By Grazielle Mae A. Sales
PGIN-CMO
The countdown starts today in the Province of Ilocos Norte as December
6 marks the most anticipated third installment of the biggest dance festival
showdown up north.
Dubbed as “Tan-ok ni Ilocano” Festival of Festivals
(Greatness of Ilocano), the event is created to unite all the provinces’ 21
municipalities and two cities by giving them a venue to showcase their
respective festival dances.
These dances reflect their unique culture whether in
products, livelihood, history, religion, tradition, natural heritage or the
combination of all. The showdown will be held in the Ferdinand E. Marcos
Stadium, Laoag City.
According to Ianree Raquel, the provincial tourism officer,
preparations like stage design and rehearsals are now ongoing.
“We’re mounting a bigger show…The representatives of
every municipality are really working hard to prepare for the event and we owe
it to them,” Raquel said.
Since its debut last 2011, Tan-ok has been gathering
thousands of spectators, with an estimated 20,000 recorded last year.
The crowd usually includes visitors from neighboring
provinces, tourists as well as television celebrities and respected
personalities from the world of culture and the arts. Among them were
international visual artist and fashion designer Leeroy New, model and host
Georgina Wilson, and Filipino dance icon and ballet guru Nonoy Froilan.
All the towns and cities in the province are expected to
come up with their own dance interpretations of their respective festivals.
Original songs or jingles are also encouraged during the competition.
Performing groups are usually made up of young talented
Ilocanos who are in a battle of astounding choreography and concept though
winners usually add some fun twists which maybe in the form of spectacular
props or surprise acts.
“A big effort is being exerted by the youth, the school teachers,
tourism officers and several local government unit officials. We will have the
best representation of the municipalities,” Raquel added.
Dancers from Batac City's "Empanada Festival" onstage at the Tan-ok ni Ilocano: the Festival of Festivals 2012 wherein they won 2nd place. (PGIN-CMO) |
Batac City’s Empanada Festival which was the champion
during the first year of Tan-ok displayed some astonishing pirouettes as
performers reenact the creation of giant ‘empanadas’, the famous Ilocano
orange-colored Ilocano snack.
Besting them during the second year of Tan-ok is Laoag
City’s Pamulinawen Festival whose performers nailed the folk-ballet plus acrobatic
interpretation of the traditional Ilocano courtship, wowing the audience with
colossal props and a giant mechanical ‘kalesa’.
Other remarkable presentations were by the municipality
of Banna which paraded its ant mascots to showcase the townsfolk’s art of
harvesting ‘abuos’ or ant eggs to be served as an exotic delicacy; the gateway
town of Badoc for its artistic interpretation of the legendary arrival of image
of the province’s patroness, La Virgen Milagrosa; and the coastal town of
Bangui which brought life-sized replicas of its highly-admired windmills.
According to Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda “Imee” R.
Marcos, this “festival of masses” aims to boost the Ilocano “sense of pride,
unity and greatness” and to promote the province’s bounty and potential in
tourism.
Major cash prizes await top performing groups which in
turn can be utilized for livelihoods, services and other projects for the
people.
Other new activities which are pegged to complement this
year’s Tan-ok Festival of Festivals are the launching of Sirib Express
(November 20-22), a program which aims to empower the Ilocano youth; the
inauguration of the Sirib Heroes Walk (December 4) at Rizal Park, Sirib Mile,
Laoag City; the Sarita ni Ilokano Inter-High School Debates 2013 and the
awarding of the winners of the Tan-ok Graphic Novel Contest (both on December
4-5).
Dancers from Pinili's "Bawang Festival" onstage
at the Tan-ok ni Ilocano: the Festival of Festivals 2012 wherein they won third
place. (PGIN-CMO)
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