Carigara attempts to clinch the ‘Largest Philippine Folk Dance’ title

It may have been Friday the 13th last July 13, but Leyte’s Carigara town is feeling lucky. With an expected number of participants at 8,000, it attempts to break the world record of the largest crowd of people doing a folk dance. And their choice of kembot? The Kuratsa.

Carigara in Leyte ready to win the title

The Kuratsa is a local dance that demonstrates courtship between a boy and a girl. According to Prof. Zenia Dulce of the University of the Philippines-Tacloban, it’s actually a freestyle dance. “’Yung babae umiikot habang hinahabol ng lalaki. Ang lalaki naman, mas complicated ang movements, may patalon-talon at luhod.”

But what makes the Kuratsa unique is the money involved. At the end of Kuratsa, the crowd would throw money, making it the choice entertainment for fundraising events. 

For this attempt though at breaking the world record, Carigara had to settle with play money because really – showering eight different streets with money isn’t quite feasible.

Yes, that’s correct: eight different streets were closed just to accommodate the number of participants.

There were old couples (married for 40 years) who joined, newly married ones, engaged couples — it was such a wide-reaching event that announcements had to be made through the local radio station.  

At the end of the program, do you know how many people actually joined in? More than 9,000 people — or 9,642 to be exact.

Carigara just submitted their bid, and are waiting for confirmation. — LA, GMA News