“Dancing in all its forms cannot be excluded from the curriculum of all noble education; dancing with the feet, with ideas, with words, and, need I add that one must also be able to dance with the pen?” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

I have been dancing ever since I can remember. My earliest would be when I was 6 years old. Yep, that picture of mine below was taken during a school program, and we were dancing in the tune of “Da Coconut Nut” by the Smokey Mountain.

Hawaiian-themed Dance Number, 1991

This was only one of the many dance presentations that I participated when I was in grade school. Dance rehearsals were exhausting and yet very fulfilling. I performed in school plays, too, but it happened only once or twice. Unfortunately, I am not a good actress. 😃

As with declamations, there were 3 instances where I did an oratorical piece in the vernacular as well as in English. But again, not as much as compared to writing during essay contests and dancing. Dancing is just love.

When I was 12 years old, the Folk Dance Troupe in our school (where I was a member) participated in the Literary Musical Contest. We won in the District level (participated by the schools in Bulan, our town) as well as in the Zonal level (participated by the nearby schools in our town), and we were able to compete in the Division level (which comprised mostly of schools in the entire province).

Literary Musical Contest, 1996

When I was in high school, I became a member of the Folk Dance Troupe under the coaching of our ever graceful and ever beautiful, Ms. Malou Lanuza, and been performing since 1^st year until 2^nd year. I learned from her that dancing is not just a combination of steps and poses. But it is more of a skill that you slowly craft to create a beautiful masterpiece. You give a piece of who you are to your dance – an expression of who you are. It was through our rigourous dance training with her that I got to learn all about dedication to dancing and to be diligent in perfecting the moves. We would practice from 8 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon every day. All our hard work paid off though as we were able to target fluidity in movements (balance and timing) and perfection of grace, poise, aura, and performance.

During my Junior and Senior years, I quit dancing as I joined the CAT (Citizen’s Army Training) and became an S2 Intelligence Officer of the Corps. We also spent two years doing community service, drills every Saturday, exercises, and exams. I started missing folk dancing at this point, but I also looked forward to the kind of training that the CAT would provide. Below is a photo of me during the Officers’ Induction Night.

CAT, 2000

I was able to perform mostly in folk dances though I also know a bit of ballroom dancing or social dancing (tango, cha-cha, rumba, and samba). In the provinces, folk dancing is usually more common and more popular than social dancing.

Filipino Day, 2012

Our costumes for the folk dance numbers were the traditional costumes of the Filipinos: the barong (for boys) and saya (for the girls) and the Maria Clara dress. You can check out this link for more information regarding the history of the Maria Clara dress, which is also our national costume.

I never got the opportunity to dance again when I was in college because I didn’t have the time, and I was busy with the school requirements. It was only after graduation that I have decided to dance again. I thought dancing will be a good way to exercise and work out since I had an office job during weekdays, and I badly needed physical activity. I did not try folk dancing this time though. I tried something quite new and difficult – street dancing.

Oh yes, it was indeed the complete opposite when it comes to form, beat, style, and techniques. I was totally blown away, but IT WAS SO FUN. 😊

Street Dancing, 2013

Learning something new, for me, is and will always be fun. I got to learn just the basics only, unfortunately. I had to focus on the heaps of workload, and I was extremely exhausted after I got off from work at that time.

But surprise, surprise. YES, my wish was granted. The UP Street Dance Club in my alma mater, the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City sponsored a workshop as a fundraising event. My schedule? So free and available to reserve a slot! Wohoo! I was so glad I was able to hit the dance floor again after 3 years of hibernating. And this time, I got to support a good cause, too. Indeed, the wonders of answered prayers. 😊❤️🙏

Body and Soul Grooves 5 by the UP Street Dance Club