazor.