Local talents perform the famed Chinese dragon dance to mark the celebration of the Chinese New Year at the Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple. (CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO)
A CEBU-based dance group is pushing for Chinese dances both as cultural and mainstream entertainment.
“A lot more people now appreciate the dances. They come up to us to say that they liked it, and that they want to see more,” said 19-year-old Jou Anne Ranario of BLIA, or Buddha’s Light International Association Cebu English chapter.
Ranario is one of over 30 dancers of BLIA who performed a series of Chinese dances during the celebration of Chinese New Year at the FGS Chu Un Temple along V. Rama, Cebu City yesterday.
BLIA is an international organization established by Venerable Master Hsing Yun in 1992 whose main headquarter is in the Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Taiwan.
In the Philippines, BLIA chapters are found in four FGS Chu Un temples in Bacolod, Iloilo, Cebu and Manila.
Among the dances performed by the BLIA group were the Chinese Ribbon, Lantern and Fan dances.
They also danced contemporary and Broadway routines to traditional Chinese music.
The group also performed a Monkey dance, in honor of the Year of the Monkey celebration.
Ranario said BLIA and other similar groups work hard to preserve Chinese dances.
“The last time here at the temple, we got a lot of good feedback from people,” 20-year-old Klayd Cuizon said.
BLIA also performed dance numbers in malls and during the Gabii sa Kabilin.
Though not all of them are Buddhists, the dancers try to practice Buddhist teachings.
They ate vegetarian food after every practice at the temple, Ranario said.
BLIA-Cebu chapter is scheduled to perform at Robinson’s Place at 5 p.m. today.