MAYUAYO NGA LUMYOM:Revitalizing Romblomanon Traditional Dances

MAYUAYO NGA LUMYOM:
Revitalizing Romblomanon Traditional Dances
PASINAYA 2025
The Kalilayan Folkloric Group
of Catanauan, Quezon
CCP Front Lawn
February 2, 2025 | Sunday | 4 PM
MAYUAYO NGA LUMYOM:
Revitalizing Romblomanon Traditional Dances
In ancient times, Romblon is named Donblon, Lomlon, or as a legend claims, Lumyom which describes a brooding hen. Nestled at the bosom of the Philippines, Romblon is famed for its high-quality marble, its pristine white beaches and the religiosity of its people.
Indeed, the religiosity of the Romblomanons, particularly its cabecera Romblon town is profound, especially in their devotion to the Santo Niño de Romblon, whose feast day is celebrated starting on the second Friday of January, the start of the novena and practice of the tonton or the lowering of the image from the altar for the pahayok or besomano veneration of image. The following day is the occasion for the caranza/sadsad a unique Romblomanon devotional dancing and revelry, the biniray fluvial procession, and the paseo or “stroll” of the image back to the church. Evenings of the vesper and fiesta days are devoted to dance balls or the performance in the plaza of a comedia or moro-moro (locally called colloquio). The dance balls, usually hosted by the hermana/hermano mayor becomes the avenue for the performance of the island’s old dances such as the virginia and the sarao. The old folks are inclined to dancing the Visayan kuratsa which the younger Romblomanons reinterpreted into a dance now mimicking the colorful antics of the little white fiddler or ghost crab locally called agogocoy, hence the name of the dance.

Virginia.
An all-girl piece danced as an offering and as a form of thanksgiving to the Santo Niño, or to welcome guests and visitors of the town fiesta or any Romblomanon social gatherings.
(Binhing Sining Dance Company of Batangas City)
Sarao.
Originally a performance in the ubiquitous Moro-Christian conflict theme of folk theaters with the women representing the Christians, and the men, the Moros. This sarao version that filtered down the Romblomanons of today, is much like a festival or spectacle dance in jota rhythm where the ladies don flouncy sevillanas and assigned various roles: capitana (the head), giya (the guide), and ikog (the tail), and the men look martial, reminiscent of 16th century Spanish soldiers of Magellan’s expedition.
Agogocoy.
The singular dance truly representative of Romblon. A reinterpretation of the kuratsa, the agogocoy mimicks the playful antics of the little white fiddler or ghost crab locally called agogocoy. Like a group of miniature dancers, they seem to frolic as they scurry sideward on Romblon’s long coastlines, away from the teasing waves. Romblomanon ingenuity combined the graceful movements and frolic among unmarried lasses and swains during merrymakings, in the agogocoy dance.
#StoNiño #Romblon #Biniray #Tonton #Caranza #Sadsad
#KFG #KalilayanFolkloricGroup
#ProudQuezonian #ProudKALILAYAN
#SayawKalilayan #SayawTayabas #SayawQuezon
#pamanangquezonian #TaraNasaQUEZON
#culturaldance #folkdance #philippinefolkdance #Heritage
#CelebratingPilipinoCulture #ProudlyPinoy
#HeritageAndTradition #FilipinoCulture
#PilipinoHeritageandTradition
#costumes #poductiondesign
#ParaSaSining #ParaSaBayan #LoveThePhilippines 🇵🇭

[@restymacabata]

proud romblomanon here ( Romblon - Romblon / Sta. Maria, Tablas)