Twenty five participating dance and theatre ensembles converged at Davao City Recreation Center for the annual staging of Sayaw Mindanaw, an annual indigenous-based dance competition held in Davao City as part of the Kadayawan Festival celebration. It is considered as one of the important events of the festival as it depicts the rich and colorful culture and tradition of the Mindanao portrayed though live indigenous music and theatrical dance narratives.
I had the opportunity to be seated at the front row witnessing a rare convergence of vibrant colors, rhythmic beats and graceful movements of different tribes in Mindanao. It is not just a competition but also a celebration and appreciation of Mindanao’s rich indigenous culture and traditions.
Sayaw Mindanaw is open to all dance groups of students, out of school youth and community based performers though out Mindanao. Entries should be of theatrical dance narratives narrating Mindanao Indigenous Peoples’ epics, folklores and traditions.
Out of the 25 participating entries vying for the qualifying round and the finals, Davao City’s Madayaw Dance Ensemble was adjudged as champion in this year’s Sayaw Mindanao competition. Second place went to the T’boli National High School Performing Arts from T’boli, South Cotabato and Liceo de Cagayan Folkloric Dance Troupe from Cagayan De Oro City bagged the third prize.
One of the entries of this year’s competition is the Caraga National High School Dance Troupe from Caraga, Davao Oriental where they portrayed indigenous Mandayan marriage ceremony. I was so proud to see them wearing proudly the vivid colors and performing lively the cultures of our Mandaya brothers and sisters from our Province. In the end, they bagged the special citation as Best in Indigenous Research Material.
100 CAPTURED MOMENTS AT SAYAW MINDANAW
The staging of Sayaw Mindanaw every year as part of the Kadayawan Festival celebration is one great opportunity to better understand and appreciate Mindanao’s indigenous culture and traditions. Our diversity and multi-ethnicity make this island the most interesting cultural destination in the country.
Byaheng Mindanaw na!