Philippine dance

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MANUNUBLI NG SINALA Subli performers from Sinala, Bauan, Batangas. Composed of eight male and female dancers, the Manunubli are acknowledged master artists and inheritors of the subli, a Maytime tradition that mixes dance, poetry, theater, prayer- devotion, celebration, and music. The Manunubli is headed by the female matremayo and their male part- ners. They usually perform on 2 May on the occasion of the salubong or welcoming of the Mahal na Poong Santa Cruz, patron of many towns in Batangas. They also perform during weddings, baptisms, flares de Mayo, thanksgiving, and other religious festivals. Per- formers come from Pook, Agoncillo as well as from the different barrios of Bauan-San Vicente, Manalupang, Sinturisan, San Diego, Nangkaan, Luklok, and San Agustin. Training is rigid as the performers are re- quired to achieve precision, discipline, and the refine- ment of form that a subli performance entails. In 1988 and 1989, the Batangas City government sponsored a subli competition where both the young and the old of Bauan participated. As most of the Manunubli are already well past adulthood, the com- petition signalled the growing interest of the younger generation of Bauan to keep the subli tradition alive. The Manunubli ng Sinala received the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining in 1991. • E.L. Gatchalian

MANOSA, MAIQUI GASTON (Ma. Cristina Gaston Shoemaker) b. Manila 25 May 1960. Dancer. Her parents are architect Manuel T. Mafi.osa Jr and dancer Ma Luisa (Inday) Gaston-Mafi.osa. Her sisters Mia Monica and Mimel are also dancers, as well as her cousins Lydlyd and Nicole Gaston. She is married to dancer Thomas Shoemaker. She studied for a bachelor of arts at Assumption Convent, then went to the

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Atlanta School of Arts in Georgia, USA .. Her teachers in the Philippines included her mother, Remedios de Oteyza, Sulamith Messerer, Jean Deroc, and William Morgan. In Atlanta she trained with Mannie Rowe, John Derve, and Robert Barnett. While in the Philippines in the 1970s, she danced for the Hariraya Ballet Company, and for the productions of the Ballet Federation of the Philippines: Giselle, Coppe- lia, Cinderella, and La Fille Mal Gardee. Joining the Atlanta Ballet in the 1980s, she rose to be a principal dancer. There, she danced the Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker, the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, Effie in La Sylphide, Juliet in Thomas Pazik's Romeo and Juliet, and Titania in Dennis Nahat' s A Midsummer Night's Dream. She also danced leading roles in more contemporary works like Eugene Loring's Billy the Kid, Fernand Nault's Carmina Burana, Lynne Taylor Corbett's Escape, and Pazik's By George. Often a guest artist for Philippine Ballet Theater (PBT), she has essayed the title role in Eric Cruz's Camille and Leonora in La Gitana which she also performed in Beijing, China in 1990. In 1991, she created the title role in Pazik's Madame Butterfly for PBT. • B.E.S. Villaruz

MENDOZA, CESAR Dancer, teacher, choreo- grapher. He studied with Ricardo Cassell and Remedios de Oteyza and danced in their performing groups. Con- tinuing his studies abroad, he trained with Alexandra Danilova, Felia Doubrovska, Olga Preobrajenska, Valentina Pereyaslavec, Rosella Hightower, Sularnith Messerer, Pierre Vladimiroff, Nicholas Beriosoff, Birger Bartholin, Edward Caton, Feodor Lensky, Jose Ferran, Martha Graham, and Matt Mattox in ballet, modern dance, and jazz. He danced in most of the ballet classics, and in the Michel Fokine and Leonide Massine works or their derivations, and restaged some. Mendoza taught dance at the Philippine Women's University and other schools. In the United States, be- tween 1973 and 1977, he taught at the International Dance School; the Farnworth and Hauer School of Dance; the Puerto Rican Dance Theater in New York; the New York Dance Ensemble in 1969; Dance Nouveau in New Jersey in 1973, Dance Masters of America in 197 4; and the American Dance Center School and Ballet Company in Illinois since 1977. He founded Ballets Albuquerque in 1973, and has worked for hotel productions in Europe. He choreographed Etude Moderne for Ballet Phi- lippines, Sandpaper Ballet for Pamana Ballet, Hallu- cinations and Jilted for the University of the Philip- pines, By the Hillside for Dance Arts Studio, Classical Symphony, 1961, to music by Prokofiev, for Ballet Arts Studio, The Book of Job, 1966, for Manila Central Uni-

MERINO-SANTOS

versity, Ecole de Ballet and Divertissements, both in 1968, for Rosalia Merino-Santos, and Difficult Years, 1968, for Hariraya Dance Company. • B.E.S. Villaruz

MERINO-SANTOS, ROSALIA b. Manila 7 Nov 1923. Dancer, teacher, choreographer. Her parents are Gonzalo Merino and Enriquita Ramos. She is married to Ruben Santos. She earned her bachelor of science in education major in physical education, from the Philip- pine Women's University (PWU), 1950, and her master of science from the University of Wisconsin, 1952. Her studies and career encompass the range of Phi- lippine dance. She studied ballet with Luva Adameit, Ricardo Cassell, and Joseph Stemberki; modern dance with Trudl Dubsky-Zipper; Spanish dance with Conchita Sotelo; folk dance with Francisca Reyes-Aquino, of whose Filipiniana Song and Dance Troupe she was a member. Later, she specialized in modern dance at the University of Wisconsin, USA, under Margaret H. Doubler, Louise Klopeer, and Louis Horst, pedagogical giants in dance. She was also exposed to many schools and styles of modern dance: the Limon, the Hoi, the Graham, the Weidman schools, all in America, and the Wigman-Kreutzberg school, in Switzerland. She taught ballet, modern dance and folk dance at PWU, St Paul College, University of the East, Far Eastern University, Centro Escolar University, National Teachers College of Physical Education, Young Men's Christian Association in Madison, Wisconsin, and privately. Among her notable works are What is Dance?, 1958, a lecture-demonstration on modern dance; Fan- fare, 1958, on pure movement dynamics; Feminine Gender, 1958; Portrait of the Filipino as Seen through Philippine Folk Songs, Dance and Music, 1959, a pre- sentation of the Far Eastern University (FEU) Folk Dance Group in Europe; Opus 17 to Brahms, 1959; Ugaling Filipino (Filipino Customs), 1963, depicting the historical evolution of Filipino customs and tradi- tions in dance; "Hunt" and "Storm" in Sarimanok, 1968, dance drama; four dances in Gintong Salakot- Dularawan (Golden Salakot-Drama-Tableau), 1969; and Halina't Maglaro (Come and Play), 1971, for Ballet Philippines. She is most noted for Of Cocks and Kings, 1958, based on a story by Alejandro Roces, and cited by critic Morli Dharam as a "contribution from us to the world's treasury of dance dramas." She also incorporated jazz in cheer dancing and choreographed aquaballets. Merino-Santos was a Fulbright scholar to the US in 1959. In 1978, during the Third National Ballet Fes- tival of the Ballet Federation of the Philippines, she was awarded by Malacaftang for her contribution as teacher and choreographer of modern dance and

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METROPOLITAN DANCE THEATER CoMPANY (MDTC) Established in 1982, it is the resident dance company of the Manila Metropolitan Theater. Under the direction of Veda Banez-Alonso, the company had on its first staff choreographers and dancemasters like Rene Hofilefta, Douglas Nierras, Hans Christian Wagner, and Rene Hinojales for jazz, Inday Gaston- Maftosa, Jun Dalit, and Nida Onglengco for ballet, Gener Caringal for modern dance, and Eno Mescallado and Danny Vinculado for folk dance. Informally, the incipient company was involved in 1979-1982 in Conchita Sunico's productions, such as Ang Kiri (The Flirt), Maalaala Mo Kaya? (Will You Remember?), Alamat ng Bundok Bangkay (Legend of Mt Bangkay), Hindi Kita Malimot (I Cannot Forget You), Kismet, Mephistofele, Pear/fishers, The Mikado, Sound of Music, and My Fair Lady. MDTC presented its first concert as such on 5 Dec 1982. This was followed by Tintinnabulation in 1983. Since then, the group has presented The Great White Way I and The Mikado, 1983, Cats, 1984, Aristocrats, 1985, The Great White Way II and Flower Drum Song, 1987. MDTC has also been involved in Filipino musicals and productions like Sarung Banggi (One Night), Dahil sa Iyo (Because of You), Gomburza, Handog (Offering), Ewagan, Ginintuang Alaala (Golden Mem- ory), EDSA, Kayumangging Malaya (Brown and Free), and Pagdiriwang: Bayan Ko (A Celebration: My Country). The company's versatility lends itself to some commercial dancing, supporting such singing stars as Gary Valenciano and Zsa Zsa Padilla, and foreign per- formers. It has appeared in popular concerts, hotel shows, video commercials, and campus tour. MDTC joined the annual CCP Balletfest from 1987 to 1990, the Yugyugan Festival in 1989, and the First Manila Contemporary Dance Festival in 1991. • M.G. Castro

MIRANDA, BRANDO MANATE b. Santa Cruz, Manila 12 May 1956. Dancer, choreographer. Born to Domingo Miranda, an actor, and Perpetua Maftate, he graduated from Manuel L. Quezon High School, and studied for a bachelor of science in business adminis- tration at the University of the East (UE). In college, he trained and danced with the UE Dance Company under

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MOLINA, MANUEL b. Sampaloc, Manila 6 Aug 1951. Dancer, choreographer. He started dance train- ing at 16 with Corazon Generoso-Iftigo at the Universi- ty of the East Dance Troupe, and in ballet with Eddie Elejar and Tony Llacer with Dance Theater Philip- pines. Soon after, in 1970, he joined the Alice Reyes and Modern Dance Company, now Ballet Philippines, where he became a principal dancer. He assumed the lead roles in Elejar's Juliet and Her Romeo; Felicitas Layag-Radaic's May Day Eve; Basilio's The Rebels, Alice Reyes' Amada, Itim Asu (Onyx Wolf), rock opera ballets Tommy, Rama, Hari (King Rama); Remedios de Oteyza's Spectrum; and Norman Walker's Season of Flight. In 1973, through Walker, he received a scholarship to the Harkness School of Ballet in New York while he also gained assistance from the JDR III Fund. Joining the Harkness Ballet in 1974, he toured Europe and the United States and guested with Ballet Concerto, where he choreographed South American Suite, and Miami Ballet, both in Florida. Between 1975 and 1982, he danced with Vicente Nebrada's Ballet Internacional de

,. Caracas, later turned into Zhandra Rodriguez and Dale Talley's Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas: With these troupes, he toured North and South America, Canada, Europe, and Asia, including the Philippines, 1982. He was a principal dancer with both companies, dancing in the works of Nebrada, John Butler, Choo San Goh, Margo Sappington, and Hans Van Manen. An injury forced him to rest. He guested with Eglevsky Ballet in 1984 in The Nutcracker. Between 1985 and 1987, he danced with Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal which brought him all over Canada, South America and, again, Asia. Since returning to Manila in 1988, he has performed with Ballet Philippines; Philippine Ballet Theater, which created Vinta for him in 1989; Gener Caringal Dance Repertory Company, which created The Tribe for him in 1988; Manila Metropolis Ballet, which created Narciso for him in 1988; Hotlegs and the Stars of Philippine Ballet Tour, 1989; and the Yugyugan Festival, 1989. He also choreographed for Hotlegs and Yeh Shian Folk Ballet Company. • M.J. Globio/M. Ojeda/ B.E.S. Villaruz

MONSERRAT, GRETA b. Shanghai, China. Ac- tive 1950s and 1960s. She trained under Nicolai Sokols- ky; at 12 she was dancing in productions of ballet classics, and at 15, did the lead roles in Cinderella and Snow Queen. When she moved to Manila, she studied with Anita Kane and Ricardo Cassell. She also trained with Alexandra Danilova and Michael Maule. She danced in many major productions, including in the first full-evening production of Swan Lake in Manila in 1962. In the mid-1960s, she was prima balle- rina of the Pamana Ballet, partnered by Eddie Elejar. She danced Myrtha in Giselle, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty (Vision Scene), the grand pas de deux from Don Quixote and Mei Li in the "Dream Ballet" from Maureen Tiongco's Flower Drum Song. Monserrat now lives in the United States. • B.E.S. Villaruz

MORGAN, WILLIAM b. Edinburgh, Scotland 27 Jul 1936. Dancer, teacher, choreographer. Morgan first trained with Marjorie Middleton at age 16 and per- formed with her ballet club. He continued at the Royal Ballet School, mainly with Harris Plucis and Harold Turner, and occasionally with Ninette de Valois and Barbara Fewster. He apprenticed by dancing for the operas and ballets at Covent Garden, London. After a five-year break, he went back to dancing in Malmo, Sweden, Wuppertal, Germany, and Capetown, South Africa where he became principal dancer, choreo- grapher, and later, balletmaster of the Capab Ballet.

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NANAS, EFFIE (Epifania Naftas) b. Shanghai, China 15 Feb 1949. Dancer, teacher, choreographer. Her parents were Filipino musician Jose Naftas and Chinese singer Nora Naftas. As a child, she trained at the Classical Ballet Academy of Nicole Triem of Saigon, Vietnam, and later at the International Dance Theatre of Richard Maitland in New Delhi, India. In Indian classical dance she trained with Uma Shama in India and Raffi Anwar in Pakistan. In the Philippines, she trained with Anita Kane, Heather Llodra, Remedios de Oteyza, Raisa Struchkova, Sulamith Messerer, Alice Reyes, Eddie Elejar, Tony Llacer, Edgar Valdez, and visiting choreographer-teachers Miro Zolan, Norman Walker, Rochelle Zide Booth, Garth Welch, Jan Stripling, Alfred Rodrigues, and Armin Wild. Upon settling in the Philippines, she joined Kane's Pamana Ballet, De Oteyza' s Hariraya Ballet, and finally, Ballet Philippines. Since her days with Maitland in India, she has danced the lead roles in The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Les Sylphides, among

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NIERRAS, DoUGLAS PRICE b. Tacloban, Leyte 28 May 1954. Dancer, choreographer, actor. He is the son of Rodolfo Nierras and Simeona Price. He started dancing withJessde Paz in Tacloban, then won a scholarship in 1974 to the CCP Dance School where he trained with Alice Reyes, Corazon Generoso-Ifugo, Betsy Escandor, Garth Welch, Jan Stripling, Takako Asakawa, David Hatch Walker, Eddie Elejar, Antonio Fabella, William Morgan, and Effie Nanas. At the same time, he was Ballet Philip- pines' sound and stage manager. In 1976, he enrolled at the University of the Philippines (UP), where he studied speech and drama, joined the Filipiniana Dance Group where he was lead dancer, and acted in UP Repertory productions. He toured Asia, Europe, and the United States with the UP Filipiniana. In 1978, he joined the Manila Metropolis Ballet, and started teaching jazz in several studios. In 1981 he co-founded Hotlegs with Johnny Manahan. During the group's first performance abroad, Nierras found time to train in New York under Phil Black and in Hollywood under Joe Tremaine, Doug Caldwell, Chuck Moore, and Jackie Sleight. He left Hotlegs in 1988 and founded Powerdance.

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In 1989, Nierras was featured in the annual CCP Choreographer's Showcase. He has choreographed and directed numerous concerts by popular entertain- ers, and stage, TV, and movie productions. • M.J. Globio/ M. Ojeda/M.L. Maniquis

0BUSAN, RAMON AREVALO b. Legazpi, Albay 16 Jun 1938. Choreographer, dancer, scholar. The son of Praxedes Obusan, a physician, and Josefina Areva- lo, a music teacher, he holds degrees in marine biology and cultural anthropology from the University of the Philippines. He taught for a while at the Aklan Nation- al School of Fisheries, then became a dancer and re- searcher of the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company. In 1971, he founded the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, and has since choreographed and directed for some 45 dance groups and over 100 productions nationwide-dance, pageants, festivals, special events, competitions, exhibits, television, movies, and video-films.

His productions include full-length presentations, notably Kayaw '68 and Kayaw '74, Kasaysayan ng Lahi (History of the Race), Maynila (Manila), Kaamu- lan (Gathering), Noon Po sa Amin (The Way It Was), and the Rare and Unpublished Dances series. He has collaborated in various film projects, among them American Ninja, Banawe, Hubad na Gubat (Naked Forest), The King and the Emperor, Maligayang Pasko (Merry Christmas), and Waywaya. His own group has traveled to international festivals and expositions in over 20 countries since 1974. It has also toured the Philippines extensively. Through the years, Obusan has studied and documented the indigenous culture of Philippine ethnic groups from north to south, focusing on rites and tradi- tions. He has also done research on the Polynesian cul- ture of Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, and New Zealand, and given lectures, demonstrations, and workshops worldwide. Obusan tries to keep his folk dance presentations authen- tic by using actual movement patterns, costumes, and music, even as the dances go onstage. Two documentaries he directed for the Tuklas Si- ning series won awards in France; grand prize, Prix de Reportage for Sayaw, 1990, and Special Mention, Grand Prix International Video-Dance, 1992, for Philippine Ethnic Dance. A consultant for UNESCO, he has been cited for his achievements in research, conferences, workshops, and presentations. He was given the Pat- nubay ng Kalinangan award by the City of Manila in 1992 and the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining in 1993. • P.G. del Rosario and B.E.S. Villaruz

0ROSA-GOQUINGCO, LEONOR LUNA aka Cristina Luna b. Jolo, Sulu 24 Jul 1917. National Artist in Dance. She is the second child of pioneer physicians Sixto Orosa and Severina Luna, and the elder sister of critic Rosalinda Orosa. With her husband, engineer Benjamin Goquingco, she has three children, of whom Rachelle and Regina are both dancers. Orosa- Goquingco graduated valedictorian of her high school class, and finished bachelor of science in education, summa cum laude, at St Scholastica's College. Then she took graduate courses in theatercraft, drama and music, at Columbia University and Teachers College in New York City, USA. Her early ballet training was under Lilia Lopez, Epifania Rodriguez, and Luva Adameit. She took pro- fessional and teacher's courses at the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, coming under the tutelage of Hilda Butsoca, Thalia Mara, Anatole Vilzak, and Madame Ludmilla. National Artist Francisca Reyes-Aquino was also once her mentor.