ShareThisThe lagoon show of the Nayong Pilipino (or Philippine Village) commenced recently its limited run at the country’s only cultural theme park located beside the NAIA 2 Centennial Airport in Pasay City.
The lagoon show features exotic cultural dances of the ethnic groups in the Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces of Mindanao. The performers were shown dancing on colorful vintas, native Muslim sailboats, installed at the Nayon’s lagoon. Their repertoire consists of the Yakan’s Pangalay courtship dance, the Badjao’s Janggay, Tausug’s Burung-Talo martial arts, the Maranao’s male Malong and female Apirs dances as well as the Asik and Singkil royal dances.
“I believe this is the only lagoon show on top of native sailboats in the world based on my foreign travels. One thing unique about Nayon’s lagoon show is that the wind around the area is calm and seldom create waves; thus making it safe for the dancers to perform on the boats without any impediments. Unlike in other areas with lagoons where the winds are strong and the waves are high. Any performance on top of sailboats cannot be done in these areas,” said Executive Director Apolonio Anota, Jr. of Nayong Pilipino.
“Nayon’s lagoon shows were regularly performed in the 1990s consisting of three suites based on the Philippines’ geographical and cultural groupings of highlanders, lowlanders and islanders. In fact, the performances on New Year’s Day in 1991 had more than 65, 000 people in the audience, who were delighted with the cultural presentation and witnessed the peaceful and traditional side of these ethnic groups of Filipinos,” Atty. Anota added.
For the succeeding shows, the members of the diplomatic corps including the commercial attaches have been invited. The lagoon show’s remaining performances are open free to the general public. There will only be two more lagoon shows on Christmas Day 2011 and New Year’s Day 2012 both at 4 p.m.