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Mabuhay Pilipino! (Long Life!): Filipino Culture in Southeast Louisiana By Laura Westbrook Brief Historical Overview / Filipino Heritage and Language Dances From The Philippines The Philippine Heritage & Independence Day celebration is very different in feel, since it specifically celebrates Philippine history and culture. The event is commonly described by participants as "a bonding experience" for Filipinos in Louisiana. Family members come from other places for the event and, after Katrina, community members may return from their new homes to celebrate with their former neighbors. The most obvious difference, of course, is that the crowd is almost entirely Filipino-notable exceptions are non-Filipino spouses. One of the most interesting and exciting ways in which the event differs from other events at which Filipino culture is included is the reception given by the audience to the dance performances, described by children and adult attendees as the high point of the evening. It is impossible not to get caught up in the great enthusiasm of the crowd during the dance performances at the annual Philippine Heritage/Independence Day commemorations, at parties after saints' day or feast day observations, or at other Filipino festivities. Dance is an important component of these, and of most, Filipino celebrations. The audience can seem to be one large, boisterous family when everyone is clapping in time to the music, urging success to their favorite suitor in la simpatica, cheering as fire and water are expertly maneuvered through pandanggo Sa ilaw or binasuan, or laughing along with the dancers when they manage a dangerous move in the bangko or tinikling.
Lydia Alvarez, who sometimes coordinates dance performances for Filipino events, describes the "joy and enthusiasm" experienced by residents who grew up in the Philippines "whenever the traditional dances are done."
Dance was more a part of everyday Filipino life 50 years ago than it is today. In the 1970s, the nationwide movement toward cultural pride reinforced local Filipinos' determination to keep their heritage alive for younger members who were exposed to more outside influences than previous generations. According to Mrs. Alvarez, these efforts are being renewed in the 21st century:
Older community members hope that the current popularity of dance-including "fusion" dance that blends traditional music and motions with modern rhythms, costumes, and movements-will encourage the closer involvement of young people with Filipino dance. Mrs. Alvarez sums up the thoughts commonly expressed by adults and older Filipinos:
Louisiana's Filipino residents enjoy dancing. Social gatherings often include free-form dancing to popular music as well as performances of traditional dances. Many traditional dances from the Philippines are currently maintained in Louisiana; three of the most popular are pandanggo sa ilaw (the dance of lights), la simpatica (a courtship dance), and tinikling (the Philippine national dance). Lydia Alvarez describes some of the most popular dances:
Pandanggo Sa Ilaw— The Dance of Lights
Balance is extremely important-not only do the dancers each balance three objects, but having both hands occupied means that, if the lamp on the head seems to be slipping, there will be no free hand to right it. In some performances, practiced dancers will balance the lamps on the backs of the hands rather than the palms, requiring an even higher level of expertise. Dancers demonstrate their skill in managing the lamps, especially as they carry out fast whirling turns, move low to the ground, and even roll on the dance floor without dropping their lamps or setting anything aflame. Seasoned dancers enjoy sharing humorous tales of near-disaster from the times when they were learning this dramatic and challenging dance. One couple who enjoy traditional dance, Jessie Urcia and his wife Hermie, were born and raised in the Philippines. Jessie was born in Mandaluyong, Rizal; Hermie was born in Sampaloc, Manila. Jessie moved to New Orleans in 1977 to join his brother, and Hermie first visited the city in 2000 while she was working on a ship with Commodore Cruise Lines. She settled in the city in 2001 not long after meeting Jessie. Through him, she was welcomed into the larger Filipino community. Jessie describes the theme and hazards of the pandanggo:
Sara Bovard and a group of friends learned to do the dances as an enjoyable after-school activity, and now the group performs for Filipino and mixed-audience events. She says, "We have two family friends that learned the dance from their hometown in the Philippines, Amy Belcher and Luna Chardy. They were both very patient in teaching us the movement. A few of the girls learned the dance in three practices of about four hour sessions." Josie Bovard, Sara's mother, laughs, "I have a tree full of oranges in my back yard. The girls learned by balancing the soft, older oranges on their heads. For a while, we had those oranges breaking all over the place! But they learned quickly." Sara explains the challenge of balancing in the dance:
Sara notes a difference between performing for an all-Filipino audience versus a mixed audience, "The shock factor is more surreal from a mixed audience versus an all-Filipino audience, because they have never seen anything like this." Like many people who keep traditional dance a vital part of Louisiana's Filipino community life, Sara explains that dance enhances her feelings of connection to her heritage and of pride in Philippine culture. Her comments also capture the great sense of fun with which dancers approach a performance:
La Simpatica — A Courtship Dance A series of Spanish-influenced courtship dances are named in honor of the literary character "Maria Clara," who embodies the virtue and nobility of the native Filipina woman. Maria Clara was the primary female character in Jose Rizal's 1887 Spanish-language novel, Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not), about Filipinos' struggle to throw off Spanish political oppression, which had an enormous effect on the political history of the Philippines. The rhythms and the woman's clothing show strong Spanish and Western influence, but the dances also utilize bamboo castanets and the abanico (Asian fan), and the men wear the traditional barong tagalog, an embroidered long-sleeve shirt made of pineapple fiber that is popular in the Philippines. Today, Louisiana Filipino men usually wear the barong tagalog, but may also wear tropical-weight short-sleeved embroidered shirts for this and other dances. In the popular courtship dance called la simpatica, a very particular young lady considers four suitors, each in his turn, one of whom will become her sweetheart. As each man makes his case as to why he would be the best choice, she flirts, deliberates, dances briefly with each one, and ultimately selects a mate. The dancers are free to be as serious, playful, or dramatic as they wish, and each performance is different. When she identifies her choice, the new couple runs offstage hand-in-hand, to tremendous cheers from the audience members whose candidate was chosen, and laughter from the rest.
Elsie Tuazon organizes the group and often choreographs the dances, an important role. She characterizes the dance as "the charming girl dance," and discusses how it is learned and practiced in Louisiana:
Jessie Urcia adds that all of the traditional dances provide more opportunities for fellowship and visiting among Filipinos, and that, because everyone who grew up in the Philippines knows many of the dances, locals are able to reach out to new arrivals by including them in dance practices and performances:
Male and female dancers explain that the best performances are those that seamlessly combine Spanish with Filipino dance movements and steps, and that graceful hand gestures are very important because they convey a great deal of the interaction between the woman and her suitors. Catherine Moreau danced la simpatico at the Asian Heritage Festival and at the Philippine Independence Day celebration. She learned it from Elsie Tuazon, who has taught many younger dancers and is valued in the community as someone who keeps traditions alive. Catherine acknowledges that national pride is a primary reason that dance remains important to Filipinos and that she feels the importance of the dance to the audience when she performs for a Filipino group, but she also expresses feelings of joy in movement and in community with other Filipinos and with other dancers:
Ms. Moreau's description of dancing echoes what other dancers have said about the sense of fun with which traditional dance is approached, even when the dances are complicated or require great skill. With a smile, she reveals that, on at least one occasion, her choice of suitor was influenced by more than impressive masculine dancing, though the audience had no idea that the "fix was in."
Tinikling: The Philippine National Dance Filipino people commonly hear two different stories about the origin of the dance. The first, and most common, is that the dance celebrates the natural environment and customs of the islands. The other is much darker—put very simply, it is that the dance evolved as a strategy for evading punishment by colonial taskmasters. According to this story, the slowest rice-pickers were forced to jump between thorny sticks held by Spanish overseers. One of the dancers pointed out that, though this is an unlikely punishment, it illustrates the people's feelings about this bitter period of colonial rule. There is no general agreement on the true origin of the dance; some combine the two stories to say that the motions of pickers jumping between the thorns resembled the bird's movements, or that the dance represents the bird dodging pursuing farmers. Some performances even incorporate a farmer character that pursues the other dancers in and out of the bamboo poles.
Today, in Louisiana, the national dance is a joyful ritual. Young dancers are very proud the first time they are able to dance between the moving sticks without falling, being knocked on the ankle, or "caught" when the poles come together. Experienced dancers point out that one must remember to work with hollow bamboo, rather than with solid rattan, which can be much harder on the ankles! Absalon "Aloie" Inocian, Jr., came to New Orleans very recently from Kilid Simbahan sa Guadalupe, Cebu City (Philippines), and says that it gives him a strong feeling of pride to see the customs of home being maintained by the Filipino community in Louisiana.
Aloie reflects on the particular challenges and dangers of the tinikling:
The technique is as follows: two sections of sturdy but pliable bamboo, about 8 to10 feet in length, are placed parallel to each other on the ground. At each end, a person who has good arm strength and understands the dance sits cross-legged on the ground holding the ends of the two poles. The poles are then struck together in time to the music. Two dancers stand to one side of the poles. After a brief musical interlude, during which the dancers become familiar with the beat of the music, the female dancer gracefully gathers, in one hand, enough of her balintawak or patadiong skirt to allow her feet room to maneuver, and the man, dressed in the traditional barong tagalong, places his hand on his waist. They hold these hand positions during the dance. The dancers may perform a waltz step, as a sort of salute to their partner, then resume their starting places alongside the poles. The poles are brought very slightly off the ground and struck together at each first beat of the second, third, and fourth measures. The sound of the poles clacking together has the effect of building excitement among the audience as they anticipate the dance with a combination of eagerness to see the beauty of the dance and dread that harm (or embarrassment) may befall one of the dancers. From their starting positions, the dancers quickly and lightly jump between the poles, and then dance in and out of the moving, loudly clacking poles. The skill of each dancer is determined by how nimbly and gracefully he or she can move while retaining the proper form and upper-body posture. Of course, the primary concern of new dancers is not falling down or becoming entangled in the poles! Often, the music builds in intensity and speed, as do the dances, carrying the audience along in speculations as to whether or not they might be able to perform such a graceful, and fun, dance. NEXT - Conclusion |
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