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DANCING FROM THE STARS Last Friday night, Oct. 12, 2007, for a change of pace, I decided to attend a fun cultural event. It was a dance presentation by the Palawan Sining Dance Troupe, made up mostly of students from the Palawan State University from the island of Palawan, in the Philippines. “Sining” is a Tagalog word meaning “art.” This event took place in Artesia, California and was hosted by the Palawan Association of California, headed by Emmanuel Macky Macolor, its President. Their performance was billed as “a Dance Concert of Periods in Philippine History.” It featured Igorot (Philippine mountain tribe) dances, Muslim-inspired dances from Mindanao (southern part of the Philippines) including the regal but difficult singkil, Spanish-influenced dances, peasant or folk dances (“sa kabukiran”, literally from the fields) including the lively tinikiling, and dances indigenous to Palawan. All in all, it was a most enjoyable and stirring performance. The dancers were agile, graceful and charming, the costumes were colorful and rich, the music was live and pulsating, and the choreography was authentic and fast-paced. The dance troupe is currently on a whirlwind tour of the USA, with performances in several states including Florida, Texas and California. We salute the Palawan Sining Dance Troupe, the Palawan State University and the Palawan Association of California for hosting the troupe in southern California and promoting Filipino dance and culture in the United States. Special thanks to my friend Anita Powers, formerly of Cuyo, Palawan and her son Joey Powers for inviting me to this shindig.
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