CARIGARA,Leyte-Nearly 5, 000 dancers clad in colorful ‘kimona’ and ‘camisa de chino’ filled the streets of this town on July 14 as they attempted to make into the Guinness World Records for the “Largest Numbers of Philippine Folk Dancers (kuratsa dance).”
The event, which was part of the town’s 423rd fiesta celebration on July 16, brought pride and excitement to the locals, saying it helped boost their tourism and economic activities.
“We practiced for two hours since June 27. We, the teachers handling Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health (MAPEH) subject, were tapped to train students and residents in the barangays,” said Myda Ibañez, a teacher.
“This is the first in the history of Carigara. All agencies participated,” Veronica Loreño, also a teacher, said.
“Even husbands of teachers participated in the dance. We shortened our classes for our daily practice,” she added, following an order from their local government unit.
Since her husband was busy with his job, Loreño said she had her 15-year-old son as the dance partner.
Majority of the 4,821 dancers who joined were students and teachers from the two school districts in Carigara, Jugaban National High School, Carigara National Vocational School, Carigara National High School, Eastern Visayas State University-Carigara campus, Holy Cross College of Carigara, municipal workers, the private sector, and ordinary residents.
Kuratsa or curacha is a traditional dance of courtship where the male approaches and courts a lady in a form of a dance and is very popular in different parts of the Philippines, particularly among the Waray people in the Visayas.
(RONALD O. REYES)
