Mother Urts

By Patricia Nicole Y. Manalo

A company with numerous national and

international awards, Bayanihan has given Filipinos a
renewed sense of pride in their cultural heritage, provided a
new depth to the nation's dance legacy, and has built a rich
reserve of international goodwill. The founding director of
the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company
was Mommy Urts.
Mommy Urts, whose name is Lucrecia Faustino Reyes-Urtula, was a Filipino dance
researcher, choreographer, director of theater, teacher, and author from Iloilo . She is
considered the mother of Filipino folk dance. She was a student assistant for physical
education, performed the cariosa, abaruray, salabat, and areuana dances in 1921 during the
Manila Fiesta Carnival. Her dissertation, Philippine Folk Dances and Games, which would be
used by teachers and playground instructors as material for teaching dance, was later
accepted for a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
With all the hard work and perseverance in her own field she have received numerous
awards. ASEAN Tourism Association for the Best ASEAN Cultural Effort, Pattayas, Thailand
(1990), Tandang Sora Award for the Arts (1982), Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award
from the City of Man ila (1973), International Women's Award in UNAP's Women of
Distinction (1963), Republic Cultural Heritage Award for Research in Folk Dance (1963) and
Conferred a title, "Bai Kiokmay" (means, most active princess in the Arts) on 1963. She is
also a recipient of the Republic Award of Merit(1970), the Ramon Magsaysay Award and is a
designated National Artist of the Philippines for Dance(1976).
Francisca Reyes-Aquino dedicated her life to preserving Filipino culture by
researching and teaching folk dances. Reyes-Aquino is the country's first National Artist in
Dance. She attempted to bring folk dance into the domain of theater. She adapted indigenous
dance traditions to the demands of the modern theater, and her works were performed
internationally.
Reyes-Aquino's study resulted in the publication of several books. Philippine Folk
Dances and Games (1927), Philippine National Dances (1946), Gymnastics for Girls (1947),
Fundamental Dance Steps and Music (1948), Foreign Folk Dances (1949), Dances for All
Occasions (195), Playground Demonstration (1951), Philippine Folk Dances in 6 volumes
(1951-1979), Rhythmic Activities (1952), and Philippine Folk Dances and Songs (1966) are
among her works.
She collected different Lanao and Cotabato dances, such as the slave dance, the
warrior dance, and the "Singkil" dance of the Muslim princess. Her innovative choreography
enhanced the repertoire of her Bayanihan Dance Company, which performed at the 1958
World Exposition in Brussels and the Winter Garden in New York. Reyes received praise for
giving "form, substance, and exciting color to what could have been simple ethnic dances,"
which she transformed into a theatrical art form. Singkil, a Bayanihan signature piece based
on a Maranao epic poem; Vinta, a dance glorifying Filipino sailing prowess; Tagabili, a tale
of tribal struggle; and Pagdiwata, a four-day harvest festival condensed into a six-minute
show, were among the widely praised dances she has staged.
On August 4, 1999, Lucrecia Reyes-Urtula died at the age of 70. Her works are
treasured and patronized not only by the Filipino people but also the foreign people. She
become an inspiration to each and
believes that Philippine folk dance can
take in a more creative approach in
presentation. Over a period of thirty
years, she contributed a lot in the
development of Philippine Folk Dance.
She is one of the reasons why, despite the proliferation of new dance styles, folk and ethnic
dances in the Philippines are still being preserved. She developed and improved people’s taste
in terms of music.

Lucrecia Reyes- Urtula is looked up by her co-artist and her compatriot in her
unbeatable service and contribution to Philippine Art. Her works continued to flourish until
now. All the artworks of her is still present in the Contemporary period as it is loved and
embraced by the Filipinos.