Courtesy of Visions and Expressions Inc.
The International Dance Day Fest will take place from April 22 to 26 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati, celebrating the variety of dance forms and talents from across the Philippines.
Celebrating people who have made a mark in a field is far from new, especially if they are pioneers. The same applies to Jean-Georges Noverre, the father of modern ballet, whose birthday on April 29 is celebrated as International Dance Day.
Established in 1982 by the International Theatre Institute, International Dance Day is celebrated every April 29 in honor of Jean-Georges Noverre. In the Philippines, Ayala Land will spearhead a week-long celebration this year, which will open on April 20 and conclude on April 26 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. This year’s celebration brings together a wide variety of dance forms and talents from across the Philippines. As it aims to reflect the richness and diversity of the global dance community, the festival showcases performers from classical ballet and contemporary works to street dance and cultural performances.
The week-long celebration opens on April 22 with an Opening Gala featuring the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, joined by special guest principal dancers Thomas Forster and Christine Shevchenko. The following day, April 23, the spotlight turns to heritage with the Folk Dance Gala, celebrating Filipino culture through traditional movement and storytelling. Some of the groups participating include Bayanihan, the National Folk Dance Company; the PNU Kislap Sining Dance Troupe; the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe; and the Sindaw Philippines Performing Arts Guild.
The celebration continues but will transition to a different focus on April 24, with the Street Dance Gala featuring some of the crews and performers in the local scene, such as Unrlvd, W3, Mixed Nuts, and Eleven 11. Meanwhile, April 25 will focus on highlighting the grace of classical dance with some of the country’s leading ballet talents, including Ballet Philippines, Alice Reyes Dance Philippines, and Philippine Ballet Theater. The festival will then conclude on April 26 with the Contemporary Gala, showcasing innovative works that aim to demonstrate the evolving language of modern dance.
To further highlight the cultural exchange in addition to the performances, the Joffrey Ballet and Gerald Arpino Foundation répétiteur Christine Rocas will stage and teach excerpts from two of Gerald Arpino’s well-known works.
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