The Caballo: Street Dance Festival Fever

Festivals have been sprouting almost everywhere like grass.

Cebu, famous for being a festival island in the Philippines, collects another feather in its cap with the Caballo Street Dance Festival de Compostela.

The Municipality of Compostela headed by Hon. VM Josephine Abing called upon Ms. Fe "Pinky" Lawas and this writer/choreographer to initiate a pivotal move that would eventually unite religious celebration and promote local tourism. The call was to realize a street dance festival that fits the need and sentiments of the locals. Thus, through a series of deliberations and consultations, the Caballo Festival was concieved.

The underlying rationale for the name of the festival was to create and set a local religious tone that can be classified with a universal mass flavor.

"Caballo", Spanish for horse, is a result of the unending fixation of the locals on the uniqueness of the town's patron saint, Sr. Santiago Apostol de Compostela, who is presented as mounted on a horse.

The Saint rides a horse!

This is a celebration that commemorates the adventures and gallantry of St. James the Apostle who hailed from Compostela, Spain.

The horse is a symbol of strength and beauty, the likely attributes of all Compostelanhons, so to speak. Basically, the horse is revered as a symbol and not as an abundant resource of this municipality.

With the historical origin determined, the knowledge on Philippine folk dancing and festival management acquired, and with adequate manpower, budget, and a headstrong determination to realize this project, I am proud to announce that the 1st Caballo Street Dance Festival will be launched in the afternoon of July 25, 2005, the Patron's Feast Day, where seventeen existing barangays form clustered groups or pose as an independent contingent to vie for first prize.

"Al Fin del Siglo" (At the turn of the century, circa 1900)

Expect the participants to be dressed in Maria Clara ensembles or colorfully clothed in rural motif. The setting for their dance presentation connotes that of Spanish, rural and Christian origin at the turn of the century.

The Caballo Festival has three basic steps that should be mastered by every performer:
1st - gallop steps and stamping movements of the horse
2nd - jumping movements (a forward hop on the right foot with a backward slide of the left with both feet ending in right and left foot stamping movements)
3rd - the "estocado" (left and right cross change step footwork and swinging of arms in hayon-hayon, partners with right arm to right arm and left to left, simulating fencing movements)

The beat is as recognizable as the speed and sound of the horses' hooves in motion. The musical melody is loosely based on the Malagueña of Malaga, Spain. Intermittently incorporated are the rhythmic tunes of the Paso Doble and the Apostle's gozus.

The presentation of the Patron during the competition is through the use of the "andas" or floats. This approach veers away from the commonly seen patron bearer dancing with the icon.

The street dancing travels a route of two to three kilometers which ends up in a six-minute-per-entry field presentation at the Compostela Central School grounds.

Core Group de Caballo

This elite group is composed of twelve pairs hailing from the different barangays of the town, representing the Caballo street dancing. They are tasked to perform in various presentations during the celebration. Eventually, they shall hopefully become the town's powerful advertisement as they embark on dance performances upon invitations of neighboring cities and provinces in the future.

Horses everywhere

Encouraging the ingenuity and creativity of the respective barangays, the Caballo Decor Contest commenced last July 1, 2005 at the strategic site fronting the town's Municipal Hall.

The project serves as a major attraction that will eventually remind the townsfolk and passers-by of the ongoing festivities of the place.

At night, the displays are lighted with colorful running lights that reminisce the joyous season of Christmas.

Coastal Procession

For the very first time, there will be a religious float procession to be held on the fiesta eve , July 24, 2005. The procession will travel through the beaches of barangay Estaca to barangay Magay, marking the 1st end-to-end coastal visit of the Patron, and will have a symbolic ceremony at the seaside, near the town's public market. The holy image, accompanied by a street dance led by the Core Group de Caballo, will then be brought to the Parish church where Mass will be celebrated.

Others

Aside from the usual goings-on held nightly during the nine-day celebration at the town's gymnasium, commencing on July 15, nightly presentations by local schools and NGOs will entertain the crowd situated in front of the Municipal Hall. So, one can expect fun-filled entertainment throughout all the novena nights.

Come and join The Caballo Street Dance Festival and be part of this historical endeavor. There'll be lots of fun at the plaza!

Happy Fiesta, Compostela! Viva Señor Santiago Apostol!