Today was actually a tiring day. From 9am until 5pm, I took some folk lessons under Ramon Obusan’s Folkloric Group. A lot of people don’t actually like the idea of “folk” because they say it’s boring and not entertaining compared to street and contemporary. Honestly. I had that kind of mindset before. But because of training in a folk class for a long time, ever since my high school years, I learned to appreciate folk dancing. Let me educate you who Ramon Obusan is.
“Ramon Obusan was a *dancer, choreographer, stage designer and artistic director. He achieved phenomenal success in Philippine dance and cultural work. He was also acknowledged as a researcher, archivist and documentary filmmaker who broadened and deepened the Filipino understanding of his own cultural life and expressions. Through the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Grop (ROFG), he had effected cultural and diplomatic exchanges using the multifarious aspects and dimensions of the art of dance.”
Source : http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca/org-awards/dance/ramon_obusan.php
“The Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group (ROFG) celebrates 32 years of preservation and perpetuation of Philippine traditions with special emphasis on music and dance.
Founded in 1972, the ROFG started as a fledging folk dance company, composed of some thirty performers. Leaning on the vast amount of data and artifacts that he has accumulated while he was doing researches, Ramon A. Obusan thought of starting a dance company that will mirror the traditional culture of the Filipinos through dance and music.
For thirty-two years, the ROFG has created a niche in the world of dance as forerunner of Philippine folk dance performed closest to the original. Boasting of over a thousand performances in the Philippines and abroad, the ROFG is one of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ leading resident companies since 1986.
Though steep with international recognition, the ROFG has never forgotten the people who are the very source of its pride. For the past two decades it has documented and performed the rituals of more than 50 ethno-linguistic groups in the country. With more than twenty outstanding full-length Filipino dance works, among which are the memorable suites from the Cordillera, Bagobo, T’boli, Tausug, Maranao, the Aetas and the Talaandig among others – the ROFG has served to highlight the authenticity of the movements and costumes of these people.”
Source : http://culturalcenter.gov.ph/ramon-obusan-folkloric-group/
Because I was able to attend today’s training, I learned different types of filipino dances. We learned different types of love needed for our concert, SImbuyo, a tie up with LSDC-Contemporary. What was taught to us were the basics. What I can say the hardest dances that we’ll be facing are Pangalay (a Muslim dance ; girls wear long nails, minimum movement by the feet area but major movement by the upper body) and Binasuan (three glasses – two on your hands and one on your head and there’s wine placed in it). In Pangalay, you have to make sure that your fingers are flexed enough to look good during the practices and practicing this kind of dance does not take us one day. With Binasuan, you need to make sure that the glass is balanced on your head because you dont want anything to spill while facing an audience.
I soon realized that I am thankful that I got the opportunity to learn Filipino dances because I am a filipino and I appreciate. Without folk dances, there wouldn’t be contemporary and street dances. That is why, learn to love your culture. 😉
Comments