The running of a folk dance and music company for a strictly volunteer-based organization such as Kababayang Pilipino requires many hours of dedication and the generous support of the communities it serves.  Your cash or in-kind sponsorship of Kababayang Pilipino goes a long way in helping us to recover costs in the following areas:

Studio Rental

Scotiabank Dance CentreThe Scotiabank Dance Centre, located in downtown Vancouver, is home to some of the city’s prominent dance professionals.  The Scotiabank Dance Centre is a project that blends old and new. Built within the footprint of a 1920’s Bank of Nova Scotia building, and retaining the original entrance facade (complete with ATM terminal), the land was donated by Scotiabank, and the building was built by the Vancouver Dance Foundation.  It is in this artistic arena where KP members dedicate four to six hours a week, 10 months out of the year, to learn new dances, develop choreography, and rehearse for major productions, performances and events.

Pangalay Badjao CostumeCostumes

KP takes pride in the quality of the costumes presented on stage.  The design of each costume reflects attention to historical and aesthetic detail and as such, requires many hours of research.  Textiles are often obtained from the original regions of the Philippines, such as the T’nalak, a hand-woven fabric made from bamboo shoots by the T’iboli tribe.  The "Barong Tagalog" is not the national dress of the Filipino people, it is also the main costume for the male performers  in our Spanish influenced dances.  This elegant outfit is made from the delicate but study pina or pinnaple fibre. 

Instruments

KulintangThe music of a particular region or era depicted in our dance pieces is reflected in the instruments we use.  Many of our instruments are indigenous to the islands of the Philippines from where the sounds originate.  Brass gongs called Agong and a kulintang set is used by percussionists for our Muslim-influenced dances and other indigenous cultural communities.  A gangsa set is used for dances from the Mountain suite.  Stringed instruments such as the Banduria, Octavina and Laud are used by the Rondalla for our Barrio and Spanish suites. 

Jota HatProps and Accessories

Details are essential in depicting the intrinsic qualities of a particular region through our dance pieces.  KP endeavours to hold true to the authenticity of our presentations through avid research of props and accessories that best represent the diversity of the Philippine culture we celebrate.  These include beaded head and arm pieces, hand-woven malongs, and brass ankle bells used by many indigenous tribes.