by Raul Esquillo Asis and Josie P. Tabanera

“Tinikling”, the country’s national dance, became the central featured attraction in the recently concluded Pasinaya 2010: CCP Open House Festival where more than 600 hundred tinikling (bamboo) dancers from various colleges and universities converged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Front Lawn area. The event was one of the (80) shows presented by CCP’s resident companies and some 2,000 artists at the biggest one-day performing arts festival this February. The Pasinaya 2010 was the CCP’s opening salvo for the National Arts Month.

Dubbed as “Bonggang-Bonggang Bamboo”, the twenty-minute performance was considered the biggest gathering of bamboo dancers in one setting. Despite the blistering heat, the students gamely skipped during the performance, which received a lot of praise and admiration from thousands of viewers and onlookers at the CCP Ramp and front lawn areas. Even foreigners and old folks indulged themselves in dancing the tinikling just to get the feel of it.

Participants from the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, Philippine Baranggay Folk Dance Troupe, Batang Ramon Obusan, Kaloob Philippine Music & Dance Ministry, Sindaw Philippines Performing Arts Guild, Lahing Batangan Dance Troupe, Sining Bulakenyo, Lahing Kayumanggi Dance Ensemble, Muntinlupa Dance Company, Carmona Performing Arts Group, Sandiwang Kayumanggi Folk Dance Troupe, La Salle Dance Company, Teatro Rizalia RTU Dance Troupe, Sining Lahi Folk Dance Troupe, Sanlahi Pangkat Mananayaw Performing Arts Group, BulSU Lahing Kayumanggi Dance Troupe, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Filipiniana Dance Company, RBCordero Academy-Corderian’s Dance Theater, University of Batangas Dance Company, Umalahukan Diliman Theater & Dance Company, Marikina Dance Guild, Romanchon Dance Company, Kaisahan ng Lahi Dance Ensemble, PHSA Sanghiyas Pangkat Mananayaw, PLM Hiyas ng Maynilad, UP Dance Company, UP Filipiniana Dance Company, Santiago City Folkloric Dance Group, Letran Elem. School Dance Troupe, Bloomfield Academy School Dance Troupe and Mga Anak ni Inang Daigdig, later formed their respective bamboo poles with the words “CCP Pasinaya 2010.”

The festival opened with a parade led by the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, accompanied by the towering Higantes of Angono, Rizal, the Hip-Hop dancers of Obra Performing Artists of Quezon City, the Drum Beaters of Buganda, and the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group. CCP Vice President and Artistic Director Dr. Raul Sunico welcomed the participants and guests at the CCP Little Theater Entrance.

Throughout the day, countless students, teachers, parents with kids in tow, local and foreign guests packed the various CCP venues to see the forthcoming shows of CCP resident companies like Ballet Philippines, Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company, National Music Competitions for Young Artists, Philippine Ballet Theater, Philippine Madrigal Singers, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, Tanghalang Pilipino and the University of Sto. Tomas Symphony Orchestra.  

After the opening ceremonies, crowds ascended the CCP ramp and filled the Main Theater Lobby as they awaited the dance performances of Umalahukan Diliman Theater and Dance Ensemble, the Muntinlupa Dance Company, the Lyceum of the Philippines University Lahing Batangan, Batang Ramon Obusan, Lahing Kayumanggi Laguna, Bulacan State University Lahing Kayumanggi and the Kaloob Philippine Music and Dance Ministry. At the same time, people inside the CCP Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater), watched members of Ballet Philippines, Philippine Ballet Theater and ROFG display their dancing prowess, while Tanghalang Pilipino’s excerpt of “Pinocchio: Gusto Mo Bang Maging Tao?” became a crowd favorite among young ones. Music enthusiasts had a sampling of UST Symphony Orchestra’s classic and broadways ditties, while NAMCYA winners and the world-renowned Philippine Madrigal Singers serenaded the audience.

At the crowded Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (Little Theater), music lovers were treated to a melodic feast presented by the Hail Mary the Queen Children’s Choir, St. Paul University Chamber and Guitar Ensemble, Spotlight Artists Centre, PHSA Chamber Ensemble, Imusicapella, the PPO Woodwind Quartet, Guitar Friends and top notch classical artists soprano Clarissa Ocampo and tenor Andrew Fernando.

Theater and music aficionados enjoyed different excerpts from various theater groups, among them, University of Makati’s Kati (Ang Pinagmulan ng Alamat), DLSU’s Doc Resurreccion: Gagamutin ang Bayan”,  Music Theater Philippines’ Song of Joseph, and Virgin Labfest’s Ang Huling Lektur in Misis Reyes, and UE Drama Company’s Ms. Philippines.

In spite of some visitors who had to scuffle for limited seats inside the various theaters and zones, others were fortunate enough to watch last year’s Cinemalaya’s acclaimed indie films such as Bonsai, What Floor Ma’am, Si Bok at ang Trumpo, Blogog, and Tatang at the Dream Theater, while balagtasan, rap and performance artists converged at the CCP Main Gallery for its Word Jam event. At the kids’ zone, young ones had a blast from the instrument petting zoo of the members of the UST Symphony Orchestra and storytelling from the Alitaptap Storytellers Philippines. Others made a tour in other venues feasting their eyes on various exhibitions at the CCP galleries and viewed snippets of Jeepney ni Jan-Jan, an interactive computer game, at the CCP Library.

The festive mood spread even outside the CCP building with performances by folk dance companies like Sandiwang Kayumanggi, Sindaw Philippines, Sining Bulakenyo, the Aquinas University Dance Troupe, Colegio de San Juan De Letran Filipiniana Dance Company, among other groups. With the Andres Bonifacio Elementary School Alumni Rondalla at the background, the festival’s carnival-air atmosphere with buntings attracted onlookers around the Production Design Center Eskinita with modern and dance performances amidst the different tiangges and ukay-ukay.  Piano medleys of Filipino folk songs and performances of CCP resident companies and chorales regaled the audience during the grand curtain call at the CCP Main Theater.

The event was made possible with the ever-popular “Pay-what-you-can, See-all-you-can scheme.”

Just as CCP recently celebrated its Ruby year, Pasinaya 2010 not only revealed the wealth and beauty of the country’s culture and the arts. Its radiant display likewise enabled Filipinos to celebrate the numerous unrecognized and unsung heroes of our society - our Filipino artists whose contributions to Philippine society are immeasurable. Indeed, Pasinaya 2010 is a living proof that art is flourishing and fills the increasing need for “food for the soul.”