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A Legacy of Filipino Dance: Paul Alexander Morales (Contributor)

Alice Reyes is recognized as the "mother of Philippine modern dance" and recently honored as a National Artist for Dance. She was born into a musical family and began dancing at a young age, touring with her father and training with renowned Filipino dancers. She helped establish the original Bayanihan Dance Company and performed internationally. After completing her master's degree in the U.S., Reyes organized Filipino dancers and proposed a modern dance concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), which was a hit and led to the founding of Ballet Philippines. For 20 years, Reyes crafted Ballet Philippines into a professional and world-class Filipino dance company, establishing a legacy through her remarkable energy in roles and

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Airene Castaños
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77 views2 pages

A Legacy of Filipino Dance: Paul Alexander Morales (Contributor)

Alice Reyes is recognized as the "mother of Philippine modern dance" and recently honored as a National Artist for Dance. She was born into a musical family and began dancing at a young age, touring with her father and training with renowned Filipino dancers. She helped establish the original Bayanihan Dance Company and performed internationally. After completing her master's degree in the U.S., Reyes organized Filipino dancers and proposed a modern dance concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), which was a hit and led to the founding of Ballet Philippines. For 20 years, Reyes crafted Ballet Philippines into a professional and world-class Filipino dance company, establishing a legacy through her remarkable energy in roles and

Uploaded by

Airene Castaños
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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A legacy of Filipino dance

By: Paul Alexander Morales (Contributor)


Philippine Daily Inquirer / 02:30 AM April 30, 2016

Alice Reyes, National Artist for Dance. PHOTO BY JOJO MAMANGUN

In the Gawad Buhay, Philstage’s annual awards for the performing arts, the
Natatanging Gawad Buhay awardees are special. They are elected by the artists of
Philstage themselves, unlike the other creative achievement awards that are selected by
an independent jury of critics and scholars.

The Natatanging Gawad Buhay is meant as a recognition of a lifetime of work that has
shaped the Philippine performing arts industry. This year, Alice Reyes, who was just
recently honored as National Artist for Dance, is the recipient of the Natatanging
Gawad Buhay for her legacy as “the mother of Philippine modern dance.”
Musical family

Born in 1942 into a musical family—her mother Adoracion was a noted voice teacher,
while her father Ricardo was once called Mr. Philippine Folk Dancer—Reyes seemed
predestined for a life in dance. She toured early on with her father, and trained at a
young age with Rosalia Merino while studying at Maryknoll College, and later with
Leonor Goquingco (National Artist for Dance) and Ricardo Cassell at the Philippine
Women’s University.
She continued to shine even brighter as she grew up. Way before she started the
company that was to become Ballet Philippines, she had started contributing to the
household by dancing and creating dances for the stage and television.
She was in the original Bayanihan Dance Company world tour that performed in
Brussels and on Broadway in New York. She was also part of an international show in
Las Vegas.
She finished her Master’s degree at the Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New
York, and trained under Bessie Schonberg, among others.
She had a teaching position set for her in the United States, had she not vacationed in
Manila and saw the new Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) theater and its then
empty programming.
She organized her peers—then some of the best dancers in Manila—and proposed to
present a modern dance concert at CCP. The concert was a hit, and Ballet Philippines
was born.
She called the CCP her home for 20 years, crafting a formula and work ethic that
remains legendary to realize her dream of creating a professional, world-class Filipino
dance company.
Her remarkable energy shone through in her roles and creations—as “Amada,” “Itim-
Asu,” Sisa, the bride in “Songs of the Wayfarer.” These were landmarks in sculpting a
new space for the Filipino dancer.

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