The Festival of Dancing the body electric...

The Festival of Dancing the body electric, One Step forward to thousand opportunities

by Raquel Ceballos

Filipinos nurture within them the undying passion for dance. It has become an intangible component of lifestyle, which encompasses people from all walks of life. Looking back to the historical times of the primitive, our dear ancestors had apparently passed on the power of rhythm and movements, which sent an electrifying impact to the soul and actually made a person communicate and express him self through distinguishable arts and movements of body. Filipino culture has instituted its own ancestral ethnic dances that started the Filipino’s career as remarkable dancers. Filipino’s great love for cultural performances had enriched our collection of Philippine Folk Dances and tribal dances from uppermost part of Cordillera to extreme edge of Mindanao Region. Moreover, Filipino’s passion for dance had become an obsession when other forms of dances arrived in the country and invaded our existing culture. Spanish Colonizers for instance, brought with them their own Hispanic dances and greatly influenced our own Philippine Dances. In able to save the precious treasure of our culture, Filipino dances were revived, interpreted, and preserved up to the present time by Ramon Obusan Folkoric Group, which has been the depository of almost all Filipino dances, dress and songs. Over the years dance in the country had taken another steps forward to the next level of popularity when Ballroom, Ballet and Modern dances take a place in the enlarging picture frame. There came a boom in dancing and one that became especially popular is the ballroom dance which is practiced in the grand ballrooms of prestigious hotel, universities, restaurants and studios. Many dancers were inspired and great numbers of dance companies were established to cater dance classes to talented aspirants. Not only ballroom dancing had enjoyed the limelight of fame but also Ballet had gained its own invincible recognition as enormous ballet companies like Ballet Manila became a source of national pride in ballet dance performances. Next in line of renowned mania is the emergence of modern dances that were further explored by Philippine Allstars & Team Vibe Philippines who recently won international hip-hop competitions, Powerdance Company through its employment of show dances and power jazz plus other companies which is oriented to different genres of dances.

Filipino’s obsession with dance is reflected to various dance festivals being hosted and to the numerous successful Filipino dancers and troops who had gained fame and name in the field of international dancing. Thus, Filipinos have been successful in promoting to other countries that dance, culture and arts in broad sense are flourishing in this part of the globe. Dance education in the country is well facilitated by different dance companies and schools aiming to provide a high quality of education in dancing, therefore producing well trained group of young individuals. But despite the sincerest efforts, still there are many promising individuals from each corner of the country who lack the opportunity to be trained and be molded into becoming a real professional due to many reasons. One of these is their inaccessibility to professional training that required fee of which their status can’t afford and their lack of awareness of various means and programs of which they can engage themselves to be able to reach the road toward their dreams.

And so, in seeing the art of dance as effective tool for keeping the promising youth and empowering them to be a functional force towards the development of an active society, the Organisasyon ng Batikan at Respetadong Artista ng Bayan, Incorporated (OBRA Incorporated) launched the grooviest and most anticipated clash of the best dance groups on the metro, the Buhawian-The Metro Manila Dance Idols. This is an expanded dance competition of the 17 cities/municipalities of Metro Manila, Philippines that will facilitate amateur dancers and performers to showcase their skills to the industry’s most influential people. The festival of dance that will be held on Cultural Center of the Philippines – Liwasang Ulialing on the month of Philippine Fiestas, May 31, 2008 bearing the 2008 theme: "Malikhaing Galaw sa Makulay na Tag-araw" is looking forward to provide the participating dancers the equal opportunity to take their talent to the next level of improvement and success. Many of our hopeful community members conceal talents that could have been better if maybe discovered and trained properly. And so, OBRA Incorporated provides a "door" for these participating groups to take them one step further in developing their career to the next height.

The thrilling event was organized by OBRA Incorporated in cooperation with Tanghalang Hulyo Beinte Tres Ink., and it will be co-presented by 91.5 Energy FM (Official FM Radio Partner) & UniversityTV (Official TV partner) together also with partnership of iFM 93.9 & Philippine Daily Tribune with the support of Nestle Ice Cream, GSM Blue with Infinit, Zagu Pearl Shakes and ACLC Pasay Taft. The Metro Manila Dance Idols will be engaging dance icons and professionals Akin to Jay Masta of Battle Crew (Break Dance), Lema Diaz of Philippine Allstars (Hip Hop), Melvin Ang of Team Vibe Philippines (Novelty), Douglas Nierras of Powerdance (Jazz & Showdance), Liza Macuja of Ballet Manila (Ballet) & Josefina Gillien of Philippine Folk Dance Society (Folk).

OBRA Incorporated prime goal is to cultivate the skills and talents of Filipinos who were not given the deserved opportunity but possess abundant wealth of potentials and passion for the arts. Thus, in gratifying the aspirations of many promising Filipino dancers, Buhawian: The Metro Manila Dance Idols in collaboration with dance icons and professionals hope to convey brilliant impact to the performing community that a "door" invites them to take their passion as closer to the professional level. Moreover, the event is focused to expose the art of dance in different disciplines, intending to mix all genres of dances: Hip-hop, ballet, jazz, folk and creative dances and the likes, packaging these into a festival of exceptional performances. Indeed, a worthwhile earth-shaking experience of creative movements in a one-night celebration of dance!