Romancing the Kulintang
by Lizaé Reyes
"Please come to our show and expect the unexpected." In my Heart, I wanted to enlighten this person's understanding of what Kulintang is about After seeing our show, that person no longer had the puzzled look, but with an expression of awe and appreciation, said, "Thank you so much. I have no words, but my heart only leaped with ecstacy as I watched you do the dances and play the music. Oh now I understand."To actually perceive the practices, beliefs and customs expressed in the music and dances of this particular culture, is to become more expansive and aware with lifestyles far outside one's own limited world. The history books I read and my colonial education back in the Philippines had much to say about my own limited understanding and appreciation of the beautiful culture of Southern Philippines. Only here in America did I find the treasure that broke my limitations, which I have attributed to master artists Danny Kalanduyan and Dr. Usopay Cadar.
I have expressed this cultural heritage through the traditional music and dances that I've learned from the master artists, As a dancer of Mindanao Kulintang Ensemble, I share a rich tapestry of expressions from the earliest collective memories of the people that belong in that culture. When I dance, not only do I tell a story about the culture, but also convey certain messages of what is sacred in the memories and experiences of those people.
The very soul of my dances is so personally powerful that it is not only cultural, celebratory and self-expressive, but has also become a form of spiritual and personal discipline. It has become a catalyst to doing yoga exercises, eating healthy foods and has done such great, positive impact to my well-being, a factor that has brought me serenity and equilibrium in my Life. I also learned that to master a dance doesn't happen overnight. It takes a very long time to master the glorious nuances, focus, precision of body placement and subtleties of bodily and hand gestures. It is of no surprise that the best traditional dances I've seen are done by people who grew up in that culture for dance is part of their daily lives. Young children learn from their elders who uphold a tradition born in the rice fields, mountains and villages. This is so far more meaningful to me than to witness an elaborate dance production. Such purity is what I treasure.
Romancing the Kulintang is like feeling and experiencing what is sacred to that culture. Every sandy shore and the shining water that moves in the Streams and rivers is not just water, but blood of their ancestors. The flowers, the wind, the birds, the mountains these give their children the spirit of Life. When I express these through my dances, my sense of self is transported to a different time and space. This rare experience hints at my own commitment to enlighten and expand people's limited understanding of Kulintang and its music and dances. Thus, an expression that has evolved through my unique experience of this culture its music its dances is "Romancing the Kulintang".
About the Writer.
Elizabeth "Lizaé" Reyes studied kulintang and southern Philippine dance under Mr. Danongan Kalanduyan and is a seasoned veteran having performed with the Mindanao Kulintang Ensemble in its 1995-96 national tour. She majored in Speech and Communication and Theater Arts from the University of the Philippines. She also holds a master's degree in Broadcast Communication from the same university. Before coming to the United States she was a stage and television actress. She is quoted to say: Kulintang music and its dance movement speak to me through a language of poetry. It does not depend upon the assistance of words to give it definitiveness. It is an art that communicates directly. Listening to the gongs' delicate tunes and rhythms is a whole new experience. Playing the music and doing the dance movement is an act of imagination that is ever attended in pure delight. The music and dance conjure up images of a forgotten past, our unknown past. Combined or alone, it is an expression that echoes our ancestors' songs of praise, victory and relentless fight for dignity. In this art I can see children and families and hear the echo of their voices during merrymaking, ritual, news dissemination and pageantry of the land. The boundaries of my spiritual experience broaden. It is uplifting to my heart and soul."
Lizae has also contributed poetry to the site. Click here to find her other works and a brief bio.
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