Memories of Mindanao, Part 9

By Conrad J. Benedicto

“Faisal’s dancers were fantastic—poised, graceful, athletic, and conscious of the stories they were telling. ”

Faisal Monal conducts the Mindanao State University’s Salamindanao Dance company in Cotabato. I don’t know who was more excited as we entered the dance studio, the young performers peeking out of the dressing room or the KULARTS participants who knew that the very group so many troupes in the U.S. try to emulate was about to present us with a special show.

After a brief slide presentation, the dances began. Faisal’s dancers were fantastic—poised, graceful, athletic, and conscious of the stories they were telling. They were giving of themselves even though they smiled during only one specific piece—a harvest dance echoing the planting and gathering of the fruits of the land.

Faisal Monal, Maguindanaon Master Artist and Culture Bearer.

Faisal provided an expert accompaniment on the kulintang. He is what educators would call a warm demander: a no-nonsense teacher who is able to push his students to give their utmost, while making them feel valued and safe. Faisal can be funny with his charges, even as they exhibit the exacting discipline he has instilled. The trust was evident in the expert execution students displayed. It was a heartwarming show of artistry, community power, and intergenerational legacy.

The KULARTS participants also presented dances and poetry. Each of us had the opportunity to express what a thrill it was to share space with Salamindanao Dance Company. If those young artists did not know before, they are now fully aware of what they mean to cultural troupes in the United States for they are the Pulangi to those groups—a mighty and undisputed source.

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