I was appalled by the documents e-mailed to me by the Pesta Igal Secretariat regarding the performances set on 14-15 July 2010 at the UP Asian Center.  The feeling came from the gut when I read the text from the organizers’ program, written by Dr. Matthew Santamaria:  “Igal is dance to Sama or Sinama-speaking peoples…In the Philippines, it is considered a tradition all its own that has related variants such as the pangalay of the Tausug…”

Immediately, a Zen dictum on kindness crossed my mind:  “Those who know kindness are few, those who abuse kindness are many.”  In the field of intellectual property and creation, kindness can really be a rarity, especially when the little kindness one possesses is overpowered by other self-serving desires. I am referring to the attempt of Pesta Igal’s main organizers, headed by Dr. Matthew Santamaria, to copy the theories, concepts, and studies of Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa on the pangalay through an old advertising trick—re-branding.

I expected kindness and respect from Dr. Santamaria, the moving force behind the launching of Igal as dance tradition apart from Pangalay; after all, when Dr. Santamaria came to the parlor of  pangalay researcher and conservationist, Ms. Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa, he knew nothing about the dances of the Sulu Archipelago. That was in 1999, when, through my prodding, Ms. Amilbangsa began teaching again after a period of semi-retirement.  I was among the first batch of the 1999 class, and became a witness to the entry of Matthew Santamaria as a pangalay student, fresh from his stay in Japan. I saw how Ms. Ligaya Amilbangsa took him in, taught him everything she knew, shared with him all her documents and papers, treated him as a colleague, a son, and a beloved student.  In fact, Dr. Santamaria was one of the founding members of the AlunAlun Dance Circle in 1999, inspired by the gentle waves (alunalun) that is so like the pangalay dance style that the group vows to preserve.

The easy accessibility of students to their teacher’s artistic and scholastic works creates a problem when former students use these without proper citation. While Philippine law safeguards intellectual property starting at the moment of creation, the protection of creators generally depends on the publication of their works. Much of Ms. Amilbangsa’s precious insights are still unpublished, but are open to us–her students, during our dance classes and discussions.

Ms. Amilbangsa taught us for free, which was a lot of kindness from a great teacher like her.  In the unwritten ethics of social exchange, there must be some form of payment that students give to their teacher–in the form of recognition and respect. That we should treat her with respect, even reverence, by acknowledging and complementing her great contribution in preserving pangalay is an unspoken code of conduct.

The ambiguous “it”

What irks me is how Dr. Santamaria shrewdly used the pioneering formulations of Ms. Amilbangsa, found in her numerous monographs and unprecedented book,  Pangalay: Traditional Dances and Related Folk Artistic Expressions (1983).

Dr. Santamaria in the paper entitled “Igal: Dance of Southern Seas” stated:  “…First, dance scholars, notably Amilbangsa (1983), consider it to have the richest movement vocabulary among the dance traditions in the Philippines.”

Through the  use of the pronoun “it,”  Dr. Santamaria misrepresents Ms. Amilbangsa by making  it appear that she spoke of igal as that which has “the richest movement vocabulary among the dance traditions in the Philippines;” when in fact, Ms. Amilbangsa used the description for pangalay.  Ms. Amilbangsa has repeatedly written about the richness of pangalay, notably  in “The Pangalay Dance Style of the Philippines: An Intangible Cultural Heritage,” a paper presented to the ONCC-UNESCO Experts Meeting on Intangible Cultural  Heritage in Bangkok in 2005, where she wrote:  “Among Philippine indigenous dances, the pangalay dance style has the richest movement vocabulary.”

Dr. Santamaria proceeds to describe igal: “This vocabulary is characterized by postures (set poses) and gestures (transitional movements from one pose to another) that give emphasis on flexion of the fingers, wrists and arms.

These ideas, stolen from Ms. Amilbangsa, were what drove me to unmask the work of Dr. Santamaria. The “vocabulary” that Dr. Santamaria describes  as  “igal” is actually the lifework of Ms. Amilbangsa, which, Dr. Santamaria now conveniently copies, uses, and paraphrases for his own ends.

Unmasking a copycat

Upon examination of the text, there are some evidences to prove my case. For starters, if we juxtapose the basic ideas of Dr. Santamaria’s description of igal  with the formulations of Ms Amilbangsa, we will see the similarity in concepts and the derivation of ideas based on Ms. Amilbangsa’s.  Much of Dr. Santamaria’s ‘igal’ is derived from the Pangalay (1983), and in the monographs of Ms. Ligaya Amilbangsa, which Dr. Santamaria have copies of.

At this point, let me stress that Ligaya Amilbangsa created her trailblazing works on the pangalay and on the other dance styles of the Sulu Archipelago without the support of government or any funding institution. She immersed herself in the Sulu Archipelago, where she lived for over two decades starting in 1969.  Her writings and choreography were borne out of decades of research, participant observation, immersion, intuitive insight, and theorizing. Thanks to her painstaking deconstruction of the dances, she was able to define the art of the pangalay dance style (along with langka martial art traditions and lunsay), to give us what is now called the dance vocabulary of the pangalay composed of postures and gestures. She alone invented this method through careful analysis of the dance and through intuition. For example, the idea of “transitional movements from one pose to another” is Ms. Amilbangsa’s concept based on her own deconstruction of the dance.  Even the way knees are bent or flexed, the outward-inward or inward-inward movements of the hands, the figure 8 movement that is likened to the gentle waves of the sea, the breathing that goes with the  rhythm of the body movement—were intuited by her based on meticulous observation and research for over two decades.

However, the pangalay movement vocabulary as defined by Ligaya Amilbangsa is not rigid, as she is aware of the dynamic interplay of many factors with tradition: “Owing to the limitless possibilities of dance improvisation, depending upon the performer’s skill, it would be a mistake to regard a single version of the pangalay as the correct form or style.”  (Amilbangsa, 1983, p 14)

Perhaps it is this absence of rigidity in pangalay dance style that led Dr. Santamaria to use and circumvent the basic ideas of Ligaya Amilbangsa to create his description of igal.

For example, Dr. Santamaria wrote in 2010: “ … the dance tradition is considered to constitute the Philippines’ living link to other major performance traditions in Southeast Asia. This is most evident in the uncanny similarity of igal dance postures to that of Classical Cambodian, Thai and Balinese postures.”

These ideas obviously come from Ms. Amilbangsa, who wrote:

“Pangalay is a living link to the traditional dance cultures of Asia with closest affinity to the Indian, Javanese, Thai, Burmese and   Cambodian styles of classical dancing .”(Amilbangsa, 2005)

“Pangalay literally is a gift or offering. Generally it connotes dance which is synonymous to ‘igal’. ..It bears closest affinity to the classical dance traditions in the Asian region: the Pakarena (Sulawesi), Legong and Bedoyo (court dance) of Indonesia, the Khmer Court Dance of Cambodia, the Ramwong and Lakhon (dance drama) of Thailand, the Bharata Natyam and Manipuri of India, the Buyo and Noh of Japan, the Geong Jae and Salpuri of Korea.” (Amilbangsa, 2001)

As early as 1983, Ligaya Amilbangsa has defined pangalay in its many layers of meaning, and has clearly pointed out the relation of the pangalay style with the term ‘igal’:

“Mangalay or mag-igal means to dance (v.) or to move in rhythmic steps and glides and with rhythmic gestures.

Pangalay or igal generally connotes dance (n.) or a piece of dancing regardless of the function or the form.

Pangalay, in a restricted sense, connotes a traditional dance form or style which, altogether with the langka or martial dance style, bears closest affinity to the Thai (Siamese) and Balinese modes of dancing.” (Amilbangsa 1983, p.13 )

Ligaya Amilbangsa recorded the variances of pangalay during her time, and the names of some dances naturally had the term ‘igal’ (dance) in them, for example: courtship dance like Igal Ha Agung, game-song dance like Igal Ha Panyu, mimetic  dance like Igal-Kussah, occupational dance like Igal Buwani, and so on.  (Amilbangsa 1983, p. 17)

I don’t know why Dr. Santamaria has appropriated the generic term ‘igal’ to make a niche for himself. His reasons are not the subject of this paper. My concern is about the process and the product of his work: he did not labor as Ligaya Amilbangsa did, nor did he stumble into anything original and different from what Ligaya Amilbangsa has observed, researched, and formulated.  To rationalize his use of the term ‘ igal,’ he conveniently assigned pangalay as a Tausug tradition, and igal as a Sama Dilaut tradition, which subverts the integrity of Ligaya Amilbangsa’s thesis, that pangalay is a dance tradition of the “Tausug, Samal, Badjao and Jama Mapun”—the peoples of the Sulu Archipelago.   In her various lectures, Ms. Amilbangsa also noted that pangalay is related to the paunjalay/ pangunjalay of the Yakan in Basilan, which is also part of the Sulu Archipelago.

The ‘suchness’ of igal and pangalay

The  ‘igal’ that Dr. Santamaria is talking about is none other than the pangalay style systematized by Ligaya Amilbangsa. Dr. Santamaria tries to make a different thing out of igal by saying that this is the dance of the Sama Dilaut in Sitangkai, Tawitawi province and in Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia. But if we pursue Ligaya Amilbangsa’s socio-historical contextualization, it follows that since  pangalay is also the dance style of the Bajau or the Sama Dilaut—known to be the most widely dispersed maritime people of the Sulu-Sulawesi territory, it is a natural course of time and process that pangalay (also called igal by the people), through the Bajau diaspora, will develop its own variances in the places that they inhabit—including Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon.

Ms. Amilbangsa also made it clear that the geographic location of the Sulu Archipelago that “links Zamboanga to the northeastern extremity of Borneo, and separates the Sulu Sea and the Celebes Sea,” allowed fluid contact of its peoples with the rest of Southeast Asia. Thus, pangalay as the dominant dance style of the Sulu Archipelago would, in all probability, also be known in contiguous areas. The Sulu Sultanate, with the Sulu Archipelago as seat of its empire during the peak of its reign in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, wielded political, economic, and cultural power and influence  over what is now known as parts of Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia, as well as China.

But to keep things simple, I will just repeat what sages have known since time immemorial: The ‘suchness’ of a thing does not change, even if given many other names, just as a rose is such, even by any other name.

The evidence of the same ‘suchness’ of pangalay and igal can be found in the program of Pesta Igal itself, which included dances that  belonged to the repertoire of the AlunAlun Dance Circle:

The long program of the gala evening performance…includes contemporary works using igal movement vocabulary…The added features for the evening’s repertoire are …”Igal Kabkab”, a fan dance incorporating some movement techniques from Japanese and Okinawan dance techniques,…and “Jesu” a liturgical dance set to Johann Sebastian Bach “Jesus, Joy of Man’s Desiring” as arranged by jazz guitarist Windham Hill. (“Pesta Igal: From the Water Villages to the Stage”, Teatro Filipino Integrated, Inc. 2010)

Igal Kabkab, literally “fan dance,” has been researched and notated by Ligaya Amilbangsa in the 1970s. I saw her sketches using stick figures of the postures and gestures of Igal Kabkab, which she taught us earnestly, so our muscle memory may be the keeper of this beautiful pangalay fan dance. Matthew Santamaria learned Igal Kabkab from Ms Amilbangsa. It is now an important part of the pangalay movement vocabulary. The programs of the performances of the AlunAlun Dance Circle from 1999 to the present show that Igal Kabkab is part of the pangalay repertoire.  Now, Dr. Santamaria recklessly categorizes this pangalay fan dance under ‘igal,’ as if he were the one who discovered and recorded it.  To mask his deed, he tries to create his own brand of Igal Kabkab by incorporating Japanese and Okinawan fan dance techniques into it—which also raises a question whether it is wise to fuse the indigenous Igal Kabkab, rich and beautiful on its own, with fan dance styles that are not intrinsic to it.

Next case in point is “Jesu.”  As artistic director of the AlunAlun Dance Circle, Ms. Amilbangsa has encouraged us to use the pangalay movement vocabulary with any kind of music. “Jesu” was part of such an experiment, largely choreographed by Dr. Santamaria, with my help, and with the guidance of our teacher. I was even the one who suggested to Dr Santamaria that we should use Windham Hill’s rendition instead of the heavy orchestra music that he worked with. “Jesu” is recorded in the published program of the show entitled, “Pangalay ng Bayan: Choreographic Explorations,” at the CCP Little Theatre on 12 January 2002.  Now, as part of Pesta Igal, Dr. Santamaria conveniently categorizes “Jesu” under  igal choreography. Isn’t this a proof that igal and pangalay are the same?

The testimony of the people

Finally, the strongest evidence for the same suchness of igal and pangalay can be found among the Sama Dilaut themselves.  Through the research and shoot of several documentaries that I made, notably Memories of the Sea (2006) and Sayaw sa Alon (2008), I have met and made friends  with the Bajau or Sama Dilaut.  Whether they are the Bajau  in Sitangkai or Sangasanga  (Tawitawi), in Taluksangay (Zamboanga), in Roxas Boulevard and Paranaque  (Metro Manila), even in Batangas and Laguna– they do not separate igal and pangalay.

The separation of igal and pangalay is a result of scholastic pursuits gone awry. The design of Dr. Santamaria to create division where there should be none runs against the very principle of Asian dance, which is about wholeness and harmony even among opposing forces (yin and yang, stillness in motion, motion in stillness).  Meanwhile, the simple answer to the question, whether igal and pangalay are different, lies in the heart of the people:  to them, igal and pangalay are the same, the dance which evokes the spirit of natural elements, the dance that gives them identity, that expresses their soul, and connects them with their true nature as a people.

Therefore, the thesis of Dr. Santamaria, that “igal is considered a tradition all its own,” is a lie. That is the simple truth.

References:

Pangalay: Traditional Dances and Related Folk Artistic Expressions, Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa, Filipinas Foundation, 1983.

“The Aesthetics of the Pangalay Dance style of the Sulu Archipelago,” Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa, paper presented during the Malay World Arts Festival Conference, 4-8 October 2001, Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

“The Pangalay Dance Style of the Philippines: An Intangible Cultural Heritage,” Ligaya Amilbangsa,  a paper presented to the Sub-Regional Experts Meeting in Asia on Intangible Cultural Heritage: Safeguarding and Inventory-making, Office of the National Culture Commission (ONCC) in cooperation with UNESCO, 13-16 December 2005, Bangkok, Thailand.

“Pesta Igal: From the Water Villages to the Stage,”  paper circulated by Teatro Filipino Integrated, Inc. for the promotion of Pesta Igal: Traditional Music and Dance of the Southern Seas, July 14-15, 2010, University of the Philippines Asian Center Auditorium.

“Igal: Dance

Two Performances at the Emilio Aguinaldo College, Manila

12 February 2010

The pangalay performances at the Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) in Manila last 12 February  2010 was a triumph for both the AlunAlun Dance Circle, headed by Ms. Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa, and the student body of EAC. “Pangalay at Musika ng Bayan” coincided with the College Foundation Day presentations, making the celebration of International Arts Month more meaningful to the audience.

Earlier pangalay workshops conducted for the students of EAC by Nannette Matilac in January 2007 produced a group of pangalay admirers and practitioners who continued propagating and dancing pangalay within and outside the EAC campus. As a result of this undertaking, the Pangalay Artists Circle was formed in 2007. Then in 2009, the Yaman-Lahi Dance Artists, which became the official dance group of the Emilio Aguinaldo College, also took up pangalay. The establishment of youth dance groups utilizing pangalay is a remarkable development in the over-all popularization and preservation of pangalay. Hopefully, the young people’s laudable efforts will create ripples outside of their immediate community.

The informative segment called “What is Pangalay?” was performed by the EAC pangalay dancers, who moved with graceful ease and confidence. Several dances from the repertoire of the AlunAlun Dance Circle in Hanoi in 2009 delighted the audience: “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan”, a poignant portrayal of mother’s love to the music of National Artist Lucio San Pedro and lyrics by National Artist Levi Celerio; “Sa Kabukiran”, a playful choreography to the musical composition by Manuel Velez music transcribed by violinist Gilopez Kabayao accompanied by pianist Corazon Pineda; “Tsismis”, a witty spoof on the spread of rumors danced to the novelty song of Yoyoy Villame; and “Bonggahan” which is a Pinoy rock rendition by Sampaguita that  admonishes everyone to join the merrymaking—if only to momentarily forget problems or mundane concerns. The final bow of “Pangalay at Musika ng Bayan” was a performance in itself, utilizing the pangalay obeisance or curtsy, to the live rendition of the Pangalay Artists Circle musicians.

Over-all, “Pangalay at Musika ng Bayan” in EAC was very inspiring because the ADC performed with young people who were touched by the beauty of pangalay when they underwent basic pangalay training three years ago. It was heartwarming and encouraging to know that the students continued to preserve the endangered dance form through continuous performances within and outside the campus. – Rama Marcaida

Three Performances at the Holy Angel University, Angeles City

23 February 2010

In honor of International Arts Month 2010, the AlunAlun Dance Circle, with the support of the NCCA, rendered three one-hour performances at the Holy Angel University theatre in Angeles City.  This was arranged with the office of the university President, Dr. Arlyn Villanueva, through the Director of the Juan D. Nepomuceno Kapampangan Studies Center, Robby Tantingco. About 800 P.E. students and their teachers, plus university officials, attended each performance, for a total audience of approximately 2,500.

Nine AlunAlun members performed a repertoire consisting of traditional pangalay with ethnic musical accompaniment, and modern choreography in the pangalay dance style to the music of nationally acclaimed Filipino masters Gilopez Kabayao and Ernani Cuenco, and folk/pop singers Yoyoy Villame and Sampaguita.

An introduction to “What is Pangalay?” explained the provenance of the dance style and the meaning of the various body stances and hand and finger movements, emphasizing pangalay’s rich movement vocabulary and its closeness to other Asian classical dances.  The main message conveyed was that pangalay is a precious part of our cultural heritage, and we should do everything we can to preserve and propagate it.

The audience response ranged from very positive to enthusiastic, with the students asking questions during the Open Forum.  During the instructional segment of the program, some brave volunteers came on stage to learn the movements, to much cheering and amusement.

Our Artistic Director, Ligaya F. Amilbangsa, and some of the other AlunAlun members, were later interviewed for a video presentation project by two students.  The students were curious as to what led the individual dancers to take up pangalay, and rued the fact that such a beautiful part of our culture is so little-known.

It is our hope that with these outreach performances we were able to inspire the younger generation to take more interest in our indigenous dance heritage—learn it, preserve it and perform it.  – Mariel Francisco

By Nannette Matilac,  ADC Managing Director

with additional article by Rama Marcaida, ADC member

Ten years of learning, dancing, teaching, and spreading pangalay went by like the gentle breeze that cooled the sultry afternoon when we celebrated the 10^th anniversary of the AlunAlun Dance Circle (ADC) on 25 April 2010.  We did not feel a decade had passed, having imbibed the dance’s timeless mode. The dance taught us to honor the present, making it a gift we had to share with relatives, friends, artists, Filipino society, humanity, and the Earth.

The idea of celebrating was a spontaneous one. In the spirit of sharing and giving back to the Life Force and Breath that is the origin of pangalay, we thought that the best time to celebrate our 10^th year was within the week of Earth Day, April 22. But the celebration must be on a Sunday, like regular pangalay classes which were held routinely on Sunday afternoons. The venue must be the studio, the space that nurtured beautiful ideas and choreographies for the past ten years.

“Let’s keep it simple,” Mariel Francisco, Temay Padero and myself, agreed.  We were the “committee” that decided on the preliminary planning of the 10^th anniversary, about twelve days before the event. The committee had to wait for the following Sunday class, April 18, before a decision could be made by a quorum because Ligaya Amilbangsa was in Tawitawi, CB Garrucho was in France, Rama Marcaida was in Surigao, and Punch Gavino was busy checking term papers.  Sunday class came and those present agreed that the event on April 25 must push through:  It was Earth Week and the moon was waxing its way to fullness, a good time to celebrate. The decision was a unanimous and optimistic “yes.”   But can we do it, seven days before the event? We hadn’t done much except the copy of the invitation with a beautiful tag line: “Jamming for the Earth’s Well-being– Let our dance, music and poetry soothe Mother Nature’s lamentations.”

Like a subtle attack of asthma, everyone became disturbed with the reality of an impending major event with last minute preparation. We could not concentrate on dancing, assaulted by the reality of linear time: it was barely a week before April 25! We aborted our dancing to plot out the guest list, the menu, the program, the production design, and the technical aspects of holding a garden event. We felt a real sense of accomplishment after chancing upon Kuya Ed, a Mamang Sorbetero who tinkered his bell outside the studio, and immediately commissioned him to be the event’s giver of bottomless ice cream. Then we arranged a deal with a neighbor who owns a videoke machine, to ensure a viable sound system for the show. Next instant, the caterer who lived nearby came and promised to be in charge of food and beverages.

The same Sunday night, visual artist Mithi Lacaba, excited with the idea of “Jamming for the Earth’s Well-being,” came up with a beautiful design utilizing powerful images of a hand with janggay (metal claws) and the planet Earth. The 10^th Anniversary invitation with the Earth and janggay logo was circulated through the Internet, a fast way to invite people. And thanks to text messaging, the group sent out advance invitations while streamlining the event preparations

As the event drew near, there were so many “what ifs” that made us feel anxious and uncertain. The most dreaded of them all is:  What if no one came to the celebration because of the short notice?  But we stuck to our resolutions: Let’s enjoy. Dance for ourselves. No fanfare. Honor the moment. Go with the flow.

And it worked! All the people who were meant to be there, came. Many brought along relatives, friends, and children of all ages. There was a relaxing atmosphere of family togetherness and camaraderie.  The venue was just perfect.  The green grass carpeted the two-tiered grounds, origami butterflies dotted the garden, and the scent of the lighted incense gave a spiritual tone as the ceremony opened with a simple ritual to bless and express gratitude to Mother Earth.

Two groups of musicians (Pangalay Artists Circle and Musika Sofia) alternately played neo-ethnic and classical pieces.  Dancers, writers, filmmakers, religious, teachers, restaurateurs, neighbors, relatives, and friends participated in the solemn Earth ceremony and the spontaneous pangalay tutorial. The pangalay dance numbers were unstructured and very much appreciated whether with poetry or with music.

Many things conspired to make that day perfect. Guests exceeded the expected number, but strangely, provisions from a tiny budget were bountiful and flowing: Pinoy ice cream, vegetarian lumpia, heavenly sandwiches, juicy barbecue, sago and gulaman, delightful puto, and the mandatory pancit for long life.  The weather was glorious. The summer sun was intense but the continuous breeze cooled the air. Mother Nature communicated her happiness as we paid our respects to Earth through our dance, music, poetry, and care for the environment. –Nannette Matilac

CELEBRATING PANGALAY!

By Rama Marcaida

Gary Buenavista

April 25, 2010, Antipolo City– It was a gathering of families, friends, artists, supporters, and admirers of pangalay. The youngest was Bea, four months old, who was attentive and wide-eyed during the whole event. Who knows? Maybe this early, she imbibed the music and gestures of pangalay, and later would become a pangalay dancer herself.

Some 20 dancers, from youngsters to elder citizens, danced pangalay, breathing as one, and giving life to our distinct heritage. It was nothing short of wonder. A decade of active existence is a joyous achievement, especially because the jubilation is about the survival of an endangered dance form being kept alive in Metro Manila, where the dance is carefully nurtured with love, like the healthy plants and flowers that thrive in Ligaya Amilbangsa’s garden.

How could the dance style continue to exist far away from its original territory, the Sulu Archipelago, where it used to thrive 40 years ago? How could the dance survive when one of its ethnic roots, the Sama Dilaut of Sulu, have long sought refuge in squatters colonies like those along the railroad tracks in Biñan, Laguna; and, some have settled inconspicuously under the depressing shadow of the long bridge between Rosales and Villasis, Pangasinan?  How could the dance tradition endure when it is now performed to beg alms from indifferent commuters inside crowded buses, by vagrant Bajau children, dressed in faded patajung, to the frenzied pounding on improvised PVC-pipe drums?

Notwithstanding this reality, the pangalay continues to beat in the hearts of the members of the AlunAlun Circle. Our weekly Sunday afternoon sessions restore the link between the present practitioners and the original pangalay dancers of yesteryears. Even just for this, we are truly grateful.

The ultimate dream is for the AlunAlun Dance Circle to, one day, re-introduce the dance as preserved by Ligaya Amilbangsa, back to where it originally sprung, in the remote islands of the Sulu Archipelago. When that happens, it would be an event worthy of an even larger festivity for us.

Helping to restore a treasure back to where it once was a healthy and living tradition is a goal that the AlunAlun Dance Circle wants to achieve with other cultural workers in the Sulu Archipelago. Furthermore, it would be a crime against humanity if the oppressed indigenous people of Southern Philippines like the Sama Dilaut are forever deprived of their cultural heritage. They have the birthright to dance and claim their freedom back in their homeland, as refugees no more.

This is a wish, not of one person, but of everyone whose heart reverberates with the spiritual drone of the bula-bula, kulintangan and agung. Personally, I raise and extend a janggay-ed hand for the realization of this dream. I will dance pangalay until my mission ends with my last dance. But for now, we are thankful that we are able to dance, sustain and perform  pangalay.

We acknowledge the individuals who brought out pangalay from obscurity. Ms. Nannette Matilac who pursued Ligaya Amilbangsa’s life mission to share her priceless knowledge of pangalay,  and to others who followed her footsteps, led by the ancient spirit of dance ancestors, and in so doing become repositories and culture-bearers of this nearly-forgotten Filipino dance –  C.B., Punch, Mariel, Temay, Bobbie, Auchie, Joy, Louanne, Roseanne, Matthew, Mahail, Jimo, Nerisa, Mannex, Tif, Lidia, this writer included – all members and students, past and present of AlunAlun Dance Circle.

To Ms. Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa, the valiant culture-bearer who came forth with the Promethean fire that is Pangalay, who dedicated her whole life to the preservation and propagation of this sacred dance–we say: “Maraming salamat po!” We look to the future, to another ten years of blissful dancing.

Congratulations Ligaya FernandoAmilbangsa and the AlunAlun Dance Circle!

Mabuhay ang sayaw ng lahing Pilipino! Mabuhay ang Pangalay!

–written May  7, 2010 by Rama Marcaida

Our Program:

AlunAlun Dance Circle’s 10^th Anniversary: Jamming for the Earth’s Well-Being

Ode to Earth

AlunAlun Dance Circle (ADC)

Ceremony led by Mariel Francisco with dancers:  Gimo Angeles, Tif Guevara, Rose Anne Jasareno, Rama Marcaida, Temay Padero, and Mannex Siapno,;  CB Garrucho with Children of Lopezville: Rozan Trishia Aliwalas, Julie Anne Cristi, Ira Andrea Gaviosa and Claire Adeleine Mendoza

What is Pangalay?

Pangalay Artists Circle of Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) and AlunAlun Dance Circle (ADC)

EAC: Levi Azarcon,  Christoper Barredo, Mavic Bunayog, Ria  Bautista, Joan Co, Pamela Corres, Mark Granada, Jerome Joco and Jane Kathlene Mamplata

ADC: Rose Ann Jasareno, Gimo Angles, Rama Marcaida and Mannex Siapno

Linggisan

Dance imitating movementsof a bird using janggay or metal claws

led by Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa with pangalay advocates, Matthew Santamaria and Nerisa Guevara, and ADC dancers Louanne Calipayan  and  Rama Marcaida

Haiku and Dance

Poetry by Roger Mangahas  with translation by Marne Kilates

Read by Roger Mangahas and Fe Mangahas

dance interpretation by AlunAlun Dance Circle:  Gimo Angeles, Punch Gavino, Mariel Francisco, Rose Anne Jasareno, Rama Marcaida, Temay Padero and Mannex Siapno

“Paruparong Bukid”

Music by Gilopez Kabayao

Solo dance by Nannette Matilac

“Pang-alay”

Poetry by Benilda Santos

dance interpretation by AlunAlun Dance Circle

Pangalay for Everyone

Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa with

the participation of dancers and audience

Live music by Pangalay Artists Circle musicians

“I Love My Country, Philippines”

Music by Yoyoy Villame

AlunAlun Dance Circle

Ligaya Amilbangsa, Gimo Angeles, Mariel Francisco, Pacita Gavino, Rose Ann Jasareno, Rama Marcaida, Temay Padero and Mannex Siapno

Toast for AlunAlun’s 10^th Year

Symbolic toast by 10 people representing groups, sectors, institutions

Ligaya Amilbangsa for ADC, Edna Manlapaz for Ateneo Library of Women Writers (ALIWW), Gina Gil for Ateneo University Press, Fe Mangahas for women’s sector, Amihan Abueva for children’s sector,  Ria Bautista for EAC Pangalay Artists Circle, Steve Villaruz for UP Dance Program and World Dance Alliance, Ms. Corazon G. Iñigo, president of the Philippine National Counseil International des Organisations de Folklore et d’ Arts Traditionnel (CIOFF), Matthew Santamaria as proxy for Ben Suzuki of Japan Foundation, Nini Matilac for mass media

Refreshments

JAMMING for Mother Earth

Musika Sofia

Recorders:  Mark Abesa, Lisa Decenteceo, Rinna Soriano, Dino Guadalupe

Harpsichord:  Joy Guadalupe

Pangalay Artists Circle musicians:

Roselier Azarcon, Mark Anthony Castillo, James Galo, Leo Hsieh, Paolo Macarubbo, Bobby Madubuike, Ujwal Shrestha

Artistic Director: Ligaya F. Amilbangsa

Host: CB Garrucho

Technical Director: Nini Matilac

Graphic Artist: Mithi Winona Lacaba

Our Guests:

We would like to thank those who came: nature lovers, environment workers, feminists, human rights advocates, child rights workers, artists, expats, former students of pangalay, pangalay advocates, teachers, and friends.  Some of them were: Steve Villaruz and Cora Inigo who are now revered personalities in Philippine dance; Paul Morales, artistic director of Ballet Philippines; Jim Ward, owner of Bliss Café in Baguio City; Chrissie Matheson, expat; Gari Buenavista, photographer and graphic artist;  Alvin and Pilar Soriano, owners of Diego’s Pizza of Marikina;  Mr. Chito Francisco of Alliance for Mindanao Off-grid Renewable Energy (AMORE) Program; Lormi Lazo and daughter; Lyvia Martinez and Nora of Bali Hai Restaurant, Ms. Gina Gil, Ateneo University Press; Ms. Edna Manlapaz, ALIWW; Dr. Marife Yap, Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health; Fr. Mike Lambino, S.J. of  Jesuit Residence with friends; Ms. Linda M. Tajonera; Lee,  Sarah and Phoenix Tajonera;  Milo and Cynthia Paz, ADC videographers since the beginning; Lucille Quiambao, freelance broadcast producer; Miriam Lacaba, artist; Priscilla Teodoro, visual artist; Jamaica San Pedro and Jeff Gonzales of I Love You Store; Dena Fernandez, concert marimbist and PPO member; Pearlsha Abubakar, writer and composer; Robert  Quebral, TV director and filmmaker; Amihan Abueva, child rights advocate and regional director of Asia ACTs;  pangalay advocates and former students of pangalay: Matthew Santamaria, Auchie Villaraza, and Nerisa Guevara;  Prof. Julkipli Wadi of UP; Joy Wadi, pangalay student who came with daughters; Fe Mangahas and Roger Mangahas; Musika Sofia of the UP College of Music, Pangalay Artists Circle of Emilio Aguinaldo College; our loved ones who supported us for the last ten years; and, the neighbours in Lopezville.

Many also sent their congratulations and good wishes through text messages and e-mail, saying that AlunAlun has done a good job in keeping pangalay alive. They could not come due to previous commitments, or were out of town. But they were with us in intention and spirit: Malou Jacob, Executive Director of NCCA; Dr. Ricky Abad of ADMU; Ben Suzuki of Japan Foundation; Ambassador Jose Zaide; Ambassador Laura Q. Del Rosario; Dr. Benilda Santos (who was sick but wrote a poem for the occasion); Gardy Labad, theatre artist and cultural worker; Carmen Cabling, writer and environment advocate; Ellen Ongkeko, filmmaker and independent producer; Perry Dizon, theatre artist and ADC’s stage manager for many years;  Upeng Galang of PETA; Brenda Fajardo, visual artist; Mary Joan Fajardo, child educator and artist; PETA-MTTL members who studied pangalay; Wayland Quintero, Hawaii-based theatre artist; Chloe Bernardo, pangalay student now studying in the US; Peanuts Panares of DepEd;  Cynthia Lumbera, writer-editor; Fr. Rene Javellana, S.J., Ms. Carmel Daez, among others.

Thank you and congratulations to all of us for a successful Jamming for the Earth’s Well-being!

Other members of the AlunAlun Dance Circle who performed during the historic occasion were ADC artistic director Ligaya Amilbangsa, Punch Gavino, Gimo Angeles and Raymund Marcaida.  Raymund, who studied Balinese dances in Indonesia, also performed a solo Balinese dance number.  Joy Ricote acted as stage manager.

Check out the photos by Jun Malillin through the link below.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=137356&id=512617406&l=6ceb5bb0a8

AlunAlun Dance Circle (ADC) arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam last May 28, 2009 with a two-fold mission: first, to present the Pangalay dance form to the Filipino Community based in Hanoi; second, to perform for the reception for the diploatic corps hosted by Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Laura Quiambao Del Rosario. Both events were part of the celebration of the 111th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence and the Philippine Heritage Month.
ADC had been fortunate to have been invited by Amb. Del Rosario as a result of an encounter with the ambassador and ADC’s Managing Director Ms. Nannette Matilac during an EU and Asia Europe Meeting conference in Hanoi last Dec 2008. Ms. Matilac mentioned about ADC’s advocacy, the promotion and preservation of Pangalay, an ancient but little-known Philippine dance style. Soon, the formal invitation from the ambassador came, along with the support from the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA). Ms. Ligaya Fernando Amilbangsa, co-founder and artisitc director of ADC, headed the eight-person delegation. The other members of the team were: CB Garrucho, Mariel Francisco, Punch Gavino, Rose Ann Jasareno, Nannette Matilac, Nini Matilac and this writer.

Hanoi is a very charming place, exuding with old world charm, teeming with colorful quaint shops, swarming with thousands of motorcycles. At the center of the city is the legendary Hoan Kiem Lake with its revered resident, the mythical turtle, that gave a magic sword to a brave leader who defeated the invaders .
ADC had two days to rehearse and to block the dances at the two venues: the Hanoi Press Club located behind the Metropole, the city’s most historical and luxurious hotel; and the Hanoi Sofitel, where the diplomatic event would be held.
Intuitively, Amb. Del Rosario suggested a rearrangement of the repertoire which turned out to be appropriate. Upon the ambassador’s suggestion, a new dance was added to showcase Pangalay’s versatility in adapting to Western classical music. The new dance was choreographed by Ms. Fernando to the music of Bach’s Air on G-String, right in the middle of the living room of the ambassador’s residence at the Sedona Suites facing the West Lake. (ADC delegation was billeted at the ambassador’s residence.) The newly choreographed dance was finished just before midnight, with the ambassador suggesting a thing or two on the choreography. Everyone was smiling and contented on the resulting piece of work. Thus, a new choreography was created. Its world premiere was on 1 June 2009 at Hanoi Sofitel Plaza.

The “Pista sa Hanoi” affair at the Hanoi Press Club was a typical Pinoy fiesta held indoor. Preparation was a labor of love by members of the Filipino Community who dressed up the hall with banderitas and native pahiyas arkos, complete with handmade flowers, fresh fruits and native handicrafts. For the first time, a Santacruzan was held around the block, with children and young adults parading in elegant gowns and tiaraed heads, holding symbolical objects from the bible.

Pista sa Hanoi was graced by the presence of artist Joey Ayala who performed with the passion of a poet, a nationalist and an environmentalist. In the spirit of creative collaboration, ADC danced to four of Ayala’s songs: “Magkabilaan”, “Walang Hanggang Paalam”, “Basta May Saging, Labing” and “Pasasalamat”. The ADC performance consisted of Pangalay being used in various musical forms, from a Lucio San Pedro lullaby classic “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan”, to traditional folk songs like “Sa Kabukiran” and “Paru-parong Bukid,” as interpreted by violinist Gilopez Kabayao; from novelty songs of Yoyoy Villame’s “Tsimis” and Ernani Cuenco’s “Kalesa, to Sampaguita’s rock classic, “Bonggahan.”

It is always a joy to perform for fellow Filipinos in a foreign land. Filipinos are always appreciative of anything that comes from the motherland, especially because they miss home. The ambassador herself, upon seeing Pangalay for the first time during the rehearsal, was teary-eyed and got homesick for the Philippines. Instantly, she knew that bringing Pangalay and ADC to perform in Hanoi was a right decision, the best!
Meanwhile, a lot of Filipinos were surprised upon learning that the dance is one of the indigenous dances of the Philippines. Positive comments from the audience, both from Filipinos and foreigners alike, affirmed what the Philippine ambassador felt for Pangalay. Ambassador Del Rosario was elated to learn of the favorable reviews from the international community.

The AlunAlun Dance Circle takes pride in promoting Philippine culture within the country and abroad. The ADC Cultural Mission to Hanoi will alway bring back fond memories of the warm hospitality of Ambassador Laura Q. Del Rosario and the Filipino Community, the warm reception of the diplomatic corps, Ha Long Bay cruise and shopping at Hang Gai and To Tich streets of the Old Quarter.

The most challenging phase of conservation is in introducing a vanishing dance tradition anywhere in the Philippines and, typically, in a place like Bohol.

There were 20 participants, majority of them young people, in the pangalay workshop held at the gym of Maribojoc municipality, Bohol. Dance teachers Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa and Nannette Matilac used the Amilbangsa Instruction Method (AIM) in teaching the pangalay dance style of the Sulu Archipelago. Pangalay may look easy but the dancer must have strong technique and good physical preparation to be able to dance it beautifully, just like dance styles of Asia (Khmer, Thai, Balinese and Indian traditional/classical dances) and the West (jazz, ballet, contemporary dance).

The participants had undergone many hours of dance lessons in the past month before the pangalay dance workshop, specifically contemporary dance. Thus, their bodies were somehow prepared for the physical regimen of pangalay. However, they still encountered much difficulty in coordinating the hand and arm movements, the Asian dance posture, the bent and springing motion of the knees into slow, seamless and flowing movements.

Another important lesson was on breathing. The participants had to undo their previous training on dance that utilized linear counting. The AIM emphasizes the use of the inhale-exhale to guide the dancer in the movement. Counting steps and movements is strictly prohibited. The inhale-exhale of the breath is also the guide for ensemble dancing.

The greatest challenge for the teacher and the student is the figure 8 that should be executed in a very slow manner, undulating like the waves of the sea. In any given class, there are slow and fast learners. Combining slow and fast learners in workshop groups when doing the routine movements helped in speeding up the learning process for everyone. We combined fast learners with slow learners to facilitate learning. Repetition is important in gaining familiarity and mastery of pangalay postures and gestures. Thus, several hours each day were devoted to the review of the basic pangalay walk, glide, connectives and the figure 8. Majority were able to do the figure 8 routine but they still need regular practice to gain mastery of the movement.

After the basic lessons on pangalay, we volunteered to stay for another 5 days, knowing that 5 days of training in pangalay is not enough for the dancers to be able to apply pangalay postures and gestures to a new choreography about the Punta Cruz Watchtower. We helped in the choreography of the dramatic scenarios by applying the postures, gestures, stances, hand and arm movements in the dance drama. The play’s dramatic plot tackles the historic struggle of the Punta Cruz inhabitants in a bygone era against the marauders of the past, and the subsequent construction of the Punta Cruz Watchtower to help the local inhabitants of the past in fighting marauding slave traders.

The result was simply amazing. The Punta Cruz Cultural collective enthralled the audience with their pangalay movements in the 40-minute showcase which was the finale of the program on Monday evening, 21st of October 2008.

The well-received performance was the greatest proof that the syllabus we prepared based on the Amilbangsa Instruction Method was a success.

With the intensive course on pangalay, the cultural collective under the guidance of their director, Lutgardo Labad, will use whatever they have absorbed in the dance lessons to create an expanded and polished version of the showcase in a gala performance on the occasion of the launch of the Punta Cruz Watchtower cultural tour and performance. That’s in December 2008. We know it will be a great success, given the dedication of the dancers, mentors, sponsors, and their artistic director.

Prepared by:
Nannette Matilac and Ligaya Fenando-Amilbangsa