International dance groups join Bayanihan for Fiesta Fokloriada

The Fiesta Folkloriada of the Philippines, a project of the Bayanihan Folk Arts Founda­tion held in partnership with the Amb. Alfonso T. Yucheng­co Foundation, is gathering a select group of five dance companies from different parts of the globe to present cultural exchanges in various parts of the Philippines, teach and learn from each other, and perform in a grand finale number with the Bayanihan, the national folk dance com­pany of the Philippines.

Now on its 10th year, this festival, formerly called “Law­iswis” and held under the auspices of the Federation of International Dance Festivals (Fidaf), is presented mainly in Manila. It invited 10 top dance companies from around the world, but for better manage­ment and programming, the current number of partici­pants has been set at a maxi­mum of five countries with 20 participants each.

The fiesta is held every December, when participants can enjoy a festive atmosphere and everyone is preparing for Christmas. Settings for the opening ceremony vary, as they could be held in selected destinations in the Philippines, but the grand finale will be held at the CCP.

Festival performances are also presented in selected schools, universities, hotels, homes of important person­ages in Philippine social and business settings, and in towns and cities near Metro Manila.

Members of the Bayani­han will serve as guides for the visiting dance companies. They will ensure that everyone gets a taste of the richness of Philippine culture through an unforgettable six fun days of personal and professional enrichment and exposure.

Suzie Moya Benitez is the Fidaf’s local chairman for Asia and the project director of Fiesta Folkloriada. She is a trustee and executive director of the Bayanihan Folk Arts Foundation. She also serves as associate vice president (Campus Life) of Philippine Women’s University and di­rector for Center for Culture, Arts, Music and Sports.