First Wave of Pilipinx American Immigrants 1910-1940 Reimagined in Multimedia Dance Theater Performance
San Francisco and Oakland World Premiere of ‘In the Belly of the Eagle: Man@ng Is Deity’
Photo Credit: Wilfred Galila
“In The Belly of the Eagle Reinforced my love for dance & new appreciation for manong's sacrifice to open doors for future Pilipinx." audience member reaction from 2019 workshop performance.
San Francisco, CA, February 25, 2020 - Kularts, the premier presenter of contemporary and tribal Pilipinx arts in the United States, is proud to present the world premiere of SF Legacy Artist Awardee, Alleluia Panis’s In the Belly of the Eagle: Man@ng is Deity; an immersive multimedia dance experience inspired by the lives of the ‘manong’ generation—the first wave of cheap imported Pilipinx laborers who powered the ever expanding needs of the developing United States empire.
Performed by 10 dance artists to original music by composer Joshua Icban and media art by filmmaker Wilfred Galila, the production is co-presented by the API Cultural Center on April 3-5, 2020 at ODC Theater in San Francisco, and at the Eastside Arts Alliance in Oakland on April 24-26, 2020. Inspired by real-life accounts of Pilipinx Americans between the 1910-1940s, this performance draws from public and personal narratives of their 8,000-mile immigration journey to America.
A Tribute to the Man@ng Generation
On his deathbed, Valentino Pablo of the manong generation, experiences vivid moments of his early 20th century American life. He and his fellow Pilipinxs bonded together to ease their struggles of living in a society that valued them for their cheap labor but loathed them and denied their humanity. He relives the bitter hardships, the fleeting joys, and their determined spirit of survival and camaraderie that defined his generation.
“In the Belly of the Eagle is a beautifully rendered experience that had me in tears by the very end. It runs the gamut of emotional experiences and history of the time of the manongs - helping us experience a history that many didn’t know existed.” - Gayle Romasanta, Bridge Delta Publishing and co-author of Journey For Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong
Dance Artists: Jose Abad, Ladislao ‘June’ Arellano, Andrea ‘Poko’ Devis, Cristino Nathaniel Lagahid, Jonathan Mercado, Johnny Nguyen, Earl Alfred Paus, Katherine Pantangco, Jazlyn Pastor, Frances Sedayao,
Vocalists: Aimee Amparo, Mario ‘Nomi’ de Miro
Film: Stephanie Herrera, Kawayan Perlarose Bolick Ong, Giovanni Ortega, Ortega-David Family, Marcella Pabros-Clark, Helen Serafino-Agar, Kadean Serafino-Agar, Alley Wilde
Many Pilipinx immigrants of this generation worked in farms, factories and in first-class hotels in the big cities. In spite of the racism and anti-miscegenation they faced, their resilience is what marked their generation as they formed labor unions, organizations and institutions that are evident to this day. A respite from the harsh realities of their everyday lives, taxi dance halls were a place for Manongs to socialize and let loose but also dangerous places where many were confronted by violence.
“In the Belly of the Eagle: Man@ng is Deity is an experience to behold! With movement, music, and film, you will be transported back in time to the heydey of the man@ng generation - immersed in their struggles, their joy, and their sorrow. But most of all, you will be witness to their transcendence. APICC is so delighted to be able to co-present this original work by Kularts's incredible creative team.” - Melanie Elvena, Artistic Director, API Cultural Center
Legacy and a Lifetime in the Arts
Kularts, as an elder arts organization within SOMA Pilipinas Filipino Cultural Heritage District, shepherds the arts & cultural work within the community, making visible the continuing presence and complexity of the Pilipinx community in SoMa through community art programs like the annual Parol Festival and Isugid Pinoy. In the Belly of the Eagle: Man@ng is Deity received the prestigious Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation Special Art Award in 2019; the workshop production last spring had sold out shows.
“With our new insight from the sold-out workshop production in March 2019, our artistic team took the year to further develop the work-- building, enriching, and fine-tuning the characters and their stories with new video and choreography grounded in both personal and universal historical narratives.” - Alleluia Panis, Artistic Director of Kularts
Pilipino American influence in the arts and community organizing has a long-standing relationship to San Francisco and the Bay Area. Alleluia Panis’ ‘Incarcerated 6x9’ presented by Kularts was nominated in 2019 for two Isadora Duncan Awards in ‘Outstanding Achievement in Performance,’ and ‘Outstanding Achievement in Visual Design’ June Arellano (Costume), and Wilfred Galila (Media Art). Panis is also the recipient of the SF Arts Commission Artistic Legacy Award and a 2020 Dance USA Artist.
In the Belly of the Eagle: Man@ong Is Deity performances will be followed by panel discussions with artists, dancers, and the production team; as well as community organizing leaders, arts activists, and other cultural figures. More information and details can be found at www.kularts-sf.org.
Showtimes:
San Francisco
Friday/Saturday, April 3-4 at 7:30pm
Sunday, April 5 at 2:30pm
ODC Theater, 3153-17th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
For additional information and tickets please visit http://odc.dance/calendar/theater
Oakland
Friday/Saturday, April 24-25 at 7:30pm
Sunday, April 26 at 2:30pm
Eastside Arts Alliance 2277 International Blvd, Oakland, CA 94606
For additional information and tickets please visit https://bellyoftheeagle.bpt.me/
Tickets are $22-$30
About Kularts:
Founded in 1985, Kulintang Arts, Inc., now known popularly as Kularts, is the premier presenter of contemporary and tribal Pilipino arts in the United States. Through three decades of service, Kularts has grown into a leading elder arts organization, uniting generations of artists and community activists in a common effort to build a collective space and sense of belonging within San Francisco, specifically the SOMA Pilipinas: Filipino Cultural Heritage District. Kularts creates work that makes visible the contributions of Pilipino Americans and creates room for cultural continuity and knowledge.
About Alleluia Panis:
Alleluia Panis has received awards for her choreography from the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, San Francisco Arts Commission, California Arts Council, New Langton Arts, and Creative Work Fund. She has created over twenty full-length dance theater works since 1985, which have been performed on main stages in the United States, Europe and Asia, including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Dance Theater Workshop, Singapore Arts Festival, and Verona Arts Fest – Italy. Her work was recently nominated for two Isadora Duncan Awards in ‘Outstanding Achievement in Performance’, and ‘Outstanding Achievement in Visual Design, for ‘Incarcerated 6x9’ (2018).
About Wilfred Galila:
Wilfred Galila makes use of a variety of media for storytelling and art making. His films have been screened at the 23rd and 26th annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. As a media artist, he has collaborated with dance artist Alleluia Panis on the multimedia dance theater productions She, Who Can See (2015) and Incarcerated 6x9 (2018, nominated for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Visual Design - Isadora Duncan Dance Awards), as well as the dance film She, Who Can See (2017) that was screened at CAAMFest in 2018. Galila is mounting a multimedia art installation piece as a commissioned artist by Kularts for the Postcolonial Survival Toolkit exhibition and series of events at The Luggage Store Gallery in San Francisco in May 2019.
About Joshua Icban:
Joshua Icban is a composer based in Vallejo, California. As a creator, his work focuses on the intrinsic relationship between memory, history and identity. Josh is also a regularly performing guitarist who plays in a number of projects and groups in the Bay Area. Past credits include the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco State Gospel Choir, Afro-Cuban Ensemble He has served as composer/arranger & music director for Awesome Orchestra and Bindlestiff Studios and has had his work as sound designer featured in spaces such as Counterpulse and the Asian Art Museum. He recently graduated with an MA in ethnomusicology at CSU East Bay and teaches private lessons in the North Bay.
About API Cultural Center:
The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center’s (APICC) mission is to support and produce multidisciplinary art reflective of the unique experiences of Asians and Pacific Islanders living in the United States. APICC was founded in 1996 by representatives of five nonprofit arts groups: Asian American Dance Performances, First Voice, Asian Improv aRts, the Asian American Theater Company, and Kearny Street Workshop. Since 1998, the center has promoted the artistic and organizational growth of San Francisco’s Asian and Pacific Islander arts communities by organizing and presenting the annual United States of Asia America Festival as well as commissioning contemporary art for and by Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
About Eastside Arts Alliance:
EastSide Arts Alliance is an organization of Third World artists, cultural workers, and community organizers of color committed to working in the San Antonio and other Oakland neighborhoods to support a creative environment that improves the quality of life for our communities and advocates for progressive, systemic social change.
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