Temple of dance is the meaning of the PANGALAY—the dance of the people of the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines, where I specifically came from, for centuries, long before the Christians came and long even before the Muslims did.
The ancient dance has survived because the people have, through the centuries, re
fused to be colonized in any form or by any means, by east or west.
In the pangalay, the natur
e of our people can be felt or seen : dignified, serene, gentle, peaceful, graceful, loving.
It is a spiritual dance. It begins from within the soul and moves with the breath of the dancer, and thus performs in unison with other dancers. The individual is always aware of and acts in harmony with those around him or her.
Thus, the pangalay is danced spontaneously on any occasion (wedding, birthday, arrival and departure), anywhere (beach, boat, porch, etc.), and by anyone (young, old, male, female).
There is unity among dancers, that is, among community members.Such oneness is the heart of a community.
Ridwan,
ReplyDeleteWhat great photos! Thanks for sharing this aspect of your culture. The topic was specifically on 'music' and not dance. Next time make sure you focus on the topic given.
You've written very well. Just one error stands out that you will want to correct: "In the pangalay can be felt or seen the nature of our people" should be "In the pangalay the nature of our peoplecan be felt or seen." That's just a simple word order placement error.
Blake