Dumaguete’s Kahayag Dance Company at CCP’s Pasinaya 2014

CEBU, Philippines - The Kahayag Dance Company, Dumaguete's premier community dance company performed again at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), during the Pasinaya Festival 2014 on Sunday, March 16. Kahayag performed alongside other leading performing groups in the country

Pasinaya is dubbed as the biggest multi-arts festival in the Philippines, featuring various performances in dance, theater, and music. It is an annual open house festival which aims to let the public witness what CCP has to offer in terms of its artistic programs.

This year, the festival marks its 10th anniversary aiming not only to highlight artistic performances and events but also the Filipinos' love to celebrate life and culture. Dance, no doubt, is one of the outlets of the artistic passion in the Filipino.

"I feel very proud that Kahayag Dance Company once again took part in [Pasinaya's] 10th anniversary [celebration]. Kahayag has always been part of the dance community, and so their participation was much awaited," said Ronnie Mirabuena, CCP's dance programmer and Officer-in-Charge of the Audience Development Division of CCP's Arts Education Department.

This was the fourth time the company was invited to perform at the CCP. The first 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.

With Dumaguete being dubbed as the literary capital of the south, it was fitting that the city's premier dance company represented the Visayas and Mindanao regions at Pasinaya 2014. Kahayag artistic director Engel Boen Zerna considered it a rare honor being the only group from the Visayas and Mindanao invited by the CCP for the fourth time. "This is [a] 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 did a different genre to the national dance community. "Over the years," Zerna said of their fourth CCP performance, "Kahayag has been known in the national dance scene as a folk dance group. But this time, we showcased two dance repertoires with five dances each all in the modern ballet and contemporary dance disciplines."

The reason, according to Zerna, was to show that the company continues to evolve and further hone its competence in any dance form. Furthermore, he expressed that for the last ten years their efforts have been paid off by the milestones the Kahayag has achieved. The group has represented the country in three international dance festivals, has performed together with the leading dance companies in the country in various productions of the CCP, and has had sold out performances in major cities in the country.

Kahayag has so far performed alongside Philippine Ballet Theater, Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, Bayanihan, Ballet Philippines, Tanghalang Pilipino, Philippine Baranggay Folk Dance Troupe, Ballet Manila, UP Dance Company, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, and Philippine Madrigal Singers among others.

Pasinaya 2014 also featured crash workshops, film screenings, and visual arts exhibits. (FREEMAN)