Dance Exchange: the International festival of Dance of Philippines

The International festival of the dance “Dance Xchange “ is of return to Dumaguete. The event lasted 5 days from April 26th to April 30th in the arts centre of Dumaguete City, Negros Eastern, Philippines and Lamberto Macias Sports.

Organized by the NCCA (National Commission for the Culture and Arts) coldly chaired by Virgilio Almario and the NCD (National Comity of Dance) founded and directed by Shirley Halili Cruz, the edition 2018 invites all the professionals of the dance to join them and expose their knowledge to make with all the nations present at the time of this festival.

Knowledge and competences of the professors of dance, dancers and choreographers on the dances of the various countries as creative expression of their culture are increased thanks to Dance Xchange which provides a place of exchange of ideas, put in network, platform of discussion on the world trends in the teaching of the dance. It reinforces and improves cultural comprehension between the groups of dance of the participating countries (Shows of dance with specific inspirations to each country and stimulation of the creation of new works).

Put except for the local support, dance Xchange is officially approved by the Ministry of Education and the Commission on higher education, declaring the last week of April like the “national week of the dance” in Philippines.

The “Spearhead” of this festival is Shirley Halili Cruz whose taste for the teaching of the dance started when it was 15 years old thanks to its professor of ballet Bonnie Weinstein Glalagopi which enabled him to teach the ballet, Polynesian and Jazz in several colleges in 1974; as from this time, it becomes ballerina and professeure. In 1985, it realizes its dreamed by creating the school of Ballet of Halili–Cruz (HSCB) to share its love and its passion for the dance.  With the opening, there are 46 students but from now on one finds there talents promising among the thousand pupils of the Boletus school.

The principal workshop is located in an imposing modern building of two floors and has 4 spacious studios equipped with bars, mirrors, audio systems, cloakrooms, rooms of rest and showers, waiting room, a large carpark and canteen. It also has a store of dance which transports all the elements of the dance and a room of costume. The school has a good collection of classical music and videos of ballet dancings.

The school proposes other activities among which great ballets, sensitization programs, provincial turns, workshops of dance of summer, demonstrations abroad, trips study, international competitions, study trips, international festivals, workshops of choreography, programs of evaluation…

At the end of their academic cycles, unquestionable graduate decide to remain at the school in order to teach there, others leave in local or foreign ballets. Today, the school of Ballet of Halili Cruz is more the university of ballet in Philippines with nearly 1000 pupils; Shirley Halili Cruz remains about it for as much simple and modest despite everything the trophies and rewards which it gained.

For this festival 2018, Dance Xchange accommodated foreign delegations which shared the practices of traditional and contemporary dance of their country by the means of forums and workshops. Among the participating countries, one notes: South Korea, England, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Viêt – Nam, India, Brunei, Japan, Bangladesh, Russia, Turkey and Taiwan and 25 groups of local dance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao Manila cigar. 

 

  

 

 

  

  

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

About The Author