Philippine dancers to perform next week

JAKARTA (JP): A famous Philippine dance troupe, Bayanihan, is to perform here on Aug. 29 and Aug. 30 in commemoration with their country's independence centennial.

Embassy cultural officer Gloria L. Tablico said yesterday that the 40-year-old dance company, dubbed a national treasure, would perform on their first day here before Women's International Club members in the morning and conference delegates in the evening.

On the second day, the troupe will perform in the evening at the Kirana Ballroom of Kartika Chandra hotel on Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta, Tablico said, without mentioning whether it was open to the public.

According to Tablico, Bayanihan's repertoire focuses on a tableaux of the 1896 Philippine revolution.

"This is a unique approach to present in dance the highlights of the Filipino's struggle for independence, accompanied by songs and chants based on original text by participants in the revolution," she said.

The repertoire will include Klasika, classic folk dances that have become synonymous with the group.

Among the popular numbers in Klasika are the Islamic Paunjalay and Singkil; the Spanish Habanera Botolena and Polkabal; rural Itik-Itik and Tinikling, and regional Uyaoy and Makatod.

Tablico said the dance group, which had staged 11 major world tours and 80 short tours, was the first Filipino group to perform on Broadway and the first non-American dance company to play at the New York State Theater of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. (bsr)