“It seemed easy enough to do,” I thought to myself as I watched the pangalay program at the Roman Garden on the bank of the Marikina River in 2005. I had already seen Ligaya Fernando Amilbangsa give a short demonstration of it at a conference at CCP many years ago, and given what I thought […]
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The AlunAlun Dance Circle
We seek to preserve Pangalay, a living link to traditional dance cultures in the Asian region where sensitivity is the key to learning and mastery of the many nuances of traditional dances. Pangalay has closest affinity to the Indian, Javanese, Thai, Burmese and Cambodian styles of classical dancing.
Our Mission
Under the tutelage of pangalay dance teacher and choreographer, Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa, the AlunAlun Dance Circle aspires to revive, stimulate and sustain interest in ancient Filipino art forms, notably the pangalay dance style, through comprehensive dance instruction, research, and performances.
Pangalay: literally, a gift offering.
Pangalay also means "temple of dance" in Sanskrit. Pangalay antedates Christianity and Islam in the Philippines. Among Philippine indigenous dances, the pangalay dance style has the richest movement vocabulary. It is the closest to a classical form.
News and Updates
Lookback 2022: Pulse of Pangalay USA
Through the full-length concert titled PULSE OF PANGALAY, the ADC was able to share the art and practice of pangalay among significant groups and individuals in North America. This was an important phase in the cultural heritage work of ADC which was made possible because of the vision and dedication of the officers and members of the […]
Lookback 2022: AlunAlun Dance Circle in California, USA
In 2022, AlunAlun Dance Circle collaborated with the Malaya Filipino American Dance Arts to launch “The Pangalay Project” — conceived to be a healing project through pangalay. Malaya’s artistic director, Peter de Guzman, states in the project concept: “As we continue to recover from the struggles of the global pandemic, part of the process of returning to […]