San Carlos showcases Pintaflores in Korea

The Pintaflores dancers from San Carlos City, Negros Occidental with Dr. Thomas Kim during the 2019 World Street Dance Festival in Seoul, South Korea over the weekend. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Saballa)

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Pintaflores Festival of San Carlos City in Negros Occidental was showcased during the 8th World Street Dance Festival in Seoul, South Korea over the weekend.

City Tourism Operations Officer I Jennifer Saballa, said they are the only delegate from the Philippines who were invited in the event.

Saballa said 10 selected government employees flew to South Korea to perform the city’s festival dance in the two-day event.

“It was our second time to perform in Korea,” Saballa said, citing their first performance in Gwangju City in 2017.

Two months ago, the city government received an invitation from Dr. Thomas Kim, professor and member of the festival council.

Kim also recommended the city to join in the event after he visited San Carlos City and witnessed the Pintaflores festival here in 2018, Saballa said.

Pintaflores means “pinta” for paint and “flores” for flowers. It is originally a body painting, Saballa said.

The world street dance festival in Korea has become a representative brand festival of Dongdaemun-gu in Seoul, attracting 500,000 visitors in 2018.

The delegates will return home on September 24.

Earlier this month, La Castellana’s Bailes de Luces from the province also won first place and was awarded the gold medal in the special division category (foreign) during the 2019 Wonju Dynamic Dancing Carnival held in Wonju City, South Korea.