ORANGE COUNTY’S Barkadahan Dance Troupe (BDT) shone brightly at center court during a recent LA Clippers game – to celebrate Filipino Heritage Night at the Intuit Dome.
The Nov. 8 halftime performance took place during a Clippers-Suns matchup; sadly, Phoenix netted the win, but the young dance troupe members had a night to remember.
TINIKLING DANCERS: BARKADAHAN DANCE TROUPE (BDT) READY TO PERFORM AT HALFTIME AT THE INTUIT DOME. PHOTO COURTESY OF BECKY TAMONDONG
A total of 172 excited troupe members arrived with their parents, trainers, dance instructors, friends and supporters ahead of their performance. The dancers needed to get acclimated to the sports arena environment, warm up and practice their dance routine one more time before their halftime performance for an estimated 15,000 Dome spectators.
The BDT members, consisting of 26 young Filipino boys and girls, ages 6 to 16, were all eager to perform, and perform they did. They wowed the audience with the Maglalatik, a coconut shell tapping dance, and the all-time favorite Tinikling, or bamboo clapping dance. While their performance lasted only six minutes, the training and rehearsals that preceded it took weeks and days of disciplined practice sessions. The children performed beautifully and artfully, with their coordinated movement and rhythm in the tapping of the coconut shells as they danced the Maglalatik, and the notable nimble footwork and agility of the Tinikling dancers. As the dancers made their bow, the spectators’ roaring applause for the children was soul-lifting.
As part of the Cultural Program of the Diocese of Orange San Jose Filipino Ministry (DOSJFM) founded in 2021, the BDT was organized a year ago under the leadership of Belle Ibanez, DOSJFM Cultural Program director, and assistant directors Claudette Bachiller and Tammy Usher.
Barkadahan is a Tagalog word that represents group camaraderie in the truest and most profound sense of friendship, a quiet and welcoming refuge and a shared journey. Initially starting with 17 members, BDT now has 26 members.
The kids meet twice a week to learn and practice the dances in sessions held at the Poong Jesus Nazareno Filipino Cultural Center (PJNFCC) in Anaheim, which was inaugurated in July and is now a “home” to the BDT. They hold additional practice sessions when preparing for big engagements, such as their pre-game performance at the Filipino Heritage Night at the Angel Stadium last June, and the opening number at the Padayaw Dance Concert in Torrance last May. During the Simbang Gabi season in 2024, the BDT performed in various parish receptions following the Simbang Gabi Mass. With the Simbang Gabi season now upon us, the BDT calendar is full again.
What keeps the kids going?
Belle Ibanez shared that the children have developed friendships and enjoy each other’s company so much that they look forward to the practice sessions. The children have also developed self-confidence that will help them in their future endeavors. By actively becoming part of a group that promotes a love for one’s culture, faith and traditions, they have developed a sense of identity and enlarged their perspective of the world around them, thus making them potentially responsible members of society as they grow up. And let us not forget that the children’s parents, mostly first-generation Filipino Americans, also play an important role in this victory. With their ever-present support and dedication, we can continue to dream and make our dreams for our children come true.