The production was supposed to highlight the current state of the dance community. The intention was to exemplify the Filipino's versatility and ability in various dance genres. Invited performers included heavy hitters such as Philippine Ballet Theatre, Ballet Philippines, Ballet Manila and Ramon Obusan Fokloric Group.
I braved the traffic for the gala show last March 31, 2012. As destiny would have it I missed the first two pieces because of the throng of people marching outside of the CCP in celebration of the lenten season. As they say, better late than never. I made it to my seat and I was still in high spirits with equally high expectations. But the build up, I'm afraid did not do me good. I sat through a few ho hum performances until I saw a few gems. For me a good performance requires three things 1. Strong Technique 2. Emotional Heart 3. A Moving choreography . If one of the three are beyond good, then people will be forgiving about the other two.
Amongst those who delivered was Ballet Philippines' pride and joy Candice Adea. As expected, she delivered a crisp and clean performance with her able partner JM Cordero. What was nice to see about their Diana and Actaeon was that it showed progression. It showed that even Principal dancers can still up their performance a notch or two. Kudos to the pair for additional turns and longer balances. Their presence in the show was also fitting as their wins from international competitions have instantly made them household names in the dance industry. They represent everything good about the dance community , skilled, versatile, fiery and most importantly unstoppable.
I saw a glimpse of Unschooled (Hip Hop Dance Group) in the finale and I liked the little that I saw. They were exciting to watch. They exuded confidence and pride . I liked the fact that their dancers came from different universities. Good fellowship makes my heart fuzzy happy. They too made a statement through their dancing and their existence. Filipino dancing is about overcoming obstacles with a smile on your face. In this case, it was literally a burst of happy energy on stage. They had more than a smile on their faces, their souls were shared with the audience.I'm not surprised that they are now called the new champions in hip hop.
Disappointing to me was the lack luster performance of the famous Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group. For me, their performance was close to amateur. Perhaps it was the inappropriateness of the their selected piece. It did not show the capacity of a CCP resident company. Perhaps, they were unrehearsed or bored?! Im a BIG fan of this group but for me, their performance was boring and uninspired. Ramon Obusan probably wanted to stand up from his grave to give them a beating.
Dance Afficionados did not quite hit the mark . True, the kids were adorable. Yes they were graceful. But to be on stage with the best representing dance sport of the Philippines, you've simply got to bring the goods. It was nowhere near close to Filipinos' best dancing nor effort. They did not represent the blooming dance sport industry.
The best part of this show was the coda and the curtain call. No sarcasm here. It literally was the coolest part of it all. All the dance groups performed the different genres as they bowed. I have to admit it did generate a bit of laughter from me seeing some awkwardly dance. Led by no less than Lisa Macuja, they started a dance off. Hip hoppers were flying in the air. The ballroom dancers were spinning. Lisa Macuja and Candice Adea did a fouette showdown. The danseurs did ala seconde turns . The contemporary dancers showed off their fabulous lifts. In this case dancing with the heart (in my head) propelled the show from ho hum to exhilarating. It was amazing. It filled the theatre with life. It made the people bravo til their throats hurt, clap til their palms hurt and dance til they hit the next person. And for that, we have Ms. Edna Vida and Mr. Nonoy Froilan to thank for. No the show was not quite perfect. However, to be able to put together such a spirited and united dance crowd out there is a big challenge. In the end, people stood up to dance. Isn't that the point of it all. Shows should always inspire and put a little happiness in people's heart . Just for that, I say Bravo to Pulso. We've got Soul.
Curtain Call (video quality isn't great . . . but enjoy!)
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