Valenzuela celebrates arts month with IPAG

Valenzuela celebrates arts month with IPAG 

By Zoe Sarah R. Bejuco (Valenzuela National High School)

In celebration of the National Arts Month, Valenzuela National High School (Senior High School) in partnership with Valenzuela City Cultural and Tourism Development Office organized a Pangalay Basic Dance Seminar Workshop on 5 March 2019 at Valenzuela National High School, Marulas, Valenzuela City. 

Grade 12 students of ValNat, had the great chance of meeting personally, witnessing the talents of world class dance artist and performers of IPAG and experiencing the joy of dancing the Pangalay stances.  IPAG (Integrated Performing Arts Guild) is the resident theater company of the Mindanao State University -Iligan Institute of Technology in Iligan City. It was founded in 1978 by Dr. Steven Patrick Fernandez & Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa. 

Members from IPAG, led by John Michael Lagura , Assistant Director, MSU-IIT-IPAG started the half day dance workshop with a brief lecture and introduction of the Pangalay stances. In his brief lecture, Lagura emphasize that Pangalay is motion in stillness, stillness in motion says Ligaya Amilbangsa, intangible cultural heritage practitioner, studies and popularize the Pangalay Stances. It literally means “temple dance” in Sanskrit, and a living link to the traditional dance cultures of Asia. A popular dance of the Tausug, Samal, Badjaw and Jama Mapun. Mr. Lagura also added that Pangalay is a dance of thanksgiving and spiritual offering. A dance that expressed different kinds of emotions through hand and body movements. After a brief lecture, Mr. Lagura together with his team, Lilybeth Maraon, Kenn Erwin Velasquez, Kassandhra Suazo complete the set as rehearsal masters and Meshaq Dangel on music trained the students with Pangalay basic exercises followed by across the floor exercises the Pangalay walk. At the end of the seminar workshop, students had the chance to showcase and performed  Pangalay stances in a gay and sprightly manner. The SHS teachers together with the school principals, Filmore Caballero and Alvin Patrick Peñaflorida and some students from the JHS are all in awe witnessing the impressively wonderful hand and body movements choreographed masterfully by the Grade 12 students based on what is taught to them by the IPAG rehearsal masters. 

The dance workshop ended with inspiring words from Mr. Lagura, “We are all performers and we are bound to perform everyday so perform well” emphasizing that life is also a performance and we are all performers of life and as performers we should perform with great virtuosity. 

SHS students got the opportunity to have a group picture with the IPAG performers after the dance workshop not missing these kind of memorable experience being part of the first dance seminar workshop with the IPAG in Valenzuela. 

The Pangalay Dance Workshop with IPAG was organized by Ms Zoe Sarah Bejuco and Ms Flory Vic Taneo of Valenzuela National High School with the support of the City Government of Valenzuela through the Cultural and Tourism Development Office.