Ramón Obusan

Dancing Through the Ages: Ramon Obusan's Story

Ramon Obusan was a Filipino dancer, choreographer, stage designer, and artistic director. He is credited for being able to promote Philippine traditional dance and cultural work. Ramon is also an acclaimed archivist, researcher, and documentary filmmaker who focused on Philippine culture. He founded the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group in 1972. Among the awards that Obusan has received were the Patnubay ng Kalinangan award by the City of Manila in 1992, the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining award in 1993, and the prestigious National Artist of the Philippines for dance category in May 2006.

Among his notable works are the Vamos a Belen! Series (1998-2004) Philippine Dances Tradition, Noon Po sa Amin, tableaux of Philippine History in song, drama and dance, Obra Maestra, a collection of Ramon Obusan's dance masterpieces, Unpublished Dances of the Philippines, Series I-IV, Water, Fire and Life, Philippine Dances and Music--A Celebration of Life, Saludo sa Sentenyal, Glimpses of ASEAN, Dance, and Music of the ASEAN-Member Countries and MJ (Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group): Philippines Costumes in Dance.

The Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group (ROFG) was founded in 1972 and started out as a folk dance company composed of nearly 30 performers. For over 30 years, ROFG has introduced niches in the world of dance as forerunners of Philippine dance performing nearly close to its original form and reaching its potential. Despite international recognition, ROFG has never forgotten the people who are the very source of its pride. Having documented and performed rituals of over 50 ethnolinguistic groups in the Philippines

Obusan was born on June 16, 1938, in Makati, Metro Manila Philippines and died on December 21, 2006, due to cardio-pulmonary arrest at the Makati Medical Center. He was 68-years-old at that time. Up to the time of his death, the annual Christmas program Vamos A Bien at the Cultural Center of the Philippines was at his oversight.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Obusan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Obusan_Folkloric_Group