Philippines' 'Ipag' stands out at 2006 Dance DC Festival, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

The Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG), the multi-awarded, highly acclaimed and leading Filipino dance theater ensemble caps its US Tour with another captivating performance, practically stealing the show, this time in the DC Dance Festival at the prestigious Kennedy Center in the nation's capital, Washington D.C. Participants to the 2006 Dance DC Festival organized by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, were groups representing cultures of different continents namely Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America. The Dance Asia component of the DC Dance Festival with its theme "Asia in Legends". included cultures of China, India, South Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia and the Philippines.

IPAG's participation at the DC Festival was made possible through the Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC), a non-profit Filipino-American group based in Metropolitan DC, focused on helping Filipino migrants in dire emergencies. IPAG's performance is part of the series of events conducted by the Migrant Heritage Commission in celebration of 100 years of Filipino Migration to the United States. MHC is a grantee of the DC Commission on Arts under its Folk and Traditional Art Grants Program for the MHC Cultural Night : IPAG 's "ISANG SIGLO- Tales from Mindanao."

IPAG performed the colorful Maranao lore, music and dance depicting the story of Princess Lawanen from the epic Darangen. It is featured around the SINGKIL - the skillful interplay of the rhythm of clicking bamboo poles and the ubiquitous, versatile malong. As IPAG performers executed their graceful/fluid yet energetic steps in their colorful costumes to the vibrant playing of the gongs and dramatic clicking of the bamboos and swords, the audience in their awed faces, enthusiastically clapped in between dance sequence which culminated into a loud crescendo of bravos and applause until the very last bow. Spotted among the captivated audience were Evan P. Garcia, Deputy Ambassador of the Embassy of the Philippines, and other members of the Diplomatic Corps. It was a very inspiring and impressive performance which made each and every Filipino in the widely American audience, very proud to be a Filipino!