How does one capture something as effervescent as dance? How does one capture life, legend, lore? How does one capture the life-long work of a national artist? How does one capture the Filipino soul? In the book La Orosa: The Dance Drama that is Leonor Goquingco, the late National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin recalled his conversation with our most esteemed partner for this endeavor, the National Artist for Dance, Leonor Orosa Goquingco. As Joaquin reminisced:
"She called up twice, I think, to consult me on her title, "Nick, if scenes typical of Goya are called Goyescas, can a series of my dance-dramas be called ‘Filipinescas’?" Absolutely, Leonor. ‘Filipinescas!’ It sounds like a most inspired title. The second call was about the subtitle. "What I have, Nick, is: Philippine Life, Legend and . . . I need a third word, also beginning with L." "Lore," said I. "That, Leonor, is the word you want. Lore."
As fate would have it, we gather today to bear witness to the reanimation of the three words that constitute the subtitle that our two national artists collaborated on. On this occasion, we are to formally launch an initiative that will secure that the legend and lore that is Filipinescas will be put to life anew.
The National Artist, Leonor Orosa Goquingco’s life is a story in itself, with an even greater sparkle than the dances that she has choreographed. Born in Jolo, Sulu, to parents who were driven by the highest sense of mission and who have passed on the same commitment to their children, our National Artist’s exposure to Philippine life and culture has been a product of her family’s and her own travels, from Mindanao to Negros, from Negros to Manila, from Manila to Mindoro, from Mindoro to Batangas, her parents’ hometown, then back to Manila, onto New York, and to many other places. As she moved, our National Artist never failed to observe the rituals, the dances, the way of life in the places she resided in or visited. Such keen observation eventually found their way into and animated every choreography she did.
Filipinescas, as we know, is but one of the many works of our National Artist for Dance, produced in two genres – dance and the written form. Introduced as the Mother of Philippine Theater Dance, the Dean of Choreography, and the Dean of Philippine Arts Critics, Leonor Orosa Goquinco’s body of works unmistakably captured the soul and journey of the Filipino. From her earlier works, Circling the Globe, Dance Panorama, The Elements (the first ballet choreographed by a Filipino to commissioned music), and Sports (that captured a game of tennis, cheerleaders, and a round of basketball – that probably we should recapture in the opening of the NCAA or the UAAP), her other major work includes the exhaustive account of Philippine Dances entitled The Dances of the Emerald Isles. In the words of the late National Artist Nick Joaquin:
"The magnum opus of hers may be said to have been written with (to coin a phrase) a dancer’s educated feet. And man, I’d give both hands for just the left foot."
In her own preface, National Artist Orosa-Goquingco described the book as "the culmination of a life-long labor of love." We believe, however, two and a half decades after The Dances of the Emerald Isles was published, that today, after what we have seen and with what lies ahead, this partnership of ours will immortalize the effervescence of Philippine dances that is most vividly captured in our National Artist’s tour de force – Filipinescas.
In bringing Filipinescas back to life, and subsequently capturing the restaging through a more advanced and enduring form of documentation, we in the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde have been enkindled by the passion that has been perpetually burning throughout the life and in the heart and mind of our National Artist. A month before our National Artist celebrates her 86th birthday, we hope that our launching today suffices to pay tribute to a person who has, again quoting Nick Joaquin, "continued the job established by the Propaganda and the Philippine Revolution – the job of integrating into a single nationalism all elements in our culture, whether pagan, Muslim, or Christian. We are indeed proud to be your partner as we preserve a true national heritage – Filipinescas.
Earlier, the Goquingco children paid tribute to the bravissimo of their father, Ben, who supported and helped bring to life the contributions of Leonor to Philippine culture. I believe you may have found a replacement for him as tonight we formally launch the partnership with the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. It is our privilege to be part of the new lease on life for Filipinescas as we pledge our support to ensure that none of Leonor’s works and contributions will forever be forgotten.