Lydia Macaraig turned
some heads at the 2nd Annual
Philippine Belly Festival held on June 28 at the Glorietta
Activity Center in Ayala Center, Makati. Clad in an intense red belly dancing
bra and matching skirt, the 60-year-old performer showed off her belly and
shimmied without inhibition. Her performance was one of the most applauded in
the Belly Fest sequel. Last year, the festival that took place at the Ateneo
successfully introduced a wholesome picture of belly dancing in the country.
"More people will be reached—which is our mission—so this is very good," said Jill Ngo-Crisologo, director of Peak Performance Dance Studio and Belly Fest 2008 organizer.
This year's festival, hosted by Peak Performance Dance Studio, was clearly more
impressive compared to the first Belly Fest.
It featured a belly dance bazaar with food stalls and free workshops at
the activity center of the mall. Dozens of people were seated at the center of
the mall to watch the two-hour program while hundreds of spectators watched the
performers from the second floor of Glorietta.
PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal), a media partner of Belly Fest, set up a booth to introduce the mobile news function of the site. Another booth that was flocked by mall goers was Regine Tolentino's booth that displayed belly dance costumes. She has been managing this shop for the past nine years.
Nearly 1,000 dance concert guests turned up—including belly dance buff Regine Tolentino, flamenco dance deity Clara Ramona, and the lively Jill, a former Whiplash Dance Company member. Lydia, however, was not nervous, sharing the stage with these luminaries. The senior citizen was instead "well-motivated."
Said she: "God created me to bring him enjoyment and for his pleasure. I believe God smiles when we use our abilities." Lydia learned belly dancing last year to put a stop to backaches. A doctor recently recommended an operation, but she refused, putting her faith instead on the dance's healing qualities.
Even Regine Tolentino attests to how belly dancing is a good form of exercise. "I strongly recommend belly dancing because this is a great way to lose weight and not get the ‘workout' feeling when you exercise in the gym. You'll also have a lot of fun because you'll discover your sensual side and you'll be able to really tone your muscles," she pointed out during the event.
It even put some spark back into her own love life. "It's good because you get
to isolate different muscles and may mga undulations, mga chest lifts, sexy
pelvic thrusts. My husband appreciates it."
The Unang Hirit host was a sexy whirlwind on the dance floor. Regine was dynamic as ever, dancing to Middle-Eastern-inspired music. Her husband Lander Vera Perez attended the event as well as their children Reigen, 7, and Reigne, 9. Their two daughters are studying belly dancing in the dance studio of Regine.
Besides Lydia and Regine, Clara also made the audience of mall goers smile during the event. Known internationally for her rendition of Carmina Burana, the dance teacher of Lucy Torres-Gomez displayed her belly dance prowess. She was mysterious and graceful, performing a fusion of flamenco and belly dance.
Other lead dancers were Gemma Magtibay, Gladys Mallari, Arcel Benson, Chiho Joko, and Summer Allada. Compared to last year, they were seemingly more accustomed to performing before audiences.
As a dance concert, the 2ndBelly fest was better organized. It didn't have as many belly dance numbers that made the show quite tedious to watch last year. Instead, it presented fresh belly dance elements to the audience. Claire Sakumura, a Japanese belly dancer, even displayed a style, reminiscent of 1960s Soul Train Gang member Charles "Robot" Washington's locking technique.
A "modern belly dance" was demonstrated by the Peak Performance dancers in tight-fitting silver costumes. The presentation, which mixed belly dance with hip-hop music, was energetic. Modern songs such as "Beautiful Liar" and "Suicidal" were tapped to provide the music for belly dance, an art form that has its roots in Middle East.
The group Sing India also lent their music to the event. The duo of Punnu and CJ
Wasu enticed people to dance with the pulsating beat of tabla, a percussion instrument.
Jill and the Belly Fest lead dancers, on the other hand, presented a cane dance, which originated from Egypt. In ancient Egypt, belly dancers used canes carved with gazelle heads as props.
Most follow-ups hardly do the first show justice, but the 2nd Belly Fest put belly dance in our country in full swing. Last year, the festival taught us that belly dancing was for everyone. It snuffed out the bawdy clichés associated with the dance. On the other hand, this year's show demonstrated how fun and entertaining it really is. Even a 60-year-old became oblivious of age and backaches because of the dance.
Lydia put it best: "Belly dancing is the most pleasurable workout I've experienced in my life. I now listen with love to my body's messages, and every cell in my body responds to every single thought I think and every word I speak."
Click HERE to view photos of Belly Fest 2008.