Philippine dancers to perform next week

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)