Singing/dancing as aesthetic arts, no more

Neither midnight black nor snow white, the brown Filipinos cut an ideal race as epitomized by Gen. Carlos Romulo's reference as "my little brown brothers". That the Filipinos are a wonderful people is a truism, with some attributes of the best catalyzing its worst.

In the brighter side of culture, say, singing and dancing, Filipino talents have proved their worth beyond the local clime, such as, Pilita Corrales, Dulce Amor, Nora Aunor, Lea Salonga, Charice Pempengco, Arnel Pineda Martin Nievera, Rico Puno, to name some stars. Dancing is a gift that Pinoys excel and now extolled in dancesport which Cebu isn't behind in skills.

And yet, even in rendering the national anthem, many have dismally flunked; and, in traipsing the light fantastic toe, the recent style is often multi-movement and gyrating in dizzying fashion. Grace is often sacrificed for terpsichorean attempts at novelty. Incidentally, the dancesport finds Cebu as a major patron and, in many dance competitions nationwide, the Cebu Dancesport is always up there in success, garnering gold and silver medals.

But what caught the universal eye had been the fantastic, nay, fabulous and fantabulous group performance of Michael Jackson's "The Thriller" by the provincial prisoners in their blazing orange. Their interpretation inevitably landed loud in the internet, and the rest is famous history.

There was also that dance highlight cited in Guinness Book of World Records recently under the popular culture - mass participation topic. The dance class performed at the Abellana High School grounds sometime ago, has earned the honor of DTCC's largest dance class. At least, other than the pedestrian claims of the largest pizza, or the longest longganiza, or most number of rockets launched in less than a minute, etc., the largest dance class honors could be within the finer side of culture.

Likewise, for about a generation or so, there had been that "ballroom dancing" craze among the "oldies", re-stretching their aching legs in terpsichorean exercise. Never mind if a lot of "ballroom dancing" enthusiasts had two left feet, their clumsiness is overcome by their eagerness for renaissance of the art.

Lately, City Treasurer Ofelia Oliva surprised the public with a gutsy - hardly rehearsed and loose choreography - with about a 5-minute dance performance right by their office tables. The excuse was to motivate taxpayers to pay their taxes, with a smile obviously.

Well, before its TV coverage, the motivating factor was to arouse curiosity. But after a few on-the-spot samplings were shown by the unforgiving eyes of TV, the most positive factor has been its amusing aspect, or the entertainment value.

Being so, and it invokes aesthetics, some improvements to the aesthetic value ought to be made. For instance, young and pretty faces with better skills and grace on their fantastic toe should be at the front. Those with two left feet be behind, for obvious reasons. Besides, the young have refreshing aura, no warts yet on their skin, or carbuncle anywhere that goes with age, or extra fat leading to obesity. Such scenario brings pleasant impressions, "puslan man".

Perhaps, inspired by the Cebu City Treasurer's Office, here come the regional directors advocating anti-corruption measures through singing and dancing. Now, now, "ayaw 'tawon mo pabadlong". Don't corrupt the no nonsense national mantra with such cheap solution in fighting shenanigans in your office.

The "singing and dancing" comedy will only make the wrong impression that these regional directors are just a bunch of jokers who playfully view the graft and corruption issue as a jesting matter. Perhaps, if these odd jokers and very eager to croon ala Frank Sinatra, and dance with gusto, let them revive their "ballroom dancing" craze, but not to "solve" corruption.

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