Shimmering lights. All-out performances. Crowd screams. And everything in between. Only in Raniag Vigan City Twilight Festival 2022 showcasing Street Dancing and Showdown Competition.
SNEAK PEAK:
Raniag is an Ilocano term that means light in English. It represents the flame of gratitude that Biguenos devote to the Lord and would also mean the guiding light that reminds them of their departed loved ones that take place for a week or so from the last week of October until the first week of November.
There are four competing groups in this year's Street Dancing and Showdown Competition. The dancers are 14 years old and above. With their creativity and dancing skills, they make the streets lively and colorful, as well as the crowd scream for awe and excitement. Meanwhile, rescue teams were also always ready and prepared for cases that needed an immediate response and medical treatment.
Showdown was performed first beside the Vigan City Hall, just in front of the UNESCO World Heritage Seal, and it was followed by festive, kaleidoscopic, and glowing Street Dancing.
Shining, shimmering, splendid: Here are the four contenders in their creative costumes and a glimpse of their performance.
Contingent No. 1 - El Squada
Their performance in the showdown competition started with smooth moves blending with music which I really liked, and then it got more intense as it reached climax.
Their performance was glowing through their props, such as drums and guitars with lights, as well as led lights in their fingers. I saw them having their practice once, and I just realized it was them I'd seen before when they were already performing. Indeed, their rendition was fascinating.
Contingent No. 2 - Sinag Tala
Who would have thought the avengers were here in this festive celebration and performing on the streets? As the dancers representing the protagonists, such as Hulk, Thor, and Spiderman, among others, entered, the crowd couldn't stop screaming, especially the kids and, of course, the Avengers fans. I couldn't just stop smiling in astonishment at their spirited performance and luminous props that brought more than just satisfaction to my eyes.
Just like in their showdown, they also did great in Street Dancing, where each of them gave their best in showing what they've got with the gleaming swords or lightsabers.
Contingent No. 3 - Kenz Group of Talents
The moment they set their feet on the dancing ground, I immediately felt the energy. Without bias, I somehow felt their going to deliver a fantastic showdown, and I wasn't wrong because they really did a crackerjack performance, making everyone feel nothing but astonishment.
One notable thing they did is that there was this one boy who did some stunts in front of the judges and audience. There was also this one zestful dancer that made the audience flabbergasted because of his liveliness while dancing. He's the one on the right side of this clip.
Contingent No. 4 - Sayaw Silangan
Bold as they are, this group, which was hailed as the former champion prior to this year's competition, started their showdown with a spectacular rendition of their previous remarkable performance, like the Moana-inspired performance, followed by Coco and their execution this year of Encanto.
The literary set the street on fire as they did some fire dance. Safety was ensured, though, and no one was reported hurt by it. I was in front, so I had a great view of how they made everyone on the street astonished, including me. The ending was very remarkable as they ended it with a sparkling feat.
Everyone did their best, but in every competition, there are winners. So before the night ended, the winners were announced. The former champion made it again to be on top this year. It's for the third time in a row; hence, they are considered unbeatable. They are followed by Sinag Tala, Kenz Group of Talents, and the El Squada, respectively.
It was indeed a pleasurable experience. It's been a while since the last time it was celebrated, and so this year's welcoming of Halloween and celebration of this festivity awakened everyone's sleeping excitement.
Happy Raniag Vigan City Twilight Festival 2022!
All images, clips, and text used in this article are the author's property.