A new production is shining a light on the lives and journeys of Filipinos in Hawaiʻi. “Dancing in the Diaspora,” directed by J. Lorenzo Perillo, blends movement, music and history into a fast-moving tribute to identity and community. Performances run through November 23, on the Kennedy Theatre Mainstage at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Perillo serves as co-director of the Center for Philippine Studies (CPS) and is also an associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at UH Mānoa. He created the show in honor of CPS’s 50th anniversary.
“‘Dancing in the Diaspora’ delves into the interconnected lives of Filipinos maneuvering the waters of belonging and exclusion in Hawaiʻi and beyond,” said Perillo.
Stories through dance
The performance moves between hip-hop, street dance, contemporary, Filipino Indigenous styles and ʻori Tahiti (Tahitian dance). Live kulintang (traditional Filipino gong instrument) and Tahitian music set the tone. The dances explore home, identity and the journey of carrying culture across oceans.
Ticket prices range from $9 to $25 for the in-person production at Kennedy Theatre. The production features international and local collaborators such as Mary Chris (Mycs) Villoso, Von Ace Asilo, Angela Sebastian, Ron and Lydia Querian (House of Gongs), Manarii and Nalini Gauthier (Tahiti Mana), Irisgil Viacrusis, Michelle Bisbee, Tyler Kanemori and Evan McCarty.
One of the most meaningful collaborative elements grew out of Villoso’s artist residency at UH Mānoa earlier this year, which included workshops with local high schools such as Maryknoll, Farrington and Waipahu. Building on that work, the production features Farrington High School students who have been rehearsing since September with their teacher Michelle Levine Aquino, a recent UH Mānoa graduate, to perform a piece rooted in Philippine games and street dance. Aquino also contributes an Ilokano chant that helps open the show.
“If you dig beneath the deep layers of colonization, you find the ways the people of the Pacific are connected through language, food, stories and beliefs,” said Nalini Gauthier. “Dance has been a steady vessel carrying me through this journey of rediscovery and empowerment.”
The production also features a heartfelt dance film showcasing UH’s custodial staff.
Perillo expressed that the staging is deeply connected to Hawaiʻi’s social and cultural landscape.
“Filipinos make up one-fourth of Hawaiʻi’s population, yet there is a clear lack of Filipino representation in education. Representation matters. It’s critical in strengthening students’ self-worth, identities and success.”
