Dance Stories of Magnificence and Joy
Benilde’s Dance Program & DeviDiva Productions (Sunita S. Mukhi, Artistic Director, choreography by Christine Crame), Philippines
Dance Stories of Magnificence and Joy (performance)
These dance stories cum morality tales unfold via contemporary dance, Asian gestures taken from Filipino genre, Indian dance vocabularies, and dramatic narration. The synopses for the stories follow.
1. Butterfly and the Pin Man: A Dance Story about Magnificence
A Magnificent Butterfly and a Pin Man are enamored of each other but Pin Man’s possessiveness chokes Butterfly. She leaves him. In search of her, he discovers that his loneliness and regret can be healed only by the generosity of nature.
2. White Tiger and Brown Fox: A Dance Story about Joy
White Tiger is powerful and is feared by all other beasts except Brown Fox, who has seen him weep in abject solitude. Brown Fox tries to lure White Tiger to dance with her, asking the audience to help him learn. Will White Tiger choose joy or keep his pride? Perhaps, we together can persuade White Tiger to make the right choice!
The performance is written, directed, and narrated by Sunita S. Mukhi, Artistic Director of DeviDiva Productions; choreographed by Christine Crame and performed by Marie Erika Grace Arandez and Emmerson Evangelio of Benilde’s Dance Program, School of Design and Arts, De La Salle College of St. Benilde, Manila, Philippines. With partial support from Ms. Sylvia Lichauco.
Sunita S. Mukhi is a theater/film/performance artist, writer, cultural programs curator, and an interdisciplinary performance scholar. She writes and performs her poetry, stories, and monologues that espouse the redemptive power of the arts with dynamic women as central characters. She continues her curatorial work, arts advocacy, and practice as Associate Dean for the Arts and Culture Cluster at the De La Salle College of St. Benilde’s School of Design and Arts in Manila, Philippines, and as Artistic Director of DeviDiva Productions.
Christine Crame, a dancer, choreographer, and teacher, is a graduate and currently chair of Dance at the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde. She has danced for some of Ballet Philippines major productions, and touring productions in the Philippines, Europe, the US, and Asia. She has choreographed for Ballet Philippines and WiFi Body Contemporary Dance Festival, is artistic director and choreographer of Saint Benilde Romançon Dance Company, and choreographs and/or directs corporate events, cultural shows, and school-based productions.