Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company
The Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company is the oldest
The company was founded in 1957 by
In appreciation and recognition of their pioneering efforts and international success in the realm of
Beginning
In 1956, the Bayanihan Folk Dance Group was established by
Critiques
Over the past 40 years, the Bayanihan Dance company has received a wide range of criticism regarding its authenticity in portraying Filipino culture and has been accused of distorting various cultures for the sake of entertainment. Some of the dance suites, movements, costumes, and music are argued to be incorrectly derived or inspired by references that are nonexistent.[6]
Despite this backlash, the company has still been credited for aiding the representation of Filipino culture abroad on the international stage. Because folk dance is the most expressive form for Filipinos, they have managed to depict a very ideal version of Philippine culture. By following the footsteps of other modern nations, they have helped make sense of Philippine history, as well as boost Philippine nationalism. Alejandro Roces, author and National Artist of the Philippines for literature, argues that the company showed the distinct diversity and multiplicity of cultures in this country. Nicanor Tiongson credits the company for bringing various communities within the Philippines together. “The dances shown by Bayanihan were not only the Christianized dances, but included all our traditions: Muslim, ethnic, lowland, etc,. When all these are presented in one performance, it contributes so much to the unity of the country.”[7]
Notes
- ^ a b Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company Archived October 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine page, Cultural Center of the Philippines. Accessed online 17 October 2007.
- ^ a b c National Treasure Archived September 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Rivera, Guillermo Gomez. BAYANIHAN: The Treasure Chest of Filipino Dances and Culture Archived August 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Bernal-Crisostomo, Raquel. (2008-6-28). Bayanihan dance company wows Europeans ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ Grossman, Andrew. Bayanihan, The National Folk Dance Company of the Philippines: A National Treasure. retrieved from www.cami.com
- ^ "The Day the Dancers Stayed | Temple University Press". tupress.temple.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
- ^ "The Day the Dancers Stayed | Temple University Press". tupress.temple.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-21.