National Artist for Dance Agnes Locsin’s award-winning Filipino dance masterwork returns
March 2023 – To have fun Earth Month, ENCANTADA goes on stage once more! A collaboration with Joey Ayala for music, Al Santos for the libretto, and National Artist Salvador Bernal for production design, ENCANTADA features the artists of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Skilled Artist Support Program and Alice Reyes Dance Philippines (ARDP). It’s a showcase of Locsin’s Neo-Ethnic Dance Style as she masterfully utilizes it to explore Filipino folklore, history, and culture, while at the identical time bringing awareness to the implications of man’s destruction of nature.
“Agnes Locsin’s ‘ENCANTADA’ just isn’t just dance for the sake of dancing, but in reality it stands on solid research where Philippine history, folk religion, traditions, and practices are painted into the creation of the entire. Adding to that, this showcases the individuality of her movements which she herself conceived in creating her own dance genre – the neo-ethnic style. Thematically, she touches on women’s issues and most especially, the destruction of the environment; issues which might be relevant to at the present time, 31 years after she conceived this masterpiece. It’s well value a re-staging in addition to a re-watching. Its a learning curve for the younger generation”, shares Tats Manahan, President of ARDP.
Recognized because the pioneer of the neo-ethnic dance style, Agnes Locsin is an excellent force within the Philippine dance scene, garnered her the title of National Artist for Dance. Along with contemporary Filipino music composer Joey Ayala and award-winning playwright Al Santos, they premiered ENCANTADA in February of 1992.
Drawing inspiration from Philippine tribal dances, practices, beliefs, and stories, Locsin reworked and reinterpreted these into the framework of existing classical ballet and modern dance techniques, leading to a singular dance form suited to the Filipino’s physical frame, temperament, and culture.
In her book, Philippine Neo-Ethnic Choreography, Agnes Locsin says, “Each of the dances was explained to the dancers because they needed to know all that they were doing. Together with the motivations, precision was also required for those sequences requiring unison in dancing.”
This Neo-Ethnic dance style coupled with Joey Ayala’s rhythmic contemporary Filipino music, Al Santos’ riveting Libretto, and National Artist Salvador Bernal’s remarkable Production Design, brought the story of ENCANTADA to life.
Presented by the Metropolitan Theater, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and Carmen D. Locsin Foundation, the production was last staged in 2011 to critical acclaim, garnering 10 Gawad Buhay Awards, including Best Modern Dance Production, Best Choreography, Best Musical Composition, Best Production Design, and Best Lighting Design by John Neil Batalla who returns to light the 2023 Production.
Other citations include Georgette Sanchez-Vargas for Female Lead Performance and Carissa Adea for Female Featured Performance. Each of them will reprise their award-winning roles for the present 2023 production.
Also joining the forged is Kris-Belle Paclibar-Mamangun, a highly acclaimed Filipino Dancer and former member of Cirque du Soleil, who shall be alternating the role of Babaylan with Carissa Adea.
ENCANTADA featuring artists of CCP’s Skilled Artist Support Program and Alice Reyes Dance Philippines, runs from April 14-15, 2023, on the Samsung Theater and April 21-22 on the Metropolitan Theater, with evening shows at 7:30 PM and matinees at 2:00 PM. All evening shows may have live music performed by Joey Ayala and Ang Bagong Lumad with the Philippine’s World Music Siren, Bayang Barrios.
Show Schedule:
- April 14, 2023 | Friday | 7:30 PM | Samsung Performing Arts Theater*
- April 15, 2023 | Saturday | 2:00 PM | Samsung Performing Arts Theater
- April 15, 2023 | Saturday | 7:30 PM | Samsung Performing Arts Theater*
- April 21, 2023 | Friday | 7:30 PM | Metropolitan Theater*
- April 22, 2023 | Saturday | 2:00 PM | Metropolitan Theater
- April 22, 2023 | Saturday | 7:30 PM | Metropolitan Theater*
*With live music performed by Joey Ayala and Ang Bagong Lumad with Bayang Barrios.
Future Shows:
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Alice Reyes’ RAMAHARI
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CARMEN AND OTHER SPIRITS, a mixed bill featuring Alice Reyes’ CARMEN and latest works by young Filipino choreographers
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PUSO NG PASKO, the celebration of Paskong Pinoy
Subscribe to ARDP’s 2023 Dance Season and have fun the very best of Filipino artistry and talent! For season subscriptions and ticket reservations, email [email protected]
