Varsitarian: A Dance Legacy Lives On

Varsitarian: A Dance Legacy Lives On

For many Bayambangueños, the name Varsitarian brings back memories of a time when a group of young dancers could command a stage and become part of the town’s biggest celebrations.

Rising to prominence in 1989 onwards, the Varsitarian Dance Group became a familiar presence in major events around Bayambang, including Pista'y Baley, Miss Bayambang, Miss Gay Bayambang, and Wawa's barrio fiesta, etc.

Its dancers were not merely performers; they were among the town’s young cultural personalities, remembered for the energy, discipline, and flair they brought wherever they danced.

They were their own choreographers too. As members turned older and changed priorities, the group changed membership until it reached having a fourth batch.

Decades later, the legacy is being revived.

On July 5, 2026, local dancers auditioned for a new generation of Varsitarian at the LGU Dance Studio.

Watching over the selection were some of the group’s original founders and members, including its president Donnie de Vera, who was the star dancer, along with Lyra Pamela Duque, Snooky Odon Cuison, Mharla Asuncion, and Arnel Pon Serran. Though not present at the time, other original members were vice-president Maria Fe Sendaydiego Odon, Apollo Cayabyab, Rogel Reves, and Bong Galsim.

Former members Annie Cuison Arenas and Vladimir Bautista also joined the screening committee, alongside Municipal Administrator, Atty. Rodelynn Rajini Sagarino-Vidad and dance instructor John Jeremy Ong.

Some Varsitarian members have since built lives abroad, including vice-president Maria Fe and Leizel Odon Maneclang, now based in the United States. Yet distance and time have not erased the name.

The passing new auditionees have undergone training to prepare to become the next members of Varsitarian—a new generation stepping into a legacy that once enlivened Bayambang’s grandest occasions.

The faces may change, the choreography may evolve, and the stages may be different. But in Bayambang, Varsitarian continues to dance its way from one generation to the next.

(photo: Varsitarian dance group)