Sinayaw: Dancing the rhythm of life
Hundreds of people gathered at Ugnayang La Salle (ULS) on November 23 to witness the enchanting production prepared by the La Salle Filipiniana Dance Company (LSFDC). Together with their guest performers from Cavite Institute Folkloric Dance Troupe, residents of Bahay Pag-asa, Iris Gonzalez from De La Salle University – Dasmariñas Chorale, and LSFDC alumni, honorary members, and musicians, the group performed twice—in the morning and afternoon—showcasing different cultural dance rituals of various life stages entitled Sinayaw: Indayog ng Buhay, Pamana ang Alay.
Young cultural advocates
Amid the stressful days of the recent exam week, LSFDC still managed to plan and organize their major production. Their two-year long preparation and three-month long rehearsals produced an exceptional and creative performance.
LSFDC President Rudy Alduñar mentioned that brainstorming gave them many options, yet they chose the best way to adapt to the latest trends in terms of applying our overlooked culture to the era modernization. Alduñar also shared that the low cost of tickets was so more students would come and experience their appreciation for our own culture.
Inspired by the organization’s camaraderie and mission of promoting Filipino culture through folk dances, the group came up with the idea of presenting the course of life as a montage of native dances all over the country, music accompaniments, chants, and even some theatrical acts. Moreover, Sinayaw is dedicated to the Special Education Department of Sta. Cruz Elementary School, while the presentation also aimed to enhance the confidence of the residents from Bahay Pag-asa in DLSU-D through stage exposure.
Life’s contemporary motion
At around 10 AM, the ULS lobby was starting to be filled with hundreds of guests consisting of students from DLSU-D and other schools, as well as outsiders who merely wanted to witness a creative and artistic Filipino culture production. From the moment guests entered the venue, the ethnic instrumental music and appropriate lighting of the stage welcomed them expectedly—adding enthusiasm to their excited senses.
To wake the sleepy mood of the crowd, the production’s major sponsor Greenwich did an icebreaker race game—asking groups of three among the crowd to eat a box of pizza in the short time given. The program proper started at 11 AM for the morning show and 3 PM for the afternoon show—with both shows playing an audio-visual presentation for a glimpse of what Sinayaw is all about.
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