Troupe Celebrates Philippine Folklore

The birth of a baby in a dance piece is not always an easily accomplished choreographic feat.

That the Kayamanan Ng Lahi Philippine Folk Arts ensemble could pull off a facsimile birth with grace and meaning says something about the group’s ability to bring folkloric dance to the stage. The locally based troupe’s 10th anniversary concert, on Sunday afternoon at the Japan America Theatre, had many such well-staged moments.

Called “Decade of Discovery,” the program contained clusters of dances from various areas of the Philippines, grouped under thematic titles. It was in the “Lifecycle” section that the baby made his surprise appearance behind a gauzy drapery, and then--to his credit--was unfazed by being celebrated in the theatricalized Talaandig ritual from the Bukidnon province.

His pacific “performance” kept a feeling of community present, as did the inclusion in several pieces of a group of pre-adolescent girls who danced as sweetly as a breeze. For the many wedding and courtship dances that followed, a spirited group of musicians provided inventive accompaniment from the pit.

In the “Mimetic” suite, which featured animal dances, they sounded like a rain forest of percussion. There was a ceremonial feeling to this section, with effective use of circling, repetition and insistent rhythms.

When the rondalla (string ensemble) came to the side of the stage to play, they drenched the air with intricate and intoxicating melodies. The “World Influence” set of dances had them flying from quadrille to polka to tango for this beautifully staged reincarnation of “high-tone” balls of the late 19th century.

Adopted European social dances, with their mandate to be composed and elegant, were enhanced by the Philippine aesthetic of delicately modulated stepping, as if the dancers were always imagining gentle waves.

Singer Emy Baysic added clear, evocative tones in a patriotic love song called “Awit ng Bayan Kong Sinta,” returning for the celebratory festival dances at the end.

Co-artistic directors Barbara Ele and Joel Jacinto have selected and arranged dances well, rehearsed their talented cast with care and chosen luscious designs for both the sets and costumes. Just as they showed how a newborn can be swayed into the rhythms of Philippine dancing culture, they offered to any audience member many of the riches to be found there.