Amid budget constraints for props, Barangay Apas banked on great choreography to take home the major prize in yesterday’s Sinulog sa Barangay sa Dakbayan Ritual Dance Showdown.
(CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
THE THRILL OF VICTORY
Tears of joy streamed down the faces of Sinulog dancers from Barangay Apas when the contingent was hailed champion of the Sinulog sa Barangay sa Dakbayan Ritual Dance Showdown, Sunday.
“Dako gyod kaayo among pasalamat nga bisan sa among mga kalisdanan nga naagian, gidungog gyod ni Santo Niño among mga pag-ampo (We are so thankful that despite all the difficulties that we’ve been through, Santo Niño answered our prayers),” said George Villamor, the group’s choreographer.
Just this week, the Barangay Mayor’s Office (BMO) in Apas faced controversy over the alleged solicitation of money from business establishments to raise funds for the barangay’s contingent. Following the complaint, Mayor Tomas Osmeña threatened to dissolve the Apas-BMO and ordered a stop to the solicitations.
“We only banked on choreography because we had so little budget for the props,” said Villamor explaining that the lack of funds made it very difficult for Apas to mount this year’s performance.
But it was precisely this problem that paved the way for Apas to simplify and focus on other key elements instead.
The contingent’s performance showed the significance of lighting candles in church for Catholics.
“Everytime we go to the church, we light a candle. We do that to show our faith, our petitions and ask forgiveness for our wrongdoings,” said Villamor.
Clad in red, yellow and brown Filipiniana costumes, the dancers portrayed “Sinug” or the prayer dance ritual performed by candle vendors at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu.
“What made Apas stand out was the clarity and the realistic elements found in their concept,” said Rodel Fronda, chairman of the board of judges.
“They have a beautiful concept. In the transition of the traditional movements, you can really feel the meaning of what they are doing by heart,” added Fronda.
(CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
“Disiplina lang gyod sa mga dancers ug kinasingkasing nga pagtudlo ang akong gibuhat mao sigurong nakadaog ang Apas (Discipline on the part of the dancers and I teach them from the heart. That’s probably the reason why we won).” said Villamor who has been the contingent’s choreographer for seven years since Sinulog 2012.
The contingent from Barangay Apas which consists of 96 dancers began to practice for the competition since early last December.
Their hard work paid off as they also garnered third place in the competition’s Best in Musicality category.
Other winners of the Ritual Dance Showdown are: Lumad Basakanon of Basak San Nicolas (2nd), Tribu Mabolokon of Barangay Mabolo (3rd), Banauan Cultural Group of Guadalupe (4th), and Banay Labangon at fifth place.
Banay Labangon was awarded Best in Costume while Lumad Basakanon also bagged the first place in the street dancing category, followed by Banay Labangon and Barangay Pasil.
The top three contingents of the ritual dance showdown, namely: Apas, Basak San Nicolas, and Mabolo will again perform during the Sinulog grand parade on Sunday, January 21 and vie for the festival’s major prizes.
Meanwhile, Mayor Osmeña who sits as chairperson of the Sinulog Foundation announced that the contingent from Barangay Pasil will be automatically given a slot in the grand parade after they nearly backed out of the contest due to a huge fire that broke out in the village shortly before the competition started at around 1 p.m. (See separate story).