Joemarie Cruz, Deborah Lemuel and Brian San Miguel, photo by Chad Galang
ItikLandia, a contemporary dance theatre, was birthed by Daloy Dance Company during their residency at the British School Manila in March 2023. Directed by Ea Torrado, this piece is initially inspired by the traditional Filipino folk dance “Itik-itik’, and is a physicalized hymn to the natural world we all share, live and thrive in.
Fusing contemporary dance and devised theatre, Daloy Dance Company has been known for their experimental works that elude categorization. A company with a playful and exploratory approach to dance-making, their latest endeavor draws inspiration from Francesca Reyes-Aquino's seminal book, Philippines Folk Dances.
Daloy Movement facilitator and founder of Playshop, Malaya Arguelles leading the British School Manila Year 8 studnets in a workshop of physical theatre and dance
Delving into the Itik-Itik movements as research, the company endeavoured to imbue their choreography with a sense of ecological reverence and rich communal traditions, reminiscent of Filipinos’ animistic history.
In a poignant fashion, while commenting on development, gentrification, and displacement, ItikLandia alludes to an introspective exploration of man's place in nature, and the mark they leave on it.
Itiklandia also commented also on technology, information overload and desensitation to move or act towards social and environmental issues.
"I was inspired by two things when proposing this piece to the dance artists --- a folk dance and reverence for nature. The itik-itik dance was a natural choice for me and the dancers as it was something we all learned in our younger years and it is a community folk dance from the Spanish era in the Philippines. We wanted to ensure that we were not appropriating tribal or ethnic cultures.
Our work is called "ItikLandia" and it incorporates storytelling, physical theatre, contemporary dance, and devised theatre techniques. Plants served as our main set on the in-the-round stage. It is an unusual, fun (and serious), quirky production that we were proud to showcase.
Spending time in the theatre reminded me of the magic it can create. Although I had to take breaks and step outside for some fresh air, the black box theatre is a wonderful space to tell stories that are powerful and meaningful." -- Ea Torrado
Daloy dancers with a swarm of displaced and domesticated Itiks projected on their bodies and the ground.
The performers were Deborah Lemuel, Julienne Depatillo, Jomarie Cruz and Brian San Miguel. There were also workshops facilitated for the year 8 students of British School Manila, related to the process of creating the work -- 'Itik-Itik' mimetic movement patterns, physical theatre exercises, and embodied storytelling and play, led by Malaya Arguelles.
Daloy's Workshops:
Photo courtesy of British School Manila
“When we returned to school in August, we knew that we wanted to make the arts vital and rewarding and fun, because we’d spent so much time online, sitting at computers isolated,” shared Paul Hannon, a faculty member of BSM’s Drama Department.
“We knew coming back that this year, it was a priority for us to get kids physical again, to consider how they show meaning and communication, because it’s vital. The school’s vision and mission is all about holistic education and positive contributions to society and global citizenship, and this ticked so many boxes, we knew it would be fun,” he elaborated.
Photo courtesy of British School Manila
“You know, the kids, they love this; they loved working with Daloy and exploring Itik-itik. Some of those kids, their life has changed a little bit today. They dream now of being creators, dancers, technical theater practitioners. I just think that’s a beautiful thing, and necessary,” shared Hannon.
We would like to extend our special thanks to Sam Findel-Hawksins, Thea Tadiar Everly and Paul Hannon, faculty of Drama Department of BSM , for their support for our workshops and performances!
Contact daloydancecompany@gmail.com or 09176207052 for collaborations and information on ItikLandia and our workshops. We are also on Instagram as @daloydancecompany and Facebook, Daloy Dance Copany page.
We are recently featured at Lifestyle Asia -- Read the full article HERE.
Comments