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KARIKTAN ll About Us
About Us 
KARIKTAN Dance Company is a non-profit organization that has a mission to preserve and promote the Philippine culture through folk dance and music traditions to all nationalities. KARIKTAN is a Tagalog word which means beauty, brilliance or splendor. KARIKTAN Dance Company aims to inspire Filipino-American youths to understand and value their Filipino heritage. Performing Artist members are second generation Filipino-Americans. The average age of our dancers is 16, the youngest 12. Members become extended family which is a strong Philippine cultural value. Our youth are taught Filipino dances, play instruments native to the Philippines and learn Filipino songs in different dialects. Our mission is to create a strong appreciation, knowledge, and respect of the Philippine culture not just among our students but also to the diverse audiences that we perform to. Through our repertoire, our audience embarks on a travelogue to that group of over 7, 100 islands, called the Philippines. Our dance company has performed in numerous multi-cultural festivals: Walnut Creek's Celebration of Life multi-cultural dance festival; Monterey; Reno's multi-cultural parade & festival, Vallejo's Waterfront Festival, Ethnic Dance Festival, the most prestigious festival held every year at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, Marine World's KABABAYAN Fest and San Francisco's Asian Museum to name a few.
Polly Manalo-Herrera, our Artistic Director & Choreographer is a former choreographer and dancer of the world acclaimed Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company. She brings with her a wealth of 45 years' experience in Filipino folk dancing, music and costume expertise. Authenticity in dance movements, music and costuming is of paramount importance to her. Serious consideration is given to enhance the original, researched material and structure it in such a manner as to meet the requisites of modern theater, yet not lose the ethnic authenticity of the dances and music. Polly Manalo-Herrera was a nominee for the prestigious Isadora Duncan Award for excellence in Dance, was the 2004 Philippine PAMANA Arts Legacy Award recipient for Dance category and chosen as one of 100 Filipino Centennial Achievers in the year 2006. One has to see KARIKTAN Dance Company performing group to appreciate their talents, and at the same time enjoy the beauty of the Philippine culture .
KARIKTAN in the news Philippine News 10.18.06 "Tanforan presents a festival of Filipino talent" by Jun Ilagan"The Kariktan Dance Company, on the other hand, will present theatrically appealing examples of the many cultural traditions in our native country. Included, among others, are folk dances from..." 06.28.06 "Honoring culture through dance " by Stephanie Grace Loleng "This year, three Philippine dance companies showed the Filipino skill and grace in dance – Kariktan Dance Company, Likha Pilipino Folk Ensemble, and Barangay Dance Company." The San Francisco Chronicle 06.13.06 "Fleet feet, cultural beats glory in universal spirit at Ethnic Dance fete" by Janice Berman "Were they at the festival to catch the fabulous Kariktan Dance Company, with a traditional Mindinao-style kulintang orchestra, whose "Sarimanok," about a gorgeous bird..." Voice of Dance 06.12.06 "San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival 2006, Program 1" by Allan Ulrich " No excuses needed to be made Saturday for the Kariktan Dance Company, whose Legend of Sarimanok was a drop-dead audience-pleasing spectacular..." World Arts West 06.10-11.06 "The dance version of the legend of Sarimanok represented by Kariktan Dance Company, portrays the tale of an earthly prince seeking to win the love of a celestial goddess..." KARIKTAN performs at 2006 Ethnic Dance Festival
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KARIKTAN Dance Company presents theatrically appealing examples of the many cultural traditions in our native country. Included, among others, are barrio dances from the central Philippines, robust northern mountain dances, elegant Spanish influenced danzas, and beautiful dance dramas based on legends from the southern islands.