De La Salle University’s (DLSU) official folk dance company LSDC-Folk produced “Alpas: Kultura ng Malaya: The 9th Anniversary Online Dance Concert,” on Sept. 4, showcasing the country’s diversely rich culture and history despite the COVID-19 pandemic, via AnimoSpace (for DLSU students), a closed Facebook Group, and YouTube. 

The future of live entertainment

The event was a night of tales, filling the online concert with music and dance. The show took its audiences through several cultural dances whilst showcasing the rich spectrum of the country’s cultural diversity.

The concert experience of the show exceeded the audience’s expectations. Despite the transition to virtual platforms, Alpas: Kultura ng Malaya deserved appreciation for the excellent editing that goes into each performance.

On the other hand, the show's visuals felt as if they offered a real-concert experience. Most of the dances and other performances did not seem to have a problem establishing seamless transitions with the minor technicalities and choreography.

Along with members of the LSDC-Folk group, guest musicians included the Lasallian Youth Orchestra (LYO), DLSU's official orchestra, Gonò Yè Bong, the T'boli tribe of musical performers from South Cotabato, and Rondalistang Parañaque, a stringed-instrument ensemble.

Furthermore, to boost the Filipino identity of younger citizens, LSDC-Folk strived to modernize the country's traditional dances by adding other styles and techniques. The group seeks to inspire others through representing their own culture by having an active representation of modern concerns impacting the Filipino indigenous population.

Overall, “Alpas: Kultura ng Malaya” served as a channel for transferring a sense of serenity, providing brief moments of peace and an opportunity to learn more about various cultures.