20 competing tribes to join Dinagyang 2008
The Iloilo Dinagyang Festival committee yesterday released the names of 20 competing tribes for the 2008 Iloilo Dinagyang festival competition. Next year's competition will have two major components, the main dance showdown and the street dance.
As of yesterday, the tribes that confirmed participation in the competition are Tribu Ilonganon, Tribu Silak, Tribu Paghidaet, Ang Taga Jaro, Tribu Atub-Atub, Tribu San Pedro, Tribu Baryohanon, Tribu Molave, Tribu Aninipay and Tribu Kalubihan.
The other competing tribes are Tribu Pag-asa, Tribu Panaad, Tribu Dagyaw Ta / Binhi, Tribu Familia Sagrada, Tribu Parianon, Tribu Hamili, Tribu Angola, Tribu Bantu, Tribu Himala and Tribu Ivatan.
The committee led by Ben Jimena, executive director of the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (IDFI), also released the new rules for the celebration. The theme for next year's Dinagyang festival is "One Mind, One Heart for Santo Nino."
The 20 participating tribes have to pass the dance showdown and street dance in order to win. The main dance showdown is a full presentation of the tribe's repertory which shall be performed in a designated judging area in front of a stage.
While, the street dance is a choreographed parade routine which shall be performed in a designated road stretch in between stages.
Also next year there will only be four judging areas instead of the usual five. The judging areas will be situated at the Freedom Grandstand, Provincial Capitol, Quezon - Ledesma streets and Iznart - Ma. Clara streets.
The street dance stretch A will start in JM Basa corner Aldeguer Streets and ends in Iznart corner Solis Streets; stretch B starts at Gen. Luna corner Valeria Streets until Quezon corner Delgado Streets and stretch C starts at Ledesma corner Valeria Streets until Iznart corner De Leon Streets.
Each tribe would be judged according to their performance, choreography, costume and music in the main dance showdown. While, in the street dance, each tribe would be judged according to their energy level, parade dance steps and orderliness.
The committee has yet to release the major and minor prizes for the ati and Kasadyahan competitions.
Another innovation in next year's Dinagyang is that the committee's ruling that children below 10 years old will no longer be allowed to become performers except as bearer of the Sto. Niño image. The foundations likewise prohibits the tribes from performing dance steps that unduly endanger the safety of dancers especially children. No barefoot performance shall also be allowed.
The use of flames and pyrotechnics will also not be allowed. Violation of the said rule would mean five points deduction from the total scores of all judges in all judging areas.