Pangasinan pays homage to a Pangasinense whose dance literature research was recently included as one of the country’s new folk dances.
This developed after Jeffrey Paulo Bachar, a native of Brgy. Bunlalacao, Mangatarem, Pangasinan, introduced his research entitled, ‘Panangabalayan,’ in the 41st National Folk Dance Workshop held in Bago City, Negros Occidental last July 26.
The 41st National Folk Dance Workshop is a five-day event spearheaded by the Philippine Folk Dance Society (PFDS) and the CCP, which aimed to continually propagate Filipino folk dances to the people especially the youth. The event gathered around 700 dance teachers, leaders and directors from different regions in the country as well as US-based Filipino dance groups.
Bachar’s ‘Panangabalayan’ was among the 11 new dances from various regions in the Philippines which is now featured in the book and set of instructional videos published by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), entitled: “Indak Tayo: Dances of the Philippine Islands.” Said book is now distributed to various schools in the country.
For Bachar’s invaluable contribution to arts and culture, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) approved a resolution commending his exemplary skill and passion in dance literature.
Authored by SP Member Philip Theodore E. Cruz, the resolution stated that “Bachar’s success is a source of inspiration among his fellow Pangasinenses to develop a keen interest in this field of dance literature and drive them to find their passion and to put a lot of effort to seize opportunities that will develop and hone their talents.”
The Pangasinense dance literature wiz is the son of Florito and Nenita Bachar. A graduate of BS Secondary Education (MAPE) of the Pangasinan State University (PSU)-Bayambang campus, and presently a MAPE teacher at the Mangatarem National High School.
“One of the ways to promote indigenous cultures, that include folk dances, is through Dance Literature, a form of writing that focuses on dance as an art form, particularly on the history, the different styles, the choreography, or the aesthetic and philosophical aspects of dance which is written through articles, books and essays,” the resolution disclosed.
Bachar’s other outstanding works include dance literatures namely, “Binungey” which was introduced in the 2018 National Folk Dance Workshop in San Jose, Antique, and “Bangkag,” an Ilocano word meaning ‘piece of land’ which was introduced in 2006 and was presented in the ‘Indak Tayo Short Film’ and was adjudged by the CCP as one of the six national winners in the 2017 National Music Competitions for Young Artists.
(Ruby R. Bernardino/Pangasinan PIO)
