NCCA recognizes VSU Dance Company for enriching local dance community

This recognition was accorded to VSU on June 27, 2023, at the iconic and historic Metropolitan Theater in Manila.

Mr. Jovel M. Aberilla, a faculty member of the Institute of Human Kinetics (IHK) received the plaque of recognition on behalf of the university. His contribution to the enrichment of the local dance community in Leyte was also recognized during the said event especially because of his persistence to develop innovative ways to teach and perform cultural dances despite the pandemic.  

Mr. Aberilla is also the concurrent Chairperson of the Performing Arts Section of the VSU Culture and the Arts Center (CAC). From his college days, until he was hired as a full-time faculty member, he has been instrumental in leading and choreographing major dance performances for almost one and a half decades now.

The IHK faculty has also coached and mentored many students who brought in national and regional championships in reputable dance sports competitions here in the country. 

Through Mr. Aberilla’s able leadership, the VSU Dance Company participated in the second episode of the Dance Xchange on Air that happened last March 27, 2022.

Dance Xchange: The Philippine International Dance Workshop and Festival is a project of the NCCA-NCD that is intended to provide Filipinos from the dance community with an opportunity to showcase their different dance genres.

Due to the pandemic, Dance Xchange has shifted to the online platform, with which the VSU Dance Company was one of the 13 performers for their second online concert held last year.

In his Facebook post, Mr. Aberilla extended his gratitude to NCCA-NCD and the university administration for their continued support in the development of a vibrant performing arts group at VSU.

“As a #ProudViscan and a performance artist, I have always been grateful to be nurtured and be self-grown here at VSU. And our university has provided a conducive environment for us to develop our skills and we continue to do this important work by mentoring young people who have a passion for dances. Thank you, NCCA-NCD, and to the VSU administration for your overwhelming support for our local dance troupe and we hope to continue improving on our God-given talent in the many years to come,” the IHK faculty member shared.

Despite mobility restrictions and the limited face-to-face contact policy implemented during the pandemic, the NCCA-NCD has continued with its dance project by putting up online concerts and performances coming from different regional dance groups all over the Philippines.

NCCA is the overall policy-making body in the country that is responsible for the preservation, development, and promotion of Philippine arts and culture and VSU has been actively engaging with them for many years now.

IHK and CAC plan to nourish this engagement with NCCA-NCD by conducting future dance workshops and other activities that will enrich the local dance culture in Eastern Visayas.