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FESTIVAL DANCERS

LIKHA - Pilipino Folk Ensemble

DANCE ORIGIN: Philippines
GENRE: Traditional
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Rudi C. Soriano
DANCE DIRECTOR: Jay R. Loyola
PERCUSSION DIRECTOR: Edward Cruz
COSTUME DIRECTOR: Warren T. Manuntag
First Appearance in SF EDF: 2003
Website: http://www.likha.org/

The Philippines is an archipelago – a scattering of 7,107 islands between the Philippine and South China Seas in Southeast Asia. These “little lands” have been inhabited by distinct indigenous groups, each with their own vital language, customs, music, and dances. What ties these islands together culturally are the influences that come by living in a common geographical environment, as well as sharing a common political and cultural history.

LIKHA, whose name in the Tagalog language means creation, was established in 1992 by a collective of twelve individuals who came together to celebrate Philippine dance and culture. The company now boasts an active membership of over 45 performers under the direction of Rudi Soriano, former soloist with the acclaimed Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company. LIKHA’s mission is to propagate Philippine folk traditions by educating community members and diverse audiences about Philippine culture through music and dance.

Artistic Director Rudi Soriano travels every other year with a research team to the Philippines to study indigenous dance, ritual, and tradition—to give his American-born dancers first-hand experience with their heritage and culture. Today, LIKHA presents dances learned from Batak natives on the island of Palawan in the southeast Philippines. This presentation, Semba, is a world premiere created and choreographed by Rudi Soriano and Dance Director Jay Loyola.

2008 PERFORMANCE

TITLE: Semba
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Rudi C. Soriano
DANCERS: Kevin Alicbusan, Liza Atendido, Raisa Baula, Beverly Cruz, Cristina Cruz, Cassie Dominguez, Christian Dominguez, Emmanuel Grueso Jr., Maria Honrada,Vincent Hutalla, Chariss Ilarina, Henry LaoShanna Mendiola, Kristin Nepacena, Michael Palad, Bryan Pangilinan, Alisa Quezon, Marie Reyes, Maria Rios, Camille Sibucao, Paulino Tamayo
MUSICIANS: Ernesto Andrade, Edward Cruz, Gabriel Encarnacion, Adelbert Espino, Randy Miranda, Omar Pahati, Almar Reyes, Richard Rios, Veronica Williams
INTERNATIONAL GUEST ARTISTS: Palawan Center for the Arts Foundation- Gilbert Belostrino, Vida Lledo, Narino Maniapao, Aimee Sombilon

Semba is a stately invocation, reflecting a profound reverence and connection with the natural world. The Batak are one of the Philippine's ancient tribes, and for thousands of years, they have lived deep in the Philippine forest as nomadic hunters, fishermen, and farmers. They keep their distance from the modern world, and although their forest home has decreased alarmingly in recent years, they continue to live a nomadic way of life. As Batak nomadic groups move from place to place, they dance for the local spirits. They dance to ask permission or approval to inhabit a location, and for guidance before fishing, hunting, or planting. If the spirits don't answer with a sign—a wind, an animal cry—the dance is repeated.

When the Batak perform this ceremony, they dance in specific and diverse locations in nature. In this choreography, several dances are incorporated into one. Here, three priestesses act as mediators between the community and the spirits. Some dancers listen and some look up to the sky, searching for signs that their dance has been acknowledged. In the Philippines today, Batak natives wear western clothing, but men of previous generations wore a loincloth made of the bark of a tree. They also wore a belt with a bamboo basket or pouch to carry their betel nut. Women were topless, and they wore skirts with a colored wrap, and adorned themselves with shell and wooden necklaces.

LIKHA is honored to include international guest artists from Palawan in today's performance—Narino Maniapao opens the piece with an invocation chant, and Aimee Sombilon, Vida Lledo, and Gilbert Belostrino join the LIKHA dancers and musicians. The artists are from the Palawan Dance Theater, part of the non-profit Palawan Center for the Arts Foundation in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines. This group is the premiere dance company in the province of Palawan, and it works to preserve traditional culture through music and dance. The dancers are from Palawan’s most widely distributed tribal group—Tagbanua.

2007 PERFORMANCE

TITLE: Kadayawan
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Rudi C. Soriano
CHOREOGRAPHERS: Jay Loyola and Rudi C. Soriano
DANCERS: Liza Atendido, Valerie Baula, Victoria Baula, Ron Cabarloc, Lolita Castillo, Beverly Cruz, Christina Cruz, Jennifer Cruz, Manuel De Vera Jr., Cassandra Dominguez, Emmanuel Grueso Jr., Maria Honrada, Vincent Hutalla, Henry Lao, Laurie Laxa, Shanna Mendiola, Kristin Nepacena, Bryan Pangilinan, Jennifer Poblete, Maria Rios, Camille Sibucao, Paulino Tamayo
MUSICIANS: Kevin Alicbusan (tangungo), Ed Cruz (tangungo), Herna Cruz (agong), Gabriel Encarnacion (babandil), Harrison Hapin (babandil), Randy Miranda (agong), Omar Pahati (dabakan), Angelo Salumbides (agong)

Through a staged representation of indigenous dances of Davao, LIKHA Pilipino Folk Ensemble commemorates the diverse folklore traditions of these glorious tribes. The richly textured dance reflects their multi-faceted nature, while simultaneously calling to the Bagobo, Mandaya, Manobo, B’laan, and Mansaka tribes to celebrate their unity with thanksgiving festivities. The piece titled Kadayawan, is a native expression in the Dabawnon language meaning “anything of excellence that brings good fortune.”

2006 PERFORMANCE

TITLE OF PIECE: Idudu, Gangsa Pattung
CHOREOGRAPHERS: Ramon Obusan (Idudu) Rudi Soriano (Gangsa Puttung)
DANCERS: Charlene Abalos, Liza Atendido, Raisa Baula, Lizzette Billostas, Lolita Castillo, Beverly Cruz, Gary Cruz, Herna Cruz, Tina Cruz, Gary Cruz, Manuel De Vera Jr., Cassie Dominquez, Genee Dominguez, Emmanuel Grueso Jr., Henry Lao, Laurie Laxa, Kristin Nepacena, Jaynee Ruiz, Camille Sibucao, Paulino Tamayo
MUSICIANS: Gangsa: Kevin Alicbusan, Ed Cruz, Christian Domintuez, Vincent Hutalla, Randy Miranda, Omar Pahati, Bryan Pangilinan, Angelo Salumbides

Likha Pilipino Folk Ensemble celebrates the rich folkloric traditions of the tribes of the Philippines. The first piece, entitled Idudu, is taken from a native lullaby and portrays the interchanging roles of mothers and fathers in a Tingguian family. A father is depicted plowing in a field as a mother nurtures the children, then the mother takes over the remaining planting and sowing chores while the father cares for the children. The second piece, Gangsa Pattung is a thanksgiving dance from the Kalinga featuring a group of male gong players interweaving in circular formations with female dancers.

2004 PERFORMANCE

Lihka

dancers TITLE OF PIECE: TODAK
CHOREOGRAPHY: Ramon Obusan
DANCERS: Emmanuel Benisano, Beverly Buhain, Ron Cabarloc, Kirsi Cabatbat, Gary Cruz, Manny De Vera, Cassie Dominguez, Christian Dominguez, Genee Dominguez, Chariss Ilarina, Laurie Laxa, Randy Miranda, Kristin Nepacena, Bryan Pangilinan, Pebbles Remulla, and Paulino Tamayo
MUSICIANS: Ernie Andrade (tangungo), Ed Cruz (tangungo), Herna Cruz (gong), OJ Pahati (drum), Fredeswinda Santos (gong), and Emmanuel Grueso Jr. (babandil)

For the 2004 Festival, Likha presents dance and music derived from the aboriginal Bagobos people of the region Davao in the southeastern part of the Philippines near Mindanao. These people live between the ocean towns of Davao del Sur up to the foot of the towering Mt. Apo. This staged version of a Bagogo harvest dance depicts in mime and symbolic movement the time cycle of rice growing, from planting to harvesting.

Todak refers to the bamboo poles topped by clappers used by the male dancers. Here the men clean the field in preparation for planting, while others jab the todak into the earth to make holes for seed planting. Young women throw the grain into the holes and later return to cut the rice stalks to place in their baskets. Finally they thresh and pound the grain for consumption. The set concludes with men and woman dancing together in celebration of a hard days work completed.

The costumes represent the type of clothing made by the Bagobos people. The fabric is woven of abaca fiber, a kind of hemp grown abundantly in the Philippines, and is adorned with embroidery and designs made with shell disks and beads. The musical instruments consist of the tangungo, a set of eight metal gongs hung on bamboo frames, the kubing, or jew's harp and drums.