The Bayanihan: Toast of the 1950s dances on

Way before such big dance acts like Jabbawockeez and The Philippine All-Stars put the Philippines on the world dance map, there was a Pinoy dance troupe that reaped raves from dance afficionados worldwide.

The Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company has been at the forefront of Philippine dance for more than 50 years. From the start of this company’s stellar career, it has been a source of pride for our country.

Founded in the 1950’s, the Bayanihan dance troupe started as a P.E. dance class at the PWU (Philippine Women’s University). The company’s founder, Hon. Helena Z. Benitez, was so impressed by the students that she decided to organize a dance troupe promoting Filipino dance with those same students as founding members.

A “dream team” was organized composed of not one but two future National Artists. Lucresia Kasilag, National Artist for Music, was summoned to take charge of researching and composing music for the troupe. Another Lucresia, the esteemed Lucresia Urtula, National Artist for Dance, was tasked to choreograph Filipino dances based on tribal and historical data. Other members of the team included Isabel Santos or Tita Bills, daughter of General Paulino Santos (GenSan), who handled costume design; Jose Lardizabal or Tito Lardy who served as Artistic Director; and Dra. Leticia P. de Guzman or Tita Letty, who became Executive Director and overall “housemother” of the troupe. I should mention that Tita Letty happens to be my grandma which is why the Bayanihan holds a very special place in my heart.

The team now in place, the next problem was membership. PWU was an all-female university at that time. Who would play the male parts? Auditions were held and “boys” from such illustrious schools like Ateneo, La Salle, San Beda, and Letran soon came to try out.

Soon enough the troupe had its dancers. It had its crew. They were ready to rock and roll … so to speak. Or better still…they were ready to conquer the world. And they did.

With nothing but raw talent, the Bayanihan so impressed then President Ramon Magsaysay that he tapped them to represent the Philippines at the Brussels World Exposition. This was their baptism of fire.

The troupe, danced its way into the hearts of the audience and eventually was adjudged the best dance troupe at the Expo.

This was to be the first of many tours and accolades bestowed on the troupe. The world could not get enough of the dancing Pinoys. And to think this was way before Youtube was born. Theirs was a reputation spread purely by word of mouth. Those who heard about the spectacular performances from those who witnessed them could only wish that they too could see the Bayanihan in the flesh. bayanihan_dance-singkil

The Bayanihan danced in almost all the major performance venues worldwide. They conquered Broadway in 1959, long before Lea Salonga started dreaming of pulling the same feat. They were featured on the Ed Sullivan show in 1958, preceding the debut of a certain Michael Jackson. They toured Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Australia. And they were the very first Philippine cultural group to ever perform in communist Russia and The People’s Republic of China.

To the youngsters then, to be part of Bayanihan was an honor only given to a chosen few. Many tried. Many failed.

For many of those who made the cut, the Bayanihan was a door to bigger opportunities. And for many of those who made it, their training and experience with the Bayanihan prepared them for bigger roles in the future.

I speak with such fondness because the Bayanihan was a constant presence in my life as I grew up.

Besides my late grandma, my father, aunts, and uncle took part in the troupe. Sol I have all these family members who would regale me with their stories about their Bayanihan stint.

My father, who wasn’t a dancer but a crew member, would talk endlessly about his gang of “boys” from other schools who served as protectors to the dainty lasses. He was particularly close to one Lito Atienza who was promoted to “dancer” but would still hang out with the “gang” during downtime. The fellow would later become Mayor of Manila and would regard Bayanihan as one of his best achievements.

My aunt, who was one of the pioneers, would get to travel the world because of her work with Bayanihan. She would later meet her life partner while on a visit to Harvard. She came home with her knight in tow. She would tell me later that many a swain found the loves of their lives among the maidens of Bayanihan. For example, Diana Carlos, one of the great beauties of her time, caught the eye of Nene Syquia in that same Harvard tour. Cynthia Adea (better known as Solenn Heusaff’s mom) was wooed by Louis Paul Heusaff while they toured France.

Another close family friend would tell stories of how my Lola used to “coerce” him to hear mass with her every morning while on tour. It was through these daily masses that he eventually found his calling. He grew up to be Father Bobby Perez, first Filipino and longest serving Father Rector-President of San Beda College.

The Bayanihan, obviously, was the training ground for many a luminary. Beauty queens like Cristina Matias (Miss Philippines 1959) and Peachy Veneracion (Mutya ng Pilipinas World 1977) enjoyed celebrity first as members of the Bayanihan. In fact, Christina Matias had to bow out of competing in the Miss Universe contest because she was on tour with the Bayanihan.

Then there’s ace journalist and broadcaster, Che-Che Lazaro along with her sister Nina Yuzon, founder of Museo Pambata. Both women danced and sang their hearts away in their younger years with the other Bayanihan performers.

Other name names of today were once part of the Bayanihan. Biggies in the dance world like Eddie Elejar, Maribel Carag Dario (of ballroom dancing fame), Tony Fabella and Lito Calzado ground their chops as members of the dance company. Famous interior designer Edith Oliveros was once upon a time a dancer as well. And world famous designer and National Artist for fashion Pitoy Moreno, became costume designer of the Bayanihan in the early days of his career.

I can go on and on about the wonderful stories I heard but none can compare with the experience of seeing the Bayanihan in the flesh. No matter how many times I’ve seen them perform, I still get mesmerized by the beauty of the dances.

I lack words to describe the ferocity of the Igorot warrior and courtship dance and the fast footwork of the Tinikling? The elegance and grace of the La Jota is but a precursor to the electrifying Singkil. And the quiet pace of the Fandango sa Ilaw makes you ready for the humorous Itik-Itik.

All these dances are national treasures. They remind us of how rich our culture truly is. The Bayanihan is testament to the wonderful heritage of the Filipino.

After 50 years, the Bayanihan Dance Company continues to hone talents and spread its legacy across the world. The company is now under the tutelage of alumni who are determined to keep burning the flames that were ignited many, many years ago.

By the way, I wanted to try out. My waistline didn’t cut it.