Some 11 new folk dances are being introduced in the 41st National Folk Dance Workshop which kicked off on Wednesday in this city in southern Negros Occidental province.

The five-day event, attended by dance teachers, leaders and directors from various regions, is spearheaded by the Philippine Folk Dance Society (PFDS) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

PFDS president Randyll Villones, a physical education professor and dance troupe mentor at the Philippine Normal University-Visayas, said it is important to continually propagate Filipino folk dances, especially among the younger generation of Filipinos.

“I am very proud to tell you that we have 11 new dances to learn during our five-day workshop. Labing-isang naggagandahang sayaw na inyong babaunin sa inyong pag-uwi at ituturo sa ating mga estudyante at ibang mag-aaral (Eleven beautiful dances that you will bring home with you and teach to our students and other learners),” Villones said during the opening program held at the Manuel Y. Torres Memorial Coliseum and Cultural Center.

These include the “Pangatas It Patuyaw”, “Pas-an Saging”, and Villones’ “Panaad Saot Kay San Roque” all from Western Visayas (Region 6), “Bulaklak ng Halamanan” and “Floridablanca” from Central Luzon (Region 3), and “La Jota Laogena” and “Panangabalayan” from Ilocos Region (Region 1).

Others are “Tayaw” from Mimaropa (Region 4B), “Laga Dance” from Cordillera Administrative Region, “Kambadak-Badak” from Soccsksargen (Region 12), and “Gandigan” from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Ronnie Mirabuena, PFDS public relations officer and CCP supervising culture and arts officer, said that in partnership with the PFDS, the CCP has been “very active in the promotion of indigenous cultures, which include folk dances.”

In this year’s workshop, they will launch a book and a set of instructional videos on the new dances titled “Indak Tayo: Dances of the Philippine Islands.”

“These dances will be taught coming from the production of the instructional videos,” Mirabuena said.

The national workshop gathers almost 700 participants from various regions as well as US-based Filipino dance groups based in Alaska and Los Angeles and San Francisco in California.

Villones was joined by Senior Tourism Operations Officer Mae Ann Furtos and Tourism Officer Jose Marlo Gamo in declaring the opening of the 41st National Folk Dance Workshop.

In this welcome message, Vice Mayor Ramon Torres said after a decade of first hosting the event, this city is again given the chance to “celebrate Filipino culture and creativity, and showcase performances in dance that reminds us of our roots.”

“This is a worthy undertaking that we are taking part of as we preserve our heritage and ensure sustainable cultural development,” he added. (PNA)