FILCOM in Sydney learns  the Philippine ethnic dance Pangalay from RAMA

By Marilie Bomediano
Photo submission-Marilie Bomediano
Sydney-Australia
September 5, 2015



Visiting star dancer-actor and choreographer Raymund "Hari Rama' Candelaria Marcaida demonstrated Pangalay, a Tausug tribal dance of Hindu folklore influence originated from the 1380’s colony of the Sulu Sultanate  to the Filipino Community (FILCOM) leaders and members recently at the Bulwagang Rizal of the Philippine Consulate Sydney.

Pangalay’s legend of Sari, a goddess who lived in the 7^th layer of the heavens and disobeyed her father, of course, the gods of the 7^th heaven, thus Rama, the highly skilled danseur-cultural animateur who toured  Australia with the famous LOBOC Choir showed the Pangalay’s mastery of hand gestures, postures and subtle movement. It is an extremely slow solemn dance, stressing the abstract purity of form. ³

Usually dancers arrive with extended golden prop fingers or ‘Dyanggay” on the scene in an orderly geometric procession formation, carrying the hems of their batik sarongs, portraying the goddess Sari who disobeyed her father³

Sari’s mission on earth is to take care of the water and everything that lives in majestic, almost martial, music accompanies them to the scene of the performance.

The dancers then kneel down in respect before beginning the actual dance. Footwork is relatively simple, but the grouping of the dancers changes almost unnoticeably, creating ever-newer and increasingly intricate patterns, like pieces on a chessboard. ³

It’s under the tutelage of a pangalay dance teacher and choreographer, Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa, of the AlunAlun dance circle, thanks to her efforts, this Philippine arts and dance culture was retained.

“Pangalay was created prior to American colonisation, even prior to the Spanish when the Philippines was still under the influence of the Hindu. Pangalay dance master Ligaya Fernando Amilbangsa, authored a book called Pangalay  that took her  30 years of living in Sulu while she also lived in Marikina.

“ I have met a Tausug visual artist Ramil  Tawasil, who was inspired by the Pangalay concept and startedpainting waves to express the pangalay’s effect, choreographer Rama added.

A whole year of cultural immersion in Bali, one of the most amazing places steeped in cultural tradition and heritage made him realize both his metier and true calling as a dancer.

Returning home, he began fusing and experimenting on the Asian dance form, mixing and matching it with his first Western training like East meets West.