Revisiting a bangka dance memory as a water offering from a Blessed invite from Jo Love for a Seed and Soul 2015 event. Three years has passed since that auspicious gathering. We scrambled, in typical fashion, all of us volunteers in the dream inspired bangka, my/our first-time with many things, our first time to dance together as krew with so many unrehearsed unknowns, and yet it felt so right when it all happened and gratefully, it all worked out together. I vividly remember that right after the Seed and Soul bangka dance offering (view via link for fb post below) someone shared with me that i was not easily seen by the audience from where i was dancing inside the bangka; what i didn’t get a chance to say back then so I will share it now, was, well, perhaps from the center audience view it was not easy to see me through the other dancers’ bodies but perhaps to look from a different view, like from the the side, that would provide a different perspective. In deeper reflection, it was and is okay to not to be ‘seen’ at times. Let me explain. Perhaps, the invisibility may represent the unheard voices and stories from deep within us that is always there, ever present, and yet, not visible to our human eyes. The invisible unheard creaky voices, gnawing and perpetually waiting at the edge of the darkness of the unknown, crawling out so slow that its pace is behind that of the slowest of the slowest slug; pits heartbeat so faint because fear stops it from taking another step towards the bright light, awaiting the opportunity to be free. I recall that I danced awkwardly, not accustomed to be front center, and to be honest just not comfortable with having the mic as typically I would be one of the unseen helpers. And that was enough for me. Sheepishly, from deep within the swaying bangka and with deep love from deep within I attempted to dance some of the new Palangay movements that I had recently learned. The sides of my mouth turns up to make a smile as i remember a curious little girl that skipped up on the side of the cloth bangka, remembering that knowing that lift up souls to rise, amidst all the beautiful womenx and menx volunteer dancers and flag holders, all of whom were scooped up ~30 minutes shy before our turn was up to on stage. Hope turned up when folks said, Yes, which meant that they will be part of the unrehearsed-trust-the-bangka-universe bangka dance. Remembering the two banner holders up on stage with a captain ‘s view of the audience, sharing the stage with the blue dagat (ocean) princess and a spirit of a paddler. And my heart rejoiced when the little girl responded to a simple Pangalay wave gesture as it beckoned: let’s play. (You ‘ll have to watch the video below to see them until they were gently claimed back by their mother.) I am reminded of my inner child and pondering on what and how it wishes to express play at this current time. Looking forward to the time when we shall dance all together again!
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❤️🌈🎉💗💖
Bottom photo: Preparing a bangka dance for a private love gathering, Harvest Full Moon Equinox 2018.
