Tampa Dancers Defend Their Title As Champions
The Philippine Performing Arts of Tampa Bay (PPAC), once again won First Place at the annual International World Folk Dance Competition during the Azalea International Folk Fair in Valdosta, Georgia last March 6, 2010. This is the third consecutive year that the PPAC won the top award. The group presented two folkloric dances from the Philipines. The “Kalingga Festival Dance” from the Mountain Porvinces of Luzon that won Fourth place and the “Pagdiwata” a ritual-type dance from the island of Palawan that won First Place beating Folklorico de Mexico of Illnois.
Indak Pambata, the junior group of PPAC, also competed in the Youth Category performing the spectacular “Vinta” from the island of Mindanao, winning the Second Place. Indak Pambata presented three dances in this year’s competetion namely, “Vinta,” “Sayaw ed Tapeu Sa Bangko,” and “Bakya-Salakaot.”
In the previous years, PPAC presented the “Sinulog” dance in 2008 which them the First Place and “Pandanggo Sa Ilaw” which also won them the Third Place. Last year, the company presented “Singkil” which won them First Place, and “Aray-Manton” which won them Second Place.
PPAC and Indak Pambata are now rehearsing and preparing for next year’s competition, to take place on Saturday, March 5, 2011, hopefully to defend their title as “Champions.”
There festival which is open to the general public will once again have plenty of cultural exhibits from different countries as well as “touch on” science exhibits for the young and the old to enjoy. This years festival will had a group of Filipino students from the Ramon Magsaysay and Jose Abad Santos High School who were special guests from Manila covetted also the First Place against Taiwan, in the “Young Inventors for 2010” competition.
The members of PPAC is asking the Philippine community of Tampa Bay to join them next year and cheer for them just like how the Philippine community of Valdosta has been doing all these three years. It would be nice now to see people from Tampa cheering for the Tampa dancers. Rememnber to mark your calendars for next year’s competition – Saturday, March 5, 2011 starting at 9 am and finishes around 6 pm.