Gilon-Gilon Street dancing opens 2009 Bangus Festival

By March 15, 2009Inside News, News

To officially mark the start of this year’s Dagupan Bangus Festival on April 15, representatives of 31 barangays and several educational institutions in Dagupan will be dancing in the streets for the ‘Gilon-Gilon ed Baley’ street dancing competition.

Gilon-Gilon, a dance step unique to Dagupan culture, depicts the harvesting of bangus in ponds and pens.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, chair of the 2009 Dagupan Bangus Festival, said the barangay chairmen and heads of the participating schools have confirmed their participation.

The participating schools are University of Pangasinan, Dagupan City National High School, St. John Cathedral School, Dominican School and the Jose de Venecia Memorial National High School which is combining with Barangay Bolosan.

Fernandez said the winner in the Gilon-Gilon competition will represent Dagupan City in the April 27 ‘Festivals of the North’, a bigger street dancing competition that will feature champions from other parts of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Baguio, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Isabela.

The street dancing participants don colorful costumes made of indigenous materials and do the Gilon-Gilon to the tune of bamboo beats, cymbals or drums as they parade from the city plaza, down to Perez Boulevard, Del Pilar Stret, A.B. Fernandez Avenue and back to the city plaza.

It was choreographed and patented during the 50th Charter Anniversary of Dagupan in 1997, chaired by Fernandez who was then a city councilor and it has since been adopted by public and private schools as part of the cultural re-awakening program in the city.

Meanwhile, Fernandez also announced new additions to the Bangus Festival events.

These include a Bangus Photo Exhibit by award-winning photographer Raymund Sto. Domingo at the CSI the City Mall Big Atrium; Pet Fashion Show by the Venerable Night-Lady Confraternity and Animal Life Clinic on April 17, also at the CSI the City Mall; Bangusfest Extreme Off-Road Challenge at Jose de Venecia Expressway Extension on April 18 and 19; and Halo-Halo Festival at the Senior Citizens Park on April 23— LM

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