Filipino choreographers explain the messages of their dances
Choreographers of the Filipino Club talked about the themes of their Culture Night performances, and how a combination of motion and emotion led to their dances having personal meaning.
Jennly Vidal, a freshman from Davao City, Philippines, majoring in political science, stated “the theme of their piece that was performed at Culture Night is called Kadayawan.
“Kadayawan is about celebrating life and giving appreciation and thanksgiving for nature, which also means they get to celebrate their bounteous harvests.”
According to Vidal, Kadayawan in Filipino culture is a weeklong celebration held every third week of August and is defined as one of the holidays in Davao City. “This specific dance is always performed on this special holiday,” said Vidal, “to highlight the indigenous and Muslim tribes of Davao city, including the city’s dances and competitions representing their nations, extravagant parades, fruit contests and other
delicacies.”
Pia Sandra Querido, a sophomore from Pampanga, Philippines, majoring in biology, said, “The introduction song that we used to dance for is called ‘Nais Ko,’ meaning ‘I want to.’
“This symbolizes the dream every Filipino has, to willingly engage to show gratitude and love towards the beauty of the world and all the creations that they are blessed with.”
Nance Regold Micabani, a freshman from Davao, Philippines, majoring in hospitality and tourism management, said, “In the beginning of the Filipino cultural performance, there was a scene that showed a plot that represented the beauty of life with a couple who are expecting their first born - just like every propitious family with a newborn baby,” Micabani said “their child symbolizes a beginning of blessings.”
He added, “In our cultural performances, there are times where we rotate and revolve around each other. This symbolizes the way they continually expressed their gratitude for the abundance of things around them in this world.”
Vidal added, “My favorite motion was the move created by our main choreographer Nance Micabani, which was the Pagapir dance, where the ladies dance with their fans waving in their hands, as they take small steps forward, side and backwards.
“This movement represents good upbringing. It is usually performed by ladies in the royal court from one of the tribes called the Maranao.”
Micabani concluded, “There is also another motion where the males were merging in the middle with a pile of leaves, which also symbolizes how they gather together the blessings they are blessed with every day.”
Querido expressed the challenges they have faced while preparing for this special event. “When preparing for Culture Night, which is one of the biggest events here in Brigham Young University–Hawaii, there were times where we had hard time trying to gather most of the students who signed up and agreed to participate, for they were busy with school and work activities at the same time,” said Querido.
However, as choreographers, that challenge did not stop them from having fun, learning together and celebrating their culture, said Querido. She explained the choreographers shared their positive experiences while students from different countries made time to participate in practices and represented the Filipino culture proudly.
“The most amazing experience of being one of the choreographers was witnessing everyone who participated come together and enjoyed one another’s company.
“It was a blessing to see their motivation and willingness to learn movements properly, knowing how to immediately transform into formations faster than they’ve expected, and feeling the love for one another as one ohana,” Querido concluded.