Contemporary

Philippine Arts from

the Regions
Lesson 3.2:
National Artists and their
Contributions to
Particular Areas
National Artist For
Dance
 Francisca Reyes- Aquino

- Birthday : March 9, 1899

- Death: January 25, 1996
- Year Awarded: 1973
- Category: Dance
- Place of Birth: Bocaue, Bulacan
Francisca Reyes- Aquino
- Francisca Reyes-Aquino is known as a dancer
and researches of Philippine Folk Dance. Her
research titled Philippine Folk Dance and
Games documented local forms of celebration
and rituals which was published in 1926.
Francisca Reyes- Aquino
- It has been utilized for instruction for schools
both public and private. This research made
the Filipino youth more knowledgeable of
their cultural heritage.
Francisca Reyes- Aquino
- She received the Republic Award of Merit in
1954, and the Ramon Magsaysay Award in
1962 before being conferred to the Order of
the National Artist in 1973.
Leonor O. Goquingco

- Birthday : July 24,1917

- Death: July 15,2005
- Year Awarded: 1976
- Category: Dance
- Place of Birth: Jolo, Sulu
 Leonor O. Goquingco

- Before she was named as National Artist for

Dance in 1976, Leonor Orosa-Goquingco was
known by many other names such as
“Traiblazer,” “Mother of the Philippine
Theater Dance,” and “Dean of Filipino
Performing Arts Critics.”
 Leonor O. Goquingco

- She incorporated ballet with folk and Asian

dance, and such has been able to create
innovative and original choreographies.
Throughout her career, she has choreographed
over 50 unique dances narrating stories that
she has penned.
 Leonor O. Goquingco

- Her most elaborate project was the Filipinescas:

Philippine Life, Legend, and Lore. This performer
brought traditional folk dance and its evolution to
the stage. This performance was toured around
the world from 1961 to 1970, introducing the
world Philippine dance
 Lucrecia Reyes-Urtula

- Birthday : June 29,1929

- Death: August 4, 1999
- Year Awarded: 1988
- Category: Dance
- Place of Birth: Iloilo City, Iloilo
 Lucrecia Reyes-Urtula

- Lucrecia Reyes- Urtula was a choreographer,

Educator, and Researcher. She spent almost 40
years studying the various Philippine traditional
and folk dances. Using her research, she created
dances that not only preserved the traditional folk
dance but also made it into a spectacle that
enhanced Philippine folk dances.
 Lucrecia Reyes-Urtula

- Throughout her career, she has made dances that

showcase the different traditional dances and
festivals in the Philippines such as the mountain
dances, Spanish dances, and Muslim dances.
These dances were performed by the Bayanihan
Philippine Dance Company throughout the world
and received critical praise.
 Ramon Arevalo Obusan

- Birthday : June 16,1938

- Death: December 21,2006
- Year Awarded: 2006
- Category: Dance
- Place of Birth: Camarines Norte,
Bicol
Ramon Arevalo Obusan
- Ramon Obusan was an accomplished stage
designer, artistic, director, choreographer, and
most of all dancer. He is recognized as a
promoter of Philippine traditional dance
through his performances and cultural
research.
Ramon Arevalo Obusan
- Using his time and talent, Obusan developed
and widened the Filipino’s understanding of
their own culture and expressions. He did this
through his research and documentaries that
explore Filipino traditional dance. He also
founded the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group in
1971.
Ramon Arevalo Obusan
- This group was acclaimed for its authentic and
faithful recreation and performance of Filipino
folk dance. With his troupe, he helped deepen
the people’s appreciation of their cultural
traditions and heritage of dance
Ramon Arevalo Obusan
- Ramon Obusan received various awards for his
work, some of which were the grand prix award in
France in 1982 for his documentary entitled
Sayaw, the Patnubay ng Kalinangan Award given
by the City of Manila in 1992, and the Gawad CCP
Para sa Sayaw a year after for his research on
Philippine folk dance and other art forms.
 Alice Reyes

- Birthday : October 14,1942

- Year Awarded: 2014
- Category: Dance
- Place of Birth: Manila
 Alice Reyes
- Alice Reyes is the founder of Ballet Philippines;
she is a dance choreographer, teacher, and
director. Her name has become synonymous to
Philippine dance as she is credited with its
development and promotion.
 Alice Reyes
- Alice Reyes started dancing quite young,
studying classical ballet. She then studied folk
dance under the Bayanihan Philippine
National Dance Company. She went to the
United States and Trained in modern dance
and jazz.
 Alice Reyes
- Her performance of a modern dance concert
at the CCP Main Theater in the 1970s is the
first of its kind. This show featured a collection
of contemporary dances and ushered the
acceptance and popularization of the art form
in the country.
 Alice Reyes
- She further strengthened the status and
legitimacy of modern dance through a series
of workshops, trainings, cultural outreach
programs, television performance, etc.
 Alice Reyes
- Her contributions to the Philippines dance is the development
of a distinctive modern Filipino dance expression. Her subject
matters are performed using combinations of indigenous
dance, modern dance, and ballet. This just a position of styles
has resulted in dance that is uniquely Filipino. Her innovations
can still be seen in performances of today’s dance companies
and instructions of teachers and choreographers.
THANK YOU!