Art Begins At Home

The Sta. Isabel Elementary School in Malo-los, Bulacan is bustling on a Saturday morning with people dressed in simple kamisetas and elaborate Maria Claras, carrying salakots and castanets.

Members of Sining Bulakenyo or SIBUL, Malolos’ community-based dance troupe, are rehearsing for a concert that will showcase the talents of elementary school children. SIBUL is teaching folk dance to more than 100 children from an orphanage and three elementary schools.

Members waltz to the easy rhythm of the "Diasporo", a pre-wedding dance traditionally performed until dawn of the wedding day. The children follow their instructors’ steps with admirable concentration. Later, they merge into a single, multi-hued presence, dancing to the gay rhythms of Pista sa Nayon.

In only three years, SIBUL has managed to significantly promote Philippine culture through dance not just by performing, but also by passing on skills and knowledge to the next generation of Filipino artists.

Aside from performing, SIBUL conducts research on traditional dances in Bulacan, among which are the "Diasporio" and the "Kasilonawan Festival", more popularly known as the Obando fertility dance. But SIBUL’s knowledge of folk dances extends much farther, from the rituals of the Ifugaos, to the Maria Clara waltzes of the illustrados, and even to the pagan dances of the T’bolis.

SIBUL’s founding members started out as theater actors in the Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation, Inc. (BKFI), a community-based theater group in Bulacan that mounted well-loved local plays such as Professor Tuko and Liwanag sa Karimlan.

In September 2001, BKFI mounted the dance/drama Lola Kikay based on the life of National Artist for Dance Francisca Reyes Aquino for the Linggo ng Bulakan celebration. To prepare the cast for the play’s dance segments, Bayanihan member Rodel Ronda conducted a three-month workshop.

"Some of us realized that dance is our true calling," shares Arvin Sta. Ana, one of SIBUL’s dance directors. "Mas nagustuhan namin sumayaw kaysa magtrabaho sa theater. Nasayangan din kami kasi sa three months na training, tapos gagamitin lang namin para sa isang play."

Out of the original cast of Lola Kikay, ten, including Arvin and Rodel, would become the founding members of SIBUL. "BKFI is mainly a theater group. Kung kailan lang may offer sa theater company, dun lang din may dance," explains Israel Jason "Pepot" Vinta, another founder. "So we thought, why not put up a group that’s primarily focused on dance?"

And so in March 2003, Sining Bulakenyo, also known as Pangkat Mananayaw ng Bulacan, was born. Initially, the group focused only on performance, building up an audience through the sheer power of referral. "We did not consciously promote ourselves," says Pepot. "We just made sure that all our performances created an impact, so people would remember us."

Soon, SIBUL was performing twice a week in local celebrations and flag raising ceremonies. Soon after, the performances extended to places such as Intramuros and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and in TV shows such as Magandang Umaga Pilipinas. Last November, SIBUL opened the SEA Games in Olongapo City.

Pepot reveals that they also have an instructional folk dance video, released in two volumes by Aquarius Records in May and October 2005. Entitled 16 Best Philippine Folk Dances, it features the dance group and the music of the Maharlika Rondalla.

From the 10 original cast of Lola Kikay, SIBUL’s membership has grown to 30, mostly from participants in its yearly Summer Folk Dance Workshops. About half of the hundred or so participants audition to join SIBUL. Others go on to form their own dance troupes, networking with SIBUL for tips and refresher courses.

"We network with other organizations and dance groups," says Arvin. "We don’t want to foster competition, but an environment where we can all share our knowledge and resources."

SIBUL’s success can be attributed to the skills and devotion of its members. Dance directors study Lola Kikay’s books for dance notations, research the history of every dance, and even travel to places where the dances originated to get a better feel of the culture it represents.

As their reputation spread in Bulacan, members of SIBUL felt that while their performances inspired people, it was not enough. To widen the influence of Philippine folk dance, they had to pass on their knowledge to other people–particularly young people– including the discipline to learn the history behind each step and the dedication to teach others as well.

Charnelyn Eusebio, a SIBUL dance director, says their current roster of 100 elementary school students is the latest addition to the 365 students from nearly 10 elementary and high schools in Bulacan the group has taught.

"Most of these students have already formed their own school-based dance troupes, hopefully to spread the influence of Filipino folk dance to other communities," she says. Members of SIBUL conduct two- to three-hour teaching sessions in various schools at least twice a week.

SIBUL also regularly conducts outreach programs in orphanages, homes for the aged, and community jails, sharing anything from stuffed toys and canned goods to pocketbooks and toiletries. Members also perform and teach those who are willing to learn.

"We’ve already helped form a dance troupe at the Bulacan Provincial Jail," Pepot shares.

SIBUL’s commitment to showcasing and promoting Philippine folk dance is extraordinary. Members, with ages ranging from 14 to 30, rehearse for five hours every Sunday, perform at least twice a week, teach at least twice a week, and volunteer for seasonal outreach activities. "And this is only during non-peak seasons," Pepot says. "During peak season, like the Linggo ng Bulakan, we perform almost every day."

Despite the long hours, members manage to excel academically. No one is flunking school; in fact, this year, two of its members are honor graduates, one for magna cum laude and one for high school valedictorian.

A community-based dance troupe with no fixed source of funding, SIBUL relies on sponsorships from various foundations, private organizations and individuals, as well as using whatever prize money it wins from previous competitions, to sustain its community outreach program.

Last year, they were named one of the country’s Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations by the TAYO Foundation, in cooperation with the National Youth Commission and KilosKo with support from the Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines Inc. SIBUL was also recognized by the Bulacan local government in February 2005 with a Gintong Kabataan Award, a distinction given to outstanding youth individuals and organizations in the province.

The members have other dreams, one of which is to have SIBUL registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). "We want to become a full-fledged foundation," says Pepot. "That’s one step for us to ensure our sustainability. So that even after we have moved on, the initiatives we’ve started will continue."

A youth organization with multifaceted goals–merging performance, research, networking, cultural outreach and community outreach to create a truly giving initiative–SIBUL serves as a happy reminder that moving into a world with no borders does not mean leaving your home and history behind.