From June 25 to July 5, Wifibody, an annual independent contemporary dance festival now on its fourth year at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, will celebrate the evolving body. Festival director Paul Morales, long time artistic director of contemporary dance group Airdance, says, "We invite everyone to be part of this two-week festival where we explore how contemporary dance is evolving, how Filipinos can access this kind of dance, as well as how and where we want to bring it."
The festival will
feature the evolution of past Wifibody participants, such as Rhosam Prudenciado
Jr., former competition winner and grand prize winner of the Yokohama Solo x
Duo + competition in Japan. Winners and competitors of past competitions will
perform in the "2nd Step" segments.
Morales points out: "We want to see their evolution now that
they're done with past competitions.
This segment helps ensure that there is life for our dancers after they
compete. Audiences will
get a chance to see how these artists are coming into their own, how they move
on from being young into maturing artists."
Wifibody also aims to showcase the evolution of how Filipino contemporary dancers connect with each other and with dancers globally, as with invited Japanese guest artist, Maki Morishita, who will be performing in a show with Ballet Philippines 2 alumni.
These performances will be in addition to evening performances in the IndepenDance segment. This segment features different groups such as Airdance, Myra Beltran Dance Forum, UP Dance Company, Kahayag Community Dance and Theater Company (Koronadal City), Dance-Pull (Bacolod), and Locsin Dance Workshop (Davao City).
Aside from the evening shows, a host of other performances and activities will be presented throughout the day and all over the CCP. There will be a photo exhibit and two plenaries where artists, educators, dance enthusiasts and the public are invited to discuss contemporary dance and the evolving body.
Up and coming choreographers will be highlighted in the New Choreographers Competition, a competition solely dedicated to the solo and duet form that was spearheaded and has been nurtured by contemporary dance advocate Myra Beltran, artistic director of Dance Forum.
Allowing access to contemporary dance is also of importance to the festival organizers. For this reason, high school and college based dance groups from all over the country will have a chance to shine in the Emerging Talent Showcase. Contemporary dance workshops will be held and are open to all dance practitioners and anyone who is interested to learn more about contemporary dance (even without dance backgrounds).
There will even be "street dance parties" at the driveway encircling the CCP fountain featuring groups like Krump Pinoy. Other unique performances include a series of "Dance On Site" and "In Focus" shows where dancers perform at locations all over the CCP, including the escalator of the Main Theater Lobby.
Film enthusiasts and filmmakers interested in the use of dance in film (and vice-versa) can catch screenings of dance films. This year's festival also marks the first Uncensored Bodies Dance Film competition where judges include former Ballet Philippines danseur Nonoy Froilan and filmmaker Tad Ermitaño.
Wifibody Independent Contemporary Dance Festival 4 is presented by the Contemporary Dance Network Philippines (a member of World Dance Alliance); the Cultural Center of the Philippines (as part of the Brave New Works series in celebration of its 40th anniversary) , and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts; in cooperation with Japan Foundation Manila.
For schedules and details, call 832-1125 loc. 1801 to 1808 or 832-3681 or log on to www.geocities.com/wifibody. Tickets available at CCP Box Office 832-3704 and all Ticketworld outlets (Tel. No. 891-9999). Day passes and festival passes are available.
