Friday, June 27, 2008 2 GenSan choreographers grab CCP dance fest's top plums
TWO young choreographers from General Santos City shone at the recent Wifi Body Independent Contemporary Dance Festival Young Choreographers Competition held at the Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater) of Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) on June 12-16, 2008 by taking home two of the three top plums.
The festival, presented by the World Dance Alliance-Philippine Choreographers' Network, the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Japan Foundation, is the biggest gathering of independent dance artists and companies in the Philippines Julius Lagare's work, "Manoy," a duet performed by Julius Lagare and Deejay De Vera got the judges nod to win the top prize.
On the other hand, Deejay de Vera's solo piece "Suguilanon Ug awit sa Kahaponon" also impressed them that it finished third among 14 finalists selected from all over the country.
The 23-year-old Lagare is the second winner of the Wifi-CCP-JF NeXtage Award.
As this year's Wifi-Cultural Center of the Philippines- Japan Foundation NeXtage awardee, Lagare's winning work will be the official entry of the Philippines to the Yokohama Dance Competition.
"Manoy" is also being considered by the Japanese Contemporary Dance Network to be performed at the "Dance Wave Asia Contemporary Dance Now!" an international dance festival.
Lagare and de Vera are members of the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges Teatro Ambahanon Contemporaryo Dance Company, one of the Philippines' 10 Most Outstanding Young Dance and Theater Companies.
Their trip to Manila was made possible with the help and support of the City Council's Committee on Education chaired by Councilor Meg Santos.
