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Ballet and Dance Companies in Philippines

Find out everything about dance in Philippines, from information on some of the best Philippine companies to dance auditions in Philippines.

“You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that fleeting moment when you feel alive. It is not for unsteady souls.”

Merce Cunningham

Philippines & Dance

There is evidence that ballet was performed in the Philippines as early as the 17th century. Ballet first became popular in the country during the American colonial period. American teachers introduced ballet to Filipino students in the early 1900s.

The first ballet company in the Philippines was founded in 1930 by National Artist for Dance Alice Reyes. Since then, the Philippines has produced world-renowned ballet dancers, choreographers, and companies.

The Philippine Ballet Theater was founded in 1967, and is the oldest professional ballet company in the Philippines. The company has performed internationally, including in the United States, Canada, China, and Japan, and has received critical acclaim for its performances.

The Philippines has produced several world-renowned ballet dancers, including Julie Borromeo, the first Southeast Asian dancer to be appointed a soloist with The Royal Ballet in London; and Nancy Leedham, the first Filipino dancer to perform with the Mariinsky Ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Other notable Filipino ballet dancers include Maria Alexandria Goeringer, who has danced with the American Ballet Theatre, and Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, who is the prima ballerina assoluta of the Philippines.

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Did you know that…?

American and British students of dance were initially fascinated by the beauty and intricate movements of Philippine dances, but later dismissed them as “primitive” compared to formal Western ballet. Philippine folk dances are often grouped with other dance traditions of Asia and Oceania in dance anthologies, comparative dance studies, and ethnographic research rather than studied in their own right. Philippine legal codes stipulate that the study and preservation of Philippine folk and ethnic dances be included in the curriculum at all educational levels. Contemporary Philippine dance groups such as Bayanihan, Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, and First Philippine Dance Ensemble are world-renowned.

While some parts of Philippine dance have no trace of Western influence and are entirely indigenous, some have traces of Western and Asian dance sources. Philippine dances are categorized as indigenous or religious, with most dances considered to fall under the latter. The dances are often categorized by ethnic group, including Christian, Muslim, and indigenous groups.

The oldest dances of the Philippines are those associated with rice cultivation, fertility rites, and shamanistic practices. These dances are accompanied by traditional songs and are often performed during special occasions, such as the harvest or planting of crops, funerals, or religious festivals. The movements of Philippine dances have been categorized by some ethnographic researchers as simple, staccato, or flowing, although most dancers in the Philippines do not use these terms.

Some Philippine dances are unique to a particular ethnic group or region, while others are shared across ethnic and regional boundaries. Among the more commonly known Philippine dances are the tinikling, which involves two people knocking bamboo poles together rhythmically, and the singkil, which is a dance of the Maranao people of Mindanao that involves kicking one’s feet between two bamboo poles. Other dances include the karagatan, a harvest dance of the Visayan people, and the balitaw, a love song and dance from Visayas and Mindanao.

The Philippine folk dance repertoire is constantly evolving, with new dances being created to keep up with changing musical styles and social customs. For example, the tinikling has been adapted to include various popular songs and dances such as the cha-cha, merengue, and waltz. Philippine folk dances are often performed in social gatherings, such as weddings, baptisms, and festivals.