平和
和平
평화
ASEAN
22 March 2014
Bayanihan The National Folk Dance Company of the Philippines

It's more fun in the Philippines!

Bayanihan, the Philippine National Dance Company, wowed a captivated Toronto audience last night.

Bayanihan, the Philippine National Dance Company, wowed a captivated Toronto audience last night, reminding everyone that "it's more fun in the Philippines".

Founded in 1958, the multi-awarded Bayanihan, made its way up to Toronto, after sell-out performances in Washington and New York, where it brought Filipino joy to its audiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Bayanihan literally means patriotism or love of country, and last night's program was very much true to its roots. "People under the Sun", the first number, showcased the friendly, sunny nature of Philippine country people in sparkling dances of skill, frolic and delight.

Then followed a "Mindanao Mosaic", inspired by the Islamic culture from the vast island of Mindanao and the neighboring Sulu archipelago, with its Arabesque dance, and pulsating rhythmic music. The program then shifted to "Intramuros", the old city of Manila, with the pervasive echo of four centuries of Spanish influence.

"Traditions Renewed" brought the show back to to the highlands of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago. The next number was a tribute to Philippines' first national artist, Fernando Amorsolo, with a collection of folk dances that dominated most of the country scenes of Amorsolo's paintings.

The performance came to a climax with the "Fiesta Extravaganza" which projected the colors and rhythms of the Philippines. Emotionally intoxicating, this enthralling display of movements and forms served as a fitting finale, highlighting the Filipinos' love for traditions in thanksgiving, for blessings received for a good and bountiful harvest and also a simple rejoicing with family and friends.

If you missed last night's performance, I can only recommend that you visit the Philippines, and experience Bayanihan spirit in its homeland. Long regarded as the sick man of Asia, the Philippines is now changing very much for the better under the leadership of President Benigno S. Aquino III.

And the long trip across the Pacific Ocean will soon be made easier, thanks to direct flights from Toronto to Manila by Philippine Airlines, the most underrated airline in Asia.

Author

John West
Executive Director
Asian Century Institute
www.asiancenturyinstitute.com
Tags: asean, Philippines, Bayanihan, Toronto, Mindanao

Social share

{crossposting on} Twitted