FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE! Yesterday, KALOOB crossed yet another border: the gate to the tightly guarded and restricted city of Zheleznogorsk where only a very select few are allowed entry that even Russian citizens could enter it only upon stringent official purpose and permission. Zelesnogorsk was the secret/hidden city where Russian space science and technology was born and is continuously being developed (For a long time, it was not even on the map.); it is where space sattelites are being made; it has been, for the longest time, the manufacturing center of Russian military hardware. This green and beautiful science city gave birth to the Sputnik, mankinds pioneering space craft. KALOOB was received at the citys main square, at the steps of the beautiful Palace of Culture, by the Mayor and the leading citizens of the city garbed in native attire waving Russian and Philippine flags, offering bread and salt, playing music and singing songs --- all warm, traditional gestures of welcome and goodwill. KALOOB gave a one-and-a half hour performance that kept the full-house audience at the edge of their seats, now applauding most energetically, then shouting bravos and other Russian exclamations of appreciation and praise, now stunned, silenced and frozen with mixed concern, fear and disbelief as KALOOB balanced glass lamps on their dainty heads and hands, rolled on the floor with wine glasses precariously perched on their heads and palms, danced barefoot between clashing bamboo poles, ever graceful and smiling. At the end of the prayformance, the audience got on its feet and gave KALOOB a standing ovation with thunderous, non-stop applause that lasted forever! The Governor of the resource-rich Krasnoyarsk Region went on stage, thanked the group ever so graciously and gave me a Citation of Appreciation written in Russian. At the same steps of the Palace of Culture where we were received earlier, the people shook our hands, embraced, kissed and hugged us, some with tears swelling in their eyes. They were so emotionally moved by the presentation that they could not contain their joy. Many waited in line to be photographed with KALOOB. Then the troupe was feted to an official dinner hosted by the Mayor, the Vice-Mayor and other civic and culture leaders of the city where numerous toasts with fine champagne and wines were exchanged and KALOOB was lavished with thoughful and beautiful gifts. KALOOB, I was told, is the first Philippine dance troupe to perform in the Siberian capital city of Krasnoyarks and the first dance troupe to perform in Zheleznogorsks Palace of Culture as it has been a venue only for musical performances. Not even Russian dance troupes had ever performed there. (In this theatre, KALOOBs rondalla sounded majestically and gloriously beautiful!) In one of the toasts, the citys Head of Cultural Affairs exclaimed: If only even just a small fraction of the Phillippine population was like you, KALOOB, then the Philippines could only be a place of great happiness and you would have more than enough joy to share with whole world. Purihin ang Maylikha!
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 23:42:58 +0000