The Kahayag Dance Company (Kahayag), Dumaguete’s premier community dance company will again perform at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) alongside the leading performing groups in the country for the 2014 PASINAYA Festival on Sunday, March 16.
PASINAYA is dubbed as the biggest multi-arts festival in the Philippines featuring various performances in dance, theater, and music.
According to Ronnie Mirabuena, CCP’s dance programmer and Officer in Charge of Audience Development Division of CCP’s Arts Education Department, the PASINAYA is an annual open house festival which aims to let the public witness what CCP has to offer in terms of its artistic programs.
“We have simultaneous performances in all the venues of the CCP which runs from 9:00 AM, and ends at 6:00 PM,” He said.
Mirabuena explained that this year’s Pasinaya marks its 10th year anniversary not only to highlight artistic performances and events but also the love of the Filipinos to celebrate life and culture and Kahayag is one of the vessels in drawing out that passion in every Filipino.
“I feel very proud that Kahayag Dance Company will once again take part in this event also to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Kahayag has always been part of the dance community and so their participation is much awaited,” said Mirabuena.
This is the fourth time the company was invited to perform at the CCP. The first time was in 2006 at the “Sari-Saring Sayaw, Sama-Samang Galaw” under the directorship of the late National Artist for Dance Ramon Arevalo Obusan when the company was still under Silliman University.
Kahayag artistic director Engel Boen Zerna said that to be invited by the CCP for the fourth time and the only group from Visayas and Mindanao is a rare opportunity.
“This is both an acknowledgement and validation of the Company’s mission and vision which is to strive for artistic excellence and cultural leadership in the field of dance,” he said.
This time, Kahayag is doing a different genre which the company has yet to show to the national dance community. “Over the years, Kahayag has been known in the national dance scene as a folk dance group. But this time, we will be showcasing two dance repertoires with five dances each all in the modern ballet and contemporary dance discipline,” Zerna said.
The reason for this, Zerna added, is to show that in ten years, the company continues to evolve and be competent in any dance form.
Furthermore, Zerna expressed that for ten years now, their efforts have been paid off by the milestones the company achieved. “We were able to represent the country in three international dance festivals, perform together with the leading dance companies in the country in various productions of the CCP and had sold out performances in major cities in the country,” he said.
Kahayag is performing alongside Philippine Ballet Theater, Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, Bayanihan, Ballet Philippines, Tanghalang Pilipino, Phil. Baranggay Folk Dance Troupe, Ballet Manila, UP Dance Company, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, and Philippine Madrigal Singers among others.
The event also features crash workshops, film screenings, and visual arts exhibits with an expected viewership of over 50,000. (Aiken Emmanuel Quipot)
