“Side to Side”—Pangalay and the Formation of Contemporary Identities in the Filipinx
Kara Nepomuceno, Oberlin College, USA
“Side to Side”—Pangalay and the Formation of Contemporary Identities in the Filipinx Diaspora (performance)
“Side to side” is a six minute solo exploring the body as a site for (cross)cultural conflict. It draws on movements refined from pangalay, a vernacular movement practice originating from indigenous Tausug communities in southern Philippines. Scored by Tian Yoon Teh and Sophie Shalit, “Side to side” quotes gestures from the work “Linggisan”, by artist Nico Delmundo of Samahan Performing Arts, San Diego. A brief introduction precedes the performance, followed by a ten minute talkback.
“Side to Side” prioritizes grounded foot movement and curvilinear gestures characteristic of pangalay, in order to advocate for the dynamic possibilities of this “precolonial” practice and the ways it can express and create meaning for contemporary bodies. The piece also grapples with the issue of performing indigenously-derived gestures on Western concert stages and academic platforms. Theodore S. Gonzalves describes how Pilipino Cultural Nights, performances popularized by Filipino-American college groups, have romanticized or exoticized indigenous traditions even as they facilitate diasporic community formation. How can youth in the Filipinx diaspora address appropriation, as they strive to learn and perform non-colonial, non-Western traditions from the Philippines? How do dysmorphic, diasporic bodies take shape, without taking the space of others?
Kara Nepomuceno is a third-year student studying Dance and Biology at Oberlin College. She is interested in the ways that bodies both inform and express the experiences of marginalized and displaced communities. She has performed with Oberlin Dance Project and Samahan Performing Arts, and is currently a member of the Midwest Asia America Art Collective, using art to invest both political and cultural organizations in shared issues.