Institute of Arts and Sciences Wins First Place at the 2013 Mardi gras Competition

The Mabalacat City College – Institute of Arts and Sciences won first place at the 2013 Mardi gras Competition held on February 19, 2013 at Mabalacat City College Quadrangle during the College Days 2013.

The competition was hotly contested as the spirited dancers of each institute tried to outshine each other. It has two parts. First, the Street Dance which culminated in an interpretative dance contest at Mabalacat City Hall at Xevera, Mabalacat City, Pampanga. The street dance comprised 40% of the over-all competition score. And second, the Dance Showdown at the MCC Quadrangle.  The dance showdown comprised 60% of the over-all competition score.

The Institute of Arts and Sciences danced the ritualistic Bonok Bonok Maradyaw Karadyaw, a rain dance popular among the Mamanuas of Surigao and Agusan. Their grand display of authentic ethnic moves with live music and chants made their rendition unique. They won the nods of the judges and placed first.

The Institute of Arts and Sciences preparing for the street dance competition. (Photo: Glaiza Royo)

The Institute of Hospitality Management enthralled the crowd with their breathtaking rendition of the Buyogan, a festival dance popularized in Abuyog, Leyte. The dance was replete with death-defying stunts of human bees clinging on rotating bamboo poles. They placed second.

The Institute of Teacher Education filled the quadrangle with different images of Señor Santo Niño as they danced the Dinagyang, a festival dance in honor of the Niño Jesus popularized in Iloilo City. They placed third.

The Institute of Computing Studies with their Kadayawan festival dance, and the Institute of Business Education with their Bangus  festival dance, also joined the contest. Mardi gras competitions had been a crowd drawer at MCC. It used to be one of the contests of the Buwan ng Wika. Now, it became one of the main events of the College Days 2013.