Philippine traditions dance into Hawai'i
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
| |||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
||
Ramon Arevalo Obusan, a disciple of dance in the Philippines, said his background in anthropological research inspired him to perform, produce and perpetuate the dances of his culture.
"We consider dance as the essence of a people," said Obusan, 66, as he was touring his Ballet Folklorico de Filipinas on Maui and the Big Island last week, before the troupe's Honolulu appearance Saturday at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.
"The Filipinos take pride in their culture, and their dances are the most colorful, brilliant of the gems in the national identity crown. It's been that way for thousands of years, and this pride has never died," he said in a phone interview from Kihei. "Since we are very much attached to the community and the environment, Filipinos by nature are dancers and musicians at heart, sharing history."
He said the nature of the Philippines — the separated clusters of islands — has enabled diverse dance forms to evolve and survive. The isolation factor has kept the traditions alive and unchanged for generations, allowing ready access for ethnographers like Obusan.
"I was in fisheries and anthropology before I became a dancer, and anthropology has played a major role in the preparation of all of my productions," said Obusan. And documenting the histories and findings about the dances "is not difficult in the Philippines, since the people and the culture have existed pretty much the same way over the past 400 or 500 years. There are no gaps, no bumps to go through, because the people have always been concerned about identity, which is deeply embedded in them. And being many islands, these groups pretty much have been able to preserve their dances."
Obusan, a former performing member of the famed Bayanihan dance company (now the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company), is a renowned dancer, choreographer, researcher and scholar of Philippines dance.
His academic work — he has toured extensively throughout the Philippines, gathering songs, poetry, choreography, costumes and performance implements — led to his creation of the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, a means for his extensive probes into the traditions of Filipino dance.
"My purpose was to perpetuate and propagate Filipino dance as a medium to understand the people," said Obusan. "Besides performances, which show off our repertoire, we maintain an outreach program and go out to assist unfortunate children of tribal communities and offer scholarships for those unable to afford an education." This, he said, encourages the continuity of the dance tradition.
A dancer for 45 years, Obusan said performances keep him active and alive. "There's always research to do, dances to choreograph," he said. "But sad to say, I'm no spring chicken. I do have diabetes, and I had quadruple by-pass surgery, which hasn't changed my life. I stay active because there's a lot to do."
Obusan's Ballet Folklorico de Filipinas is the resident group with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, based in Manila.
The Folklorico cast of 27 will perform a range of dances here, representing the varied artistry of the Philippines archipelago. Some are popular icons, such as:
The repertoire embraces the rituals of the highland tribes of the Cordillera mountains of northern Luzon, the Spanish- and Western-influenced fandangos and waltzes, the exotic traditions of the Muslims in the south, the soul of the Mindanao people and the artistry of the Visayas.
"We've brought with us tons and tons of costumes, accessories and weapons that characterize the provinces. The program has dances from the 16th century to today and is as authentic as possible," Obusan said. "What we are lacking is the smell of the different communities represented."
He said profit margins are thin for organizations like his. "We struggle to exist since there's little compensation. Sometimes, when we get out on tours, we come home a little richer, but I wish there were grants to support what we do."
But arts funding is virtually nil in the Philippines, where arts and culture "are the least of all priorities and needs are greater elsewhere," he said.
"But really, all you need is a guitar to have a party of dancers, and Filipinos love to make merriment. The absence of money is not that bad, really, as long as you have reason to dance, to celebrate. You bring out the guitar, haul out the dishes, start the smoke in the kitchen, and start singing and dancing. You have a fiesta going."
Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.
