 A scene from “Bahaghari (Rainbow),” which will be staged by the Philippine troupes, Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group and the Sanghiyas Pangkat Mananayaw, at the National Theater of Korea, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 |
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
A troupe from the Philippines will showcase the rituals and practices of the country’s indigenous tribes in two performances at the National Theater of Korea (NTOK), next week.
The Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, which is the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ resident company, and the Sanghiyas Pangkat Mananayaw have been invited by the NTOK to stage “Bahaghari,” which means rainbow in the Tagalog language, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.
This is part of a year-long celebration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Korea.
Bahaghari is a festival of Philippine culture and tells stories of the various Philippine tribes who come together to celebrate Mother Earth. It features traditional folk songs and dances in an entertaining show.
“Filipinos celebrate every facet of life ― the rising and setting of the sun; the birthing and the crossing over to the next life. The connection to the cycle of nature is told through ritual, music and dance from the rainbow of cultures found in its 7,100 islands,” organizers said in a statement.
The first part of the performance, the Luzon Suite, celebrates the elements of nature, earth, water, wind and fire. It features rituals from the Cordillera tribes living in the mountain region of northern Philippines, as well as dances from the southern Mindanao region.
The Visayan Suite tells of the exploits of goddess warrior son Labaw Donggon as he battles various monsters.
Finally, the Festival Suite is a celebration of love, courtship and marriage. Dancers will perform “tinikling,” a bamboo pole dance and one of the most famous Philippine dances, as the finale.
The Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group is well known for its folk performances, which are based on research conducted on various ethnic groups around the country. The group was founded by the country’s National Artist for Dance, Ramon Obusan.
The Sanghiyas Pangkat Mananayaw is composed of young folk dance artists who have represented the Philippines in various festivals around the world.
Both performances will start at 8:00 p.m. at the NTOK’s Main Hall. For inquiries, e-mail the Philippine Embassy at seoulpe@philembassy-seoul.com (subject: Rainbow) on or before Sept. 28. Tickets are 20,000 to 100,000 won at the NTOK. Visit www.ntok.go.kr.