Dancing to be free
Multi-awarded choreographer, director, and mentor Denisa Reyes will reveal the artistic process behind her iconic 1985 work Te Deum, the social commentary that served as the prayer of the Filipinos during the dark days of Martial Law, in the online talk show HistophTV.
The episode entitled Martial Law, Te Deum, and Denisa Reyes links the role of dance to a historical event. It highlights the participation of creative thinkers in producing art criticisms that engage the community in the political, economic and social landscapes of the Philippines. She will elaborate on the performativity of cultural identity and the political interventions involved in her creative process.
Premiered in Manila a year before the collapse of Martial Law, the piece was named after the traditional Latin Christian hymn Te Deum laudamus, which means “We Praise Thee, Oh God.”
She launched the Neo Filipino Dance Series in 1987 under her term as artistic director of Ballet Philippines. She is a two-time Philstage Gawad Buhay awardee for Outstanding Choreography for a Musical and Lifetime Achievement, a recipient of the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, City of Manila Outstanding Artist Award for Dance, Award for Culture and Arts in Bulacan and Amazing Alumni Award by Miriam College.
Premiered in Manila a year before the collapse of Martial Law, the piece was named after the traditional Latin Christian hymn Te Deum laudamus, which means ‘We Praise Thee, Oh God.’
Reyes continues to share her expertise as consultant and dance faculty member of Benilde School of Design and Arts and director and mentor for the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Choreographers Series.
Organized by the Dance Program students of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, HistophTV was launched by Benilde Dance chairperson and History of Philippine Dance (Histoph)professor and fellow industry expert,Nina Anonas, ACBE, a soloist and principal credits at the Ballet Philippines, Manila Metropolis Ballet, and the Junge Ballett Compagnie, as well as featured performances with Billie Forsythe’s Ballett Frankfurt.
The discussion is free and open to the public. It will go live on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, 5 p.m. on the official Facebook and YouTube channels of Benilde Arts and Culture Cluster. If interested, register at t.ly/Xgdy. www.facebook.com/benildearts.