Ballet Philippines Dances in Seoul!

And it was a full house! 

The Hoam Art Hall in Seoul should have had more seats to accommodate more guests that night, a special night to celebrate the 2016 Philippine Independence Day in Seoul, Korea.

What made the night extra special was the visit of Ballet Philippines to Korea "in celebration of mutual understanding and respect for distinctiveness and in furthering awareness of the artistry and genius of Philippine dance", according to the Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Jose Almendras.

Ballet Philippines is regarded as the country's premier ballet and contemporary dance company, and I wasn't surprised that empty seats inside the Hoam Art Hall became scarcer and scarcer as the clocked ticked six in the evening. By the time the lights dimmed, it was a full house!

Ballet Philippines treated its audience in Seoul to a collection of 'Masterpieces: Celebrating the Tapestry of Filipino Culture and Friendship', that ranged from the neo-classical, to pieces from full-length ballets, to a suite choreographed by no less than Miss Alice Reyes herself, Philippine National Artist for Dance, and to a mesmerizing piece danced to an upbeat 'Lahat ng Araw' kundiman with male dancers playing with their red Chinese abanicos while wearing red ruffled skirts.

But the performance ended with a bang! Literally. Banging of bakya, that is! With all the dancers wearing wooden slippers (or bakya in Pilipino), the whole stage turned into a party place of rhythm, dance and fun! A typical Filipino party to celebrate the Philippine Independence Day!

And for this rare night of a Ballet Philippines performance in Seoul, we thank the dancers, Paul Alexander Morales, its artistic director, Miss Margie Moran-Floirendo, its president, Ambassador Raul Hernandez and the Philippine Embassy in Seoul!

    (Jean Marc Cordero and Jemima Sanielle Reyes 
                       as Diana and Actaeon)

At the reception following the performance, I chatted with Miss Margie Moran and thanked her for bringing BP to Seoul. She told me she and the company were able to visit the Seoul Tower and a palace during their stay in Seoul. The company was to fly to Indonesia for their next performance.

                                  (Tambol at Padyak!)

                    ('Drum and Beats' number)

We also chatted with Jean Marc Cordero, principal dancer, and Rita Angela Winder, junior principal dancer, and thanked them for this rare treat. Jean Marc educated me on how a 'prima ballerina' title is earned, while I told Rita that someday, the words 'prima ballerina' will follow her name. 

                                          (The company)

This year's Philippine Independence Day  was indeed special with the visit from Ballet Philippines. We hope, in the years to come, more performances showcasing the Filipino talent and culture will be enjoyed here in Korea.

My friends and I salute these Filipino artists and their artistry!

Mabuhay!

            (Margie Moran, Ambassador Hernandez 
                  and Paul Alexander Morales)

   (Miss Margie Moran-Floirendo with well-wishers) 

      (The reception hall filled with members of the                   diplomatic corps, the Filipino community 
                  and Korean friends)

The FEU Dance Company @ The Philippine Embassy in Seoul!

It's very rare to see a Philippine dance troupe perform in Seoul. The last time I saw a performance was during one of the Philippine Independence Day celebrations. But recently, a group of locals and a few lucky Filipinos based in Korea were able to enjoy performances of Philippine dances right in the heart of Seoul.

        (The Karatong dance of Palawan Province)

Yes, geographically speaking, the Yongsan District is situated right in the middle of the city, and that's where the Philippine Embassy is located. And one cool autumn afternoon last week, we were fortunate that a famous, prize-winning dance troupe from the Philippines found time to show everyone why they won the 3rd prize at the 2015 Cheonan International Folk Dance Competition held at Cheonan City in the South Chungcheon Province from October 7 to 11 this year.

         (the Ragraksakan dance of the Kalingas 
                of Northern Luzon region)

(In the dance, the Kalinga maidens balance their labba baskets on their heads. Only with poise and perfect balance can you dance with these. Don't try this at home with your mom's celadon pots.)

The FEU (Far Eastern University) Dance Company, led by its director, Mr. Martin Lopez, and its artistic director, Mr. Edward Malagkit, entertained the crowd of Koreans and Filipinos at the parking space of the Philippine Embassy. As the folk dances required a bigger venue, the multi-purpose hall of the Embassy just wasn't be able to accommodate the formations and instruments, not to mention the pageantry and the energy!

     (The Maranaw Suite of southern Philippines)

Here's a clip of the Maranaw Suite:

So, congratulations and thanks to the FEU Dance Company for stopping by our neighborhood with your lively dances, colorful costumes and music! 

And thanks to Ambassador Raul Hernandez and Vice Consul Ella Mitra for organizing such a rare performance right in the middle of Seoul!

Sa uulitin, po!

(And they dance hip hop, too!)

             (FEU Dance Company members posing 
                         with their fans in Seoul)

The Kabayao Music Enchants Seoul!

The last time I saw him and his wife perform in public was when I was in grade school, still wearing khaki short pants and white polo shirts at Don Bosco Technical Institute in Victorias City, Negros Occidental in the Philippines. His visit to our school was part of their campaign to bring classical music to the masses.  So, when Mr. Mylo Fausto, the cultural officer of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul mentioned to me that Mr. Gilopez Kabayao (the Maestro, no less!) and his family were flying to Seoul, I was excited! I had to meet them! I counted how many years ago since his performance at our school. But when I reached two decades while counting, I had to stop! Ha-ha-ha!

                             (Ambassador Cruz intro-
         introducing the Kabayao Family 
                 and Jimmy Tagala, Jr.)

So, on one cool spring night in Seoul, the Philippine Embassy's multi-function hall was turned into a concert hall with the diplomatic corps, the Embassy staff, some Filipino students in Korea and kababayans in attendance. This was like a very rare, must-attend performance as The Gilopez Kabayao was not just a violinist; he is the greatest Filipino violinist ever!

         (Gilopez Kabayao and his wife,
              Corazon, on the piano)

       (Gilopez Kabayao with daughters,   Sicilienne and Farida, on stage)

The Maestro was accompanied by his wife, Corazon, on the piano, while his two daughters, Sicilienne and Farida, both violin virtuosi themselves, completed the Kabayao Family Quartet that night. The Maestro and Mrs. Kabayao have a son, Gilberto, who couldn't join the family's trip to Seoul, and would have completed the quintet. But quartet or quintet, the Kabayaos still enthralled the audience with pieces like Brahm's Scherzo and Sonata No. 3 in D Minor (for violin and piano), Mendelssohn's Trio in D Major and Wieniawki's Legende. 

As the audience was mostly Filipino, the Kabayao Family brought a pasalubong for their kababayans in Seoul: a song about home, Bayan Ko. And they also played another favorite, one popularized by Basil Valdez, Nais Ko.

                                                          (Jimmy on stage)

One of the reasons that the Kabayaos were in Seoul was that the Maestro's student, Jimmy Tagala, Jr., was competing at the Seoul International Music Competition. And that night, Jimmy also impressed the audience with pieces like Ravel's Tzigane and variations of Bahay Kubo.

The Maestro is unbelievably now in his 80s, but still very strong. When he was still performing years ago, the Maestro had played in the concert halls of the world. And tonight, just like when he played at Carnegie Hall, Gilopez Kabayao always makes his audience realize that this was a special performance and this was a rare privilege to even sit there and listen to his music. And even if it was just for a night, the Gilopez Kabayao and his family have enchanted Seoul.

P.S. Thanks and congratulations to Ambassador Luis Cruz and to Mr. Fausto for organizing such very memorable concierto at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul.

        (The reception for the diplomatic corps before the performance)

I was able to capture a couple of videos of that night's performance: Brahm's Scherzo, and Nais Ko and Bayan ko.

THE 2010 JOSE RIZAL ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

                                     

(The venue of the awards ceremony at the Seoul City Hall Annex Theater in Seoul, Korea)

                                     

                                    

                                    

               (The winners of the Jose Rizal 

                 Essay Writing Competition)

On Jose Rizal's 149th birthday, June 19, 2010, (a Saturday) the winners of the Jose Rizal essay writing competition were recognized at the awards ceremony held at the Seoul City Hall Annex's Theater.

The writing competition, organized by the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, was held to commemorate the 149th anniversary of the Philippine National Hero.

The competition was divided into two categories:

Category A was open to Korean nationals who were required to write about the Philippines and the 60th year commemoration of the Korean War.

Category B was open to Filipinos living in South Korea, with the theme 'Finding Jose Rizal in South Korea: A Migrant's Perspective'.

The winners of Category A were: Mr. Kim Jae-Ho (1st place), Mr. Lee San-Ha (2nd place), and Ms. Kyu Moon-Na (3rd place), while the winners of Category B were: Mr. Christian Romero (1st place), and the third place was shared by Mr. Vincente Angel Ybiernas and Mr. Inrico Orbe. I was awarded second place.😎 

The first place winners received Medals of Excellence, round-trip tickets to Manila and cash prizes, while the runners-up received cash prizes and certificates of excellence.

The prizes were awarded by the Philippine Ambassador Luis T. Cruz, while the awarding ceremony was sponsored by the Seoul Chapter of the United Pilipinas in Korea (UPIKOR). (Maraming salamat po, Amba Louie and Arnel for your hard work in organizing the competition!🙏)

After the awarding ceremony, the film 'Rizal in Dapitan' was shown and enjoyed by the winners, their families and a few of their friends while munching down caramelized popcorn, cheese-flavored doritos and drinks courtesy of the UPIKOR.

Today, June 19, we pay our respects and honor Dr. Jose Rizal!

Maligayang Kaarawan, Lolo Pepe!😀

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