LEGACY AND HISTORY. This is how a renowned choreographer for the MassKara Festival described their performance as their village once again aims for another grand slam for this year’s festival.
If there is a village in Bacolod City known as a force to reckon with when it comes to the street dance and arena competition, a Bacolodnon would always mention that it is Barangay Granada. The village obtained its first grand slam title when it was hailed as the champion for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016. Moreover, it also won the championship title last 2022 and 2023. And for this year, they will once again dance their way to the top as they seek for their second grand slam title.
Joedem Casabuena, a choreographer for Barangay Granada, mentioned that there will be “wow factor and surprises for this year” as their village planned to showcase a distinct and different performance compared to the previous years.
For this year, there will be an “explosive” performance or pasabog which is different from last year, he added.
Along with Casabuena, he is joined by the other two choreographers, Mark Philip Lamirez and Romnick Rafael. Through their collective effort and ideas, they have been helping their village marks its name in history since 2014.
Discipline, hard work and teamwork – these are the factors that paved the way for their success in obtaining a grand slam title and now, as they aim for their second grand slam, Casabuena said.
He added that he is firm and strict when it comes to disciplining his dancers, including punctuality, execution, nd counting, among others; they impose rules.
In order to secure the aimed title, Barangay Granada spends “around P5 million” yearly for all of their expenses, including their costumes.
Casabuena also acknowledged the effort of the former Granada barangay captain Alfredo Talimodao Jr., who established them, and allowed them to showcase their talents, not only locally but also abroad. And although they may encounter difficulty sometimes, those are only minor concerns since their village leaders are always fully supportive.
Casabuena admitted that their lucky charm is their group and their dancers, who are residents and natives of the village.
He also mentioned that they helped choreographed other villages during those years that Barangay Granada did not participate in the competition.
Just like their village name, Barangay Granada, surely, everyone can expect an “explosive” performance as their village aims to achieve another legacy and history that not only their residents but also other Filipinos around the world could be proud of./PN
