Dancing with Parangal Master Choreographer Eric Solana

By Camille Punzalan

Brisbane – From their recent successful shows with invites all over Queensland, the Hiraya Performing Artists Brisbane vowed to keep the fire burning.

For the first time, Filipino Australian Brisbane Society Inc. (FABS) embarked on a journey of deeper learning of our rich cultural heritage through dance movements in collaboration with Parangal Dance Company based in San Francisco, California.

Hiraya already have two living traditions in their repertoire as a performing group learned amid COVID lockdown which was the bridge of FABS to work with Parangal. These dances are Pangalay and Sagayan Kalilang.

2020’s awardee of The Outstanding Filipinos in America, Eric Solano of Parangal Dance Company, flew all the way to Australia from the United States a day after his birthday to hold a Filipino Intensive dance workshop covering the indigenous dances from Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago, Philippines.

Being a Philippine dance practitioner since 1993, Eric founded Parangal in 2008 and continues his work through immersion with over 30 indigenous communities in the Pearl of the Orient. His work has been performed in nonetheless the Carnegie Hall in New York, the White House in Washington and other various countries all over the globe.

On the first day, three Tausug dances, including main basics for Pangalay, were taught inspired by culture bearer of Tausug, Sitti Obeso. It was grueling but smiles were definitely seen from all participants.

Day 2 of the workshop was as intense as the day before, Parangal Artist Director taught three dances including Kadtubaw and Silong Sa Ganding from Maguindanao as inspired by culture bearer, Sir Faisal Monal and one wedding dance, Pamansak Pagkawin, inspired from Yakan culture bearer, Nanak Ahaddas.

Day 3 was what they called “Huling Hirit para sa Hiraya” as this happened hours before Eric was flying back to USA. He trained them with a whole choreography martial arts inspired dance, Kuntaw Kabkab, in less than two hours. Because there were no studios available for this last minute workshop, they ended up doing it in someone’s carport.

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With passion, you can definitely dance anywhere.

From 19 November to 20 November 2022, the 30 participants learned not just techniques and forms in dancing but also the theories behind them.

In his own words, Eric said, “Cultural revolution in the context of Parangal learning, immersion, Lakbay Sayaw and sharing with individuals, artists and organizations like you and Hiraya is both a process, progress and advocacy that through dance we learn about our roots, self, who we are, culture, tradition, identity, indigenous people/community that serve as our stepping stone to look back, move forward and give back, embrace and humbly proud of our people, culture , and traditions.

As we keep doing this as an individual or organization, it’s a collective effort to influence the same to your communities, uplift our identity, people, culture and tradition within and beyond your communities

I didn’t realize then but this has been a lifelong journey and life ways I’ve experience and seen in our communities that has inadvertently started this journey just showing up with the interest to dance

And positive impacts to us here in diaspora and indigenous communities we learn from and partner with. It is no easy feat but together we can make a difference.”

Indeed Brisbane dancers were lucky to have trained under the guidance of University of San Francisco’s Philippine Dance and Culture class Adjunct Professor, Eric Solano. To know more about him and Parangal, visit Parangal.org.