MAKE DANCE CLEAR, SIMPLE, SMOOTH: JUDGE
Chairman of judges’ board also advises choreographers to stay away from actual performance area
What are the judges of the recently concluded Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan and Sinulog sa Barangay sa Dakbayan expecting to see from the performers in the grand parade this Sunday?
A “clear, simple and smooth” presentation is what the five cultural dance experts are looking forward to.
Rodel Fronda, chairman of the board of judges, said they want the choreographers to do away with props and costumes that are not relevant to their concept, to limit distractions.
“Props and costumes must be really useful for the theme. It must be connected with the dancers and the concept should be clear,” he said.
Fronda, president of the Philippine Folk Dance Society, said some of the contingents’ costumes did not work effectively in their storytelling.
He cited several wardrobe malfunctions and overall irrelevance to the whole theme among some of the performers.
Props and costumes must be really useful for the theme. It must be connected with the dancers and the concept should be clear. RODEL FRONDA CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF JUDGES
Fronda also reminded choreographers that they should not be onstage during the actual ritual showdown giving instructions to the performers, as this should be polished before the main event.
“Majority were able to use costumes and props that were relevant and these were used intelligently. I want them to be more imaginative,” he said.
Dr. Corazon Agustin, on the other hand, doesn’t want to see performers running all over the stage. An events organizer for the Araw ng Dabaw and Kadayawan Festivals, Agustin wants to see finesse during costume changes and props transitions.
“Since there’s going to be 32 contingents on Sunday, it might be difficult to judge. But what stands out are clarity and realistic scenes. Synchronized and precise movements along with smooth transitions are important,” she said.
Rudy Reveche said that in the past four years when he served as a judge for the Sinulog sa Kabataan and Barangay, the top five winners always applied their recommendations and some of them won awards during the grand parade.
An aesthetic and pedagogy director, Reveche said that the judges always give their constructive criticisms to the choreographers, so that they will know what to improve on.
Zamboanga del Sur National High School Melengas Dance Ensemble artistic director Odysso Oyales said that aside from the misuse of costumes and props, most performers fail due to a lack of mastery and poor projection.