Sayaw Pinoy 2025 in Aklan

 Dance concerts around the province regale with its eclectic repertoire

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte 

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) celebrated several Sayaw Pinoy dance concerts in various venues in celebration of National Arts Month (NAM) 2025; touring across the country as host venues observed this year's theme of "Sayaw ng Diwa at Damdamin."

Sayaw Pinoy has always recognized the genius of both established and emergng Filipino choreographers, as well as the virtuosity of Pinoy dancers from across all genres - folk, traditional, modern, classical, and the burgeoning DanceSport craze.

The province of Aklan was the venue for the final stretch of the touring Dance celebration of NAM 2025. Sayaw Pinoy is the long-running flagship program of the NCCA.

The tail-end performances of the various dance troupes saw full packed venues in the Northwestern Visayas Colleges gym, in the town of Ibajay, and the Caticlan Civic Center.

Spectators from various venues, including the Metropolitan Theater, were regaled by performances from the Philippine Ballet Theater (resident company of the CCP), the Sonata Company of Dancers from Soufie's Academy of Arts (with their fabulous take on the Jota Caviteña and the Paso Doble), the University of the East Silanganan Dance Troupe (with their ballet jazz and neoclassical pas de deux numbers), the Sindaw Philippines Performing Arts Guild (with their beautifully executed 'Binasuan' routine), and the Tanghalang Bagong Sibol Collective of Malabon (2024 champion in the Contemporary Dance Category). 

The Sining Kambayoka of the Mindanao State University, who's celebrating its Golden Anniversary this year, was also part of the Performing troupes in selected venues.

Regional performances came from the Western Visayas State University's Irong-Irong dance troupe (who presented hip-hop, ballroom, and folk dance numbers), ADS School of Performing Arts (with their heartfelt pas de deux of the Dandansoy kundiman), and the JITV Dance Company (with their repertoire of local Aklan dances, such as the 'Panuwo' or lamp fishing).

Sayaw Pinoy started doing their rounds at the start of National Arts Month. It has staged performances at the Philippine Normal University, in San Juan (Batangas), San Fernando (Pampanga), Guiguinto (Buacan), Lucena City (Quezon Province), as well as in Kalibo, Ibajay, and Caticlan (in the province of Aklan).

Sayaw Pinoy has remained one of NCCA's Arts Month celebrations. It is a dance festival and platform that highlights dancers from across the Philippine archipelago, in providing them the opportunity to showcase their choreographies and terpsichorean traditions.