The Bailes de Luces performers of La Castellana, Negros Occidental, won the 2024 Senior Grand Champion title in the Dance Group of the World category at the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Long Beach, California, on Saturday, July 6.
An elated La Castellana Mayor Rhummyla Mangilimutan, who led the group, said their “victory has been a long time dream that we have finally attained”.
The winning officially confirms that the Bailes de Luces of La Castellana is world class, she said.
It also could open new opportunities for the La Castellana performers as there were talent scouts present at the WCOPA, she said.
Even if La Castellana is just a small town it is inspiring that our dancers were champions on the world stage, Mangilimutan said.
The Bailes de Luces competed in contemporary dance, folk dance, and the open category, excelling among participants from 67 countries.*