ADC

“Ang Pagbabalik sa Tawitawi” documents Ligaya Amilbangsa’s return to the Sulu Archipelago after more than 30 years, to re-connect and to share with the people whose arts and culture she helped to preserve. The film centers on how Amilbangsa researched and documented pangalay, also known as igal and paunjalay in the Sulu Archipelgao.

Exhibitions in February and March 2014:

24 February 2014 2:00 p.m. at UP Institute of  Islamic Studies, sponsored by UP IIS and ADC

26 February 2014 2:30 p.m. at PH 207, Palma Hall UP Diliman, sponsored by UP Anthropology Department, CSSP Folklore Studies and ADC

8 March 2014  10:30 a.m.  9th Fl, Technology Building, Far Eastern University, Manila sponsored by Angel C. Palanca Peace Project on the occasion of International Women’s Day

The film showings will be followed by dance demonstrations and lecture-discussions.

Filming of ADC Children at Museo Pambata

On 7 May 2013, the children of the AlunAlun Dance Circle went to Museo Pambata Boulevard, Manila to dance pangalay and be documented on film. The project is in cooperation with the NCCA and Museo Pambata, where Ligaya Amilbangsa’s  pangalay silhouettes  depicting various pangalay postures and gestures are displayed at the Karapatan Hall of the children’s museum.

(The dance instructors of theAlunAlun Dance Circleunder the guidance of Ligaya Amilbangsa’s teaching method—the Amilbangsa Instruction Method or AIM, teach pangalay to students from ages 3 to 80 years. Pangalay is a gentle dance style that can be learned by all ages.)

The children who all danced solo atop an agung were Roni Matilac—8 years old, Careema Wadi—7 years old, Hannah Wadi—5 years old. Meanwhile, Gemely Amar, 15, who started pangalay training when she was only 3 years old,  danced the igal kabkab which is an original choreography of pangalay using a fan created by Ligaya Amilbangsa.

The digital film documentation of children dancing pangalay will be part of a film supported by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2013.

The film with the working title of “Pagbabalik sa Tawitawi” traces the journey of Ligaya Amilbangsa in documenting and preserving the traditional dances and related artistic expressions of the Sulu Archipelago from the 1960s until the present. The documentary film is written and directed by Nannette Matilac, ADC Managing Director.

Celebrating Pangalay at Malayan Colleges Laguna

 On 8 March 2013, coinciding on International Women’s Day and in post-celebration of the National Arts Month, the students of classes under Prof. Bani Ambion in  the Malayan Colleges Laguna hosted the AlunAlun Dance Circlefor a dance lecture and film showing entitled Celebrating Pangalay  at the Francisco Balagtas Auditorium in the Laguna campus from 10AM to 12 NN.

Dean Joy Hofileña who gave an inspirational talk after the opening remarks by Ms. Maria Rovilla stayed through the two-hour celebration to watch the film showing and enjoy the lecture performance.

Dean Joy Hofileña who gave an inspirational talk after the opening remarks by Ms. Maria Rovilla stayed through the two-hour celebration to watch the film showing and enjoy the lecture performance. Preceding the pangalay lecture performance was the film showing of “Sayaw sa Alon”  (Dancing on Waves). Written and directed by Nannette Matilac, the documentary film “Sayaw sa Alon” started in 2005 and was completed in 2008. The film won Best Director and Best Cinematography in the 5^th Moonrise Environmental Film Festival. The film has been shown in Japan as one of the finalist of the 17^th Tokyo Earth Vision Global Environmental Film Festival and was subsequently chosen as one of the Best of Tokyo Earth Vision in 2009.   “Sayaw sa Alon” (Dancing on Waves) is a journey into the life and culture of an endangered people, the Sama Dilaut also known as the Badjao (Bajau), whose cultural demise will be a great loss to humanity itself. Also called sea gypsies, they are one of the ethnic groups inSouthern Philippines wherein  pangalay dance style originates.

Right after the closing credits of the film, ADC dancers Jimo

Angeles, Louanne Mae Calipayan and Nannette Matilac presented a lecture demonstration on the pangalay dance style featuring linggisan (bird dance), tariray (dance with bamboo clappers) and tauti (mimetic dance on catching cat fish).

The film showing and the performance was followed by an open forum  moderated by Ms. Sheryl Hermosa.

The more important occasion on the 2012 trip to Tawi-Tawi was the Local History Writing Seminar-Workshop  on 28-29 September 2012 held at the Sabdani Bulante Conference Room at the Mindanao State University-Tawi-Tawi.

The seminar-workshop was the brainchild of Prof. Filemon Romero, PhD. Aware of the importance of  reviving and promoting local history writing, various agencies supported the project: the NCCA, the MSU-TCTO, the provincial government of Tawi-Tawi, the local government of Bongao, among others.

Some 100 participants from the academe, local government, government agencies (NCIP and NCMF), civil society, cultural groups, and members of the Sultanate came to contribute to the field of local history writing in Tawi-Tawi.

Ligaya Amilbangsa delivered her paper: A Case Study: Method of Instruction for the Preservation and Conservation of the Pangalay Dance Tradition of the Sulu Archipelago.  She began her paper with words of wisdom from a seasoned cultural conservationist: “To disregard dance tradition is to lose history. Because other than the precious movement vocabulary and music, dance is costumes, accessories, properties, and context within its place of origin. The method of instruction should be easy to comprehend, simple yet precise, consistent, comprehensive, flexible and realistic. Sensitivity is a key to learning and gaining mastery of the pangalay movement vocabulary in such a method.”  Included in the demonstration are pangalay variants that reconcile tradition and transformation, thus illustrating that the distinct character of pangalay (also known as igal among the Sama and paunjalay among the Yakan) can be simultaneously preserved and conserved.

Nannette Matilac presented the prospects documenting local history in the digital age: “And if electricity and television changed life and culture in Tawi-tawi over a period of three decades since the early 1980s, digital technology is now changing life in the province in unknown ways. This change is exponential, with surprising consequences that are still immeasurable. The affordability and accessibility of cellular phones have changed the life in the islands, enabling people from hard-to-reach communities to communicate 24/7.  Since mobile phones are also handy multi-media instruments that can function as telephone, radio, voice recorder, organizer and camera —these instruments have been used by ordinary citizens to record anything and everything from mundane activities to important events.”

The seminar-workshop was a big success and plans for implementing the recommendations of the workshop are underway.

Photos courtesy of Cynch Paz.

Ligaya Amilbngsa with Governor Sahali (right) and ARMM Tourism Officer Nassreena S. Baddinni (left) watching the dance contest of the Agal-Agal Festival on 25 September 2012 at DepEd Compound in Bongao.

September is the anniversary month for the province of Tawi-Tawi, which  used to  be part of theprovinceofSulu.  On 11 September 1973, by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 32, Tawi-Tawi became a separate province.

September 2012 is the 39^th Anniversary of the creation of Tawi-Tawi. Ligaya F. Amilbangsa (ADC Artistic Director), Nannette Matilac (ADC Managing Director), Mariel Francisco (ADC Secretary)  and filmmaker Cynthia Paz traveled to Bongao to participate in the significant activities of the province.

Several events highlighted the anniversary celebration.

Street dancing with colorful floats precede the dance competition of the The Agal-Agal Festival on September 25, 2012.

Ligaya Amilbangsa was among the judges of Fluvial Parade on the Strait of Bongao on the 26^th of September.

24 August 2012 featured a choreography on Linggisan and Pangasik during opening ceremonies:

Linggisan is a pangalay variant using the janggay or metal claws to amplify gestures and hand movements portraying images of a bird in flight, searching for food,or simply enjoying the gift of freedom. Pangasik is a pangalay variant that mimics the movements of a rooster.

PROGRAM onAUGUST 26, 2012

6 PM

Part I.  Traditional Dances

The first part of the program is about preservation. Tradition is essential to the soul of a nation.  It is the past living in the present, and reproducing itself for the future. But in order to continue tradition, we need to preserve it. So now, we bring to you the Pangalay dance style, also known as igal among the Badjaw, and paunjalay among the Yakan of Basilan province.

What is Pangalay?

Bula’bula—Pangalay danced to the rhythmic clicking of bamboo, wood, or shell clappers

Tauti—dance of the fishermen in catching catfish or tauti

Tariray—a pangalay variant of the Sama Dilaut or Badjaw. Tariray is a lively dance with bamboo clappers played in rhythm with the kulintangan beat

Eringan–a playful courtship dance called Eringan.

Linggisan—Numerous pangalay-style postures and gestures interpret a bird in flight in the dance called linggisan.

Second Part: Conservation of tradition

Conservation is acceptance of the transformation of tradition, but the introduction of change should be linked to the past.

The AlunAlun Dance Circle’s innovations keep pangalay relevant and appealing to contemporary audiences.  We use of masks, rhythmic sounds, improvised costumes, puppets, different types of musical accompaniment, and props, without losing the intrinsic character of pangalay.

We presented a series of dances accompanied by both traditional and contemporary musical compositions to demonstrate the versatility of the pangalay tradition.

The Abduction of Napsa—This is a dance scenario based on a historical event. The legend goes that Napsa is a woman who was seen dancing the pangalay in a ceremony where a powerful prince, Mawallil Wasit, was also present. Entranced by her beauty, the prince had abducted Napsa from Simunul Island in Tawi-Tawi. The story has become a legend in the scope of a metrical romance similar to Florante at Laura.

Igal Kabkab—original pangalay choreography by Ligaya Fernando Amilbangsa using the fan (with the song ‘Babae Ka’ by Susan Fernandez) The femininity and strength of women is conveyed in this simple fan dance. Award-winning composition, music and lyrics by Ananias Montano.  Rendition by Susan Fernandez.

Sa Ugoy ng Duyan—A lullabye portraying a child’s nostalgic reminiscence of his mother.  Composed by Lucio San Pedro, with lyrics by Levi Celerio. Rendition by Regine Velasquez.

Sa Kabukiran—folk song rendered by Gilopez Kabayao interpreted in pangalay choreography

This is our Country, Philippines—patriotic novelty song by Yoyoy Villame

July and August are busy months for the ADC with performances for Southeast Asian audiences in various venues in Metro Manila, namely for the Ateneo Student Exchange Council Cultural Program on July 15, 2012, the Commemorative Program of the 45th Founding Anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the DFA Auditorium on 10 August 2012 ang the Eid’l Fitr Festival at the Atrium, The Block SM North Edsa on 24-26 August 2012.

August 2012 is also the celebration of Buwan ng Wika. The ADC will perform a full-hour show for elementary and high school students of Roosevelt College.

The Breath is the Life Force which is also the foundation of  pangalay movements.  (The same is true for Asian movements like qi gong, tai chi and aikido.)  Being a dance style not predetermined by linear time but by breathing in harmony with nature, pangalay connects the dancer and the audience to the Life Force.  Oftentimes, spectators of pangalay say that its slow and meditative movements are likened to a prayer.

Pangalay also promotes gentleness and harmony with inner and outer surroundings.  When we learn how to work with the Breath and allow the energy to do its own work freely as we dance, we can affect ourselves and our surroundings.

Meanwhile, the outer world—the modern world with its high-speed technology and unsustainable pattern of production and consumption– is the opposite of the slow and languid movements of pangalay.  The modern world produced the inconvenient reality of pollution, ecological imbalance, deforestation, and climate change that is now pushing the Earth to the edge of destruction.

In “Pangalay ng Bayan: Alay sa Kalikasan,”  Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa choreographs new works with the AlunAlun Dance Circle to promote awareness about climate change and other environmental concerns. The new dances will help raise consciousness about people’s responsibility in caring for the environment.

Program