My first dance gig happened before I even took my first dance class. What? Sorcery!! I know, I hear you and I can explain. Long before classes, competitions and auditions, my family was part of the Philippine Cordillera International Society (PCIS) in Vancouver. Looking back on it now, I’m so grateful we were part of this community. All the Filipinos out there, I know you have those cousins that aren’t actually related to you by blood or marriage. Everyone’s just out here being friends and you call elders Tita or Tito. (Imagine how confused I was when I found out.) Alright, getting back on track - PCIS held events that coincided with holidays like Christmas, Easter - basically any calendar event was used as an excuse to get together. And what do parties need? Entertainment. And what’s great entertainment: music and dancing. Igorot dances to be exact.
Quick history lesson; Igorot refers to the tribes that originated in the northern part of Luzon, Philippines. There are six areas that Igorots originate from Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga, Ifugao and Baguio. Shout out to my birth place Baguio City, summer capital of the Philippines #itsmorefuninthephilippines. I swear, I’m not getting paid for this… yet. Back to dance! Igorot dances are usually performed in groups with gongs and mallets (gangsa: gung-SA.) These dances are performed for numerous reasons; to ward off evil spirits or misfortune, to celebrate a wedding, express repressed feelings or simply, to gather and socialize.
I know you’re dying to know if I was good and honestly, I think I was just cute. But people sure did love the four original kids of this troupe. Coincidentally two sets of siblings - May and Arthur, my sister, Xyleen and myself. We’re fake cousins or “fousins” was the term we coined back in the day. May and Arthur’s dad led rehearsals, which happened pretty sporadically from what I recall and now seem like the best excuse to just hang out with your family friends. It was a full family production, with a few other family friends too. We performed at the Vancouver Art Gallery, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Centennial Theatre, Surrey Arts Centre. I even remember a few performances that we traveled around the interior of British Columbia and also crossed the border to perform in Washington. It didn’t really matter to me at the time because it just meant I got to hang out with friends and explore new places to play.
That’s me! Performing at the Vancouver Art Gallery
Here are a few pictures spanning this illustrious time of life. That costume you ask. Yes, that is a loin cloth. If you’re wondering, I still know how to put it on and they’re a lot more comfortable than a dance belt. Formally known as a wanes (wah-nus) or bahag (ba-ugh), this garment is hand-loomed in Northern Luzon and brought back on one of my parents trips home. To the naked (haha) eye, it looks like a long table runner but put it on correctly, it turns into a garment worn by Indigenous tribes before the arrival of European colonizers in the Philippines. All these garments have various colors, zig zags and geometric patterns and are traditionally worn for weddings and festivals. Yellow represents mountains as well as fertility and growth, indigo represents the sky and red represents the ground. The wanes I’m wearing in the pictures is the first one that was given to me but as I grew I was given one that looked similar to my Father’s.
It was a family affair. Post performance (I think)
Honestly, it was a lot more simple being a performer when my parents were my managers. Come to think of it, we could have had the Filipino version of dance moms. Between the PCIS events, community performances, wedding events - we were booked and busy. But as we grew up and I started dancing competitively, my focus shifted onto my future career path. In writing this blog, I realized that I was in front of audiences long before those competitions and recitals. Even though it felt informal and an activity I had to do with my family at the time, it taught me how to act on stage, keep a beat, be spatially aware and appreciate an audience. And if you’ve made it this far in this blurb, thank you. I often forget this part of my life and it’s an intersection of my career as a performer, my culture, heritage and upbringing. If you have the time, I highly encourage you to look up some videos and reach out if you have questions. I’ll be writing something new every two weeks so drop a comment below of what you’d like me to write about next!
