Francisca Reyes Aquino

- the legendary "Mother of Philippine Dancing"

- Lived a life dedicated to preserving Filipino heritage through studying and teaching folk
dances.
- With a small team of researchers, Reyes-Aquino spent months traveling to different rural
communities, such as the barrios in Central and Northern Luzon, and studying the dances,
activities, and even songs prevalent in it.
- She finished her research in 1926 and published the thesis titled Philippine Folk Dances
and Games, which became a big help for educators and most Filipinos to recognize
“unrecorded forms” of local dances, celebrations, and rituals.
- In 1935, they made complete notes on 33 folk songs and dances in Mountain Province, 8
in Ilocos Norte, 14 in Ilocos Sur, and 4 in Abra.

- It was in Leyte where Reyes-Aquino discovered the widely known Filipino dance
Tininkling, which involves two bamboo poles and has movements imitating those of
the tikling birds dodging the traps of farmers in rice fields in the Visayan Islands.
- Reyes-Aquino also discovered and taught the Maglalatik, Lubi-lubi, Polka sa Nayon,
through her books, which are still used as a major reference for teaching physical
education until today.

Her books

Philippine National Dances (1946)

Gymnastics for Girls (1947)
Fundamental Dance Steps and Music (1948)
Foreign Folk Dances (1949)
Dances for all Occasion (1950)
Playground Demonstration (1951)
Philippine Folk Dances, Volumes I to VI

Significant Awards

Republic Award of Merit (1954)

Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service (1962)
National Artist of the Philippines for Dance (1973)
 Alice Reyes

- Filipina dancer, choreographer, teacher, director and producer.

- The organizer of Ballet Philippines,
- National Artist from PNA June 20, 2014
- Responsible in popularizing contemporary dance
- Organized Ballet Philippines
- Staged the first modern dance concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main
Theater on February, 1970.

Notable Works Major Works

Bungkos Suite Amada (1969)
Carmen At a Maranaw Gathering (1970)
Carmina Burana Itim-Asu (1971)
Romeo and Juliet Tales of the Manuvu (1977)
Rama Hari Rama Hari (1980)
Cinderella Bayanihan Remembered (1987)
Adapted with Filipino culture,
gesture and grace.

Influence
Reyes has contributed immensely to increasing awareness and interest for modern dance
as her influence has been deep. Her dynamic presence in this field has inspired the growth of
dance companies, dance teachers, and choreographers. Her enriched repertoire amazes the
audiences. Presently, Reyes is the director emeritus of Ballet Philippines which she founded back
in 1969. Reyes' unique abilities lie in drawing materials, styles and moves from traditional dances
and infusing them with the contemporary language of modern techniques while the result still
remains identifiable as Filipino dances. In her resides an innate skill to balance modern dance and
the pursuit of classical ballet technique.

Ballet Philippines
She created in 1969 with the help of Eddie Elejar and the Cultural Center of the
Philippines, had produced over 500 choreographic works. It created a legacy of Filipino dance
classics that can still be enjoyed today. It had traveled and held concerts in the United States,
Australia, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany and all of Asia. Verily, it is said the story of Ballet
Philippines is the story of the life of Alice Reyes
 Lucrecia Reyes Urtula

- The founding director of Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company

- She adapted indigenous dance traditions to the demands of the modern stage
(performances of her works received international attention.)
- She learned to appreciate the distinct cultures of the various ethnic groups.
- Named National Artist of the Philippines for dance in 1988

Born: June 29, 1929

Died: August 24, 1999 (aged 70)
Occupation: Choreographer, theater director, teacher, author, and a researcher

International Conferences and Workshop

- Dance workshops in Sarawak, Malaysia (1986)

- UNESCO Workshop on the Preservation of Traditional Performing Arts in Modern
Environment (Indonesia, 1982)
- Third Festival of Asian Arts (Hong Kong 1979)
- Workshop on Philippine Dance (Hawaii 1975)

Awards Received

- ASEAN Tourism Association for the >Best ASEAN Cultural Effort, Pattayas, Thailand
(1990)
- Tandang Sora Award for the Arts (1982)
- Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award from the City of Manila (1973)
- International Women's Award in UNAP's Women of Distinction (1963)
- Republic Cultural Heritage Award for Research in Folk Dance (1963)
- Conferred a title, "Bai Kiokmay" (means, most active princess in the Arts) in a ritual
performed by the Mandaya tribe of Davao, attended by the tribes of Agusan
participated in by 16 datus. (1963)
 Leonor Orosa-Goquingco

- Leonor Orosa-Goquingco (July 24, 1917 – July 15, 2005) was a Filipino national artist in
creative dance.
- She played the piano, drew art, designed scenery and costumes, sculpted, acted, directed,
danced and choreographed
- Her pen name was Cristina Luna
- She was known as Trailblazer, Mother of Philippine Theater Dance and Dean of Filipino
Performing Arts Critics. She died on July 15, 2005 of cardiac arrest following a cerebro-
vascular accident at the age of 87.

Accomplishments

- In 1939, Leonor Orosa-Goquingco was the only dancer sent on the first cultural mission
to Japan, at the age of 19, she produced Circling the Globe (1939) and Dance Panorama
in the same year.
- She created The Elements in 1940, the first ballet choreographed by a Filipino to
commissioned music, she also created Sports during the same year, featuring
cheerleaders, a tennis match and a basketball game.
- The first Philippine folkloric ballet, Trend: Return to the Native, was choreographed by
Goquingco in 1941.
- After the Second World War, she organized the Philippine Ballet and brought the famous
Filipino novel, Noli Me Tángere, to life; the Noli Dance Suite consisted of several dances.
Maria Clara and the Leper, Salome and Elias, Sisa, Asalto for Maria Clara and The Gossips
are some of the dances found in the Noli Dance Suite.
- She founded the Filipinescas Dance Company in 1958, and took it on a world tour in 1961,
1962, 1964, 1966, 1968 and 1970.

Awards

Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award in 1969 and 1964

Rizal Centennial Award in 1962
Republic Cultural Heritage Award in 1964
Presidential Award of Merit in 1970
Tandang Sora Award and the Columbia University Alumni Association Award in 1975
National Artist for Dance on March 27, 1976
 Ramon Obusan

- Ramon Arevalo Obusan (June 16, 1938 – December 21, 2006) was a Filipino dancer,
choreographer, stage designer and artistic director.
- Obusan is credited for his work in promoting Philippine traditional dance and cultural
work, he is also an acclaimed archivist, researcher and documentary filmmaker who
focused on Philippine culture.
- He also founded Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group in 1971. Among the awards Obusan
received was the Patnubay ng Kalinangan award by the City of Manila in 1992, the Gawad
CCP Para sa Sining award in 1993 and the prestigious National Artist of the Philippines for
dance in May 2006.
- In 1982, he was designated as Artistic Director of the first Asian Dance Company. On the
same year, he directed a documentary for the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)
entitled “Sayaw”, which won the grand prix award in the “International Video Dance
Competition” in France.
- In 1992, he was given the Patnubay ng Kalinangan award by the City of Manila for his
contributions to the preservation of traditional Filipino dances.
- In 1993, he was conferred the CCP Gawad Para Sa Sining Para Sa Sayaw for his researches
in Philippine Folk Dances and other art forms.
- In 1998, Obusan was commissioned by the Department of Tourism in designing floats
themed with historical significance during the parade for the centennial celebration of
the country’s independence.

Works
- Vamos a Belen! Series (1998-2004) Philippine Dances Tradition
- Noon Po sa Amin, tableaux of Philippine History in song, drama and dance
- Obra Maestra, a collection of Ramon Obusan's dance masterpieces
- Unpublished Dances of the Philippines, Series I-IV
- Water, Fire and Life, Philippine Dances and Music--A Celebration of Life
- Saludo sa Sentenyal
- Glimpses of ASEAN, Dances and Music of the ASEAN-Member Countries
- MJ (Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group): Philippines Costumes in Dance