Dr. Reynaldo B. Inocian

Argaoas La Torta Dance Festival: A Culture Mix of Colonial and Indigenous Elements

This study determined the embedded elements of the LaTorta Dance Festivals. It sought to answer these objectives: (1) trace the festival’s origin and epitomized ethos, (2) describes the festival’s dance steps, props, costumes, music, and courtship, and (3) extrapolate themes and values from the key informant’s testimonies of faith. The study employed an ethnographic design in a holistic cultural system. There were 15 informants in the study: 5 key informants (KIs) who were elderly aged 65 and above and a resident of Argao, and 5 casual informants (CIs) who are choreographers, dancers, artists, and local government officials, who represented as the emic group, and 5 general informants (GIs) who were foreigners and other local tourists and witnessed the festival, to represent the etic group. Argao’s La Torta Dance Festivals is a culture mix of colonial and indigenous elements as depicted in the dance steps, props and costumes, music and courtship. Its origin epitomized townspeople’s ethos in the light of cultural dualism. The torta remains an expression of gratitude and a shower of blessing, which united the townspeople through a colorful festival as a symbol of faith to the patron saint as a protector of life. It is recommended that aspiring composers, arrangers and choreographers may continue the festival and encourage going beyond their imagination to improve its future choreography, without altering the essence of its unique origin.