Kaisahan of San Jose Dance Co., Inc.

By Nerissa Pacio
Mercury News

They call her Manang Helen, a term of respect and endearment in the Filipino culture, loosely translated as ``older sister.''

Her unusual group of 30 dancers -- ranging in age from 7 to 45 -- seems more like an extended family than a professional dance company.

But Helen Pastor-Moreno, 53, artistic director and co-founder of Kaisahan of San Jose, has always intended it to be that way.

``It came from the family,'' says Pastor-Moreno, who started Kaisahan, which means unity in Tagalog, in 1982. ``We formed the group with my brothers and sisters and family friends, performing at each other's fiestas and churches. Kaisahan is an extension of that . . . Before the city discovered us, we were already doing what we were doing out of my sister's back yard.''

The homegrown company, which performs Saturday at the Hoover Theater in San Jose, has come a long way since the days of backyard rehearsals. At the end of the month , 24 of the company's dancers, along with a group of 40 parents and board members, will travel to the Philippines for the troup's first tour.

On the itinerary are visits to the cities of Olongapo, Makati and Nueva Ecija, where the dancers will perform with and learn from some of the country's renowned dance companies -- Bayanihan and the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group -- and the Philippine Dance Society.

The two-week tour, which has been three years in the making, is a triumph for Pastor-Moreno, whose ultimate goal in starting Kaisahan was to give second-generation Filipino youth a genuine taste of their culture.

The main problem I was seeing when I was new to the U.S. was people doing the Filipino dances wrong,'' says Pastor-Moreno, a choreographer and authority on traditional Filipino folk dance. ``The costumes weren't right. The dances weren't interpreted properly. The tinikling was modernized. . . . I'd see all the different college (Pilipino Culture Night) performances, and our national anthem was being sung in a hip-hop style. It's OK to have that freedom in the U.S., but at the same time this is your culture -- you should first learn it the right way. The original way.''

Pastor-Moreno, who studied physical education and dance at the University of Santo Tomas, has strived to keep the company's repertory authentic by traveling to the Philippines every year to do dance research, attend workshops and find original costumes to bring back to San Jose.

Some of the young dancers, however, will be traveling to the Philippines for the first time. For them, the tour is not only about gaining dance experience, but also about learning their roots and meeting long-lost relatives.

``I'm a Filipino-American and was born here,'' says Ruel Ragadio, 22, a De Anza College student who joined the company last year. ``I want to be able to see where my ancestors came from and what my family went through living there. I hear about it a lot, but it's different to experience it myself. I'll also see cousins that I've never met before.''

The dancers, who are paid modest stipends to perform at city and private functions, have also been pooling their pay for the past few months. They plan to donate the money to a non-profit children's charity, Bantay Bata, based in Quezon City.

Several of the dancers came up with the idea after being moved by Bantay Bata's cable television commercials on the Filipino Channel about poverty among children. So far, the dancers have collected more than $800.

The endeavor hasn't been easy, considering most arts groups in the area are hurting because of ongoing funding cuts. The tour was funded by the dancers, board members and a handful of small Filipino business sponsors in the South Bay.

Pastor-Moreno is hoping the trip will be worth it and that the company -- the family -- will continue to grow.

``We're the oldest existing dance company in the Bay Area,'' Pastor-Moreno says, ``The kids keep joining. I have a lot more nieces and nephews to add. It's my mission to keep this going for generations.''

Kaisahan Goodwill Philippine Tour Kick-off performance
Where: Hoover Theatre, 1635 Park Ave., San Jose
When: Saturday, 3 and 7 p.m.
Tickets: $20-$50, at the door or e-mail kaisahan@hotmail.com

Call: (408) 298-3787 or (408) 365-0293, www.kaisahan.org
Contact Nerissa Pacio at npacio@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5827.

Published on December 9, 2004, Page 1E, San Jose Mercury News (CA)
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By Nerissa Pacio Mercury News They call her Manang Helen, a term of respect and endearment in the Filipino culture, loosely translated as ``older sister.'' Her unusual group of 30 dancers -- ranging in age from 7 to 45 -- seems more like an extended family than a professional dance company. But Helen Pastor-Moreno, 53, artistic director and co-founder of Kaisahan of San Jose, has always intended it to be that way. ``It came from the family,'' says Pastor-Moreno, who started Kaisahan, which means unity in Tagalog, in 1982. ``We formed the group with my brothers and sisters and family friends, performing at each other's fiestas and churches. Kaisahan is an extension of that . . . Before the city discovered us, we were already doing what we were doing out of my sister's back yard.'' The homegrown company, which performs Saturday at the Hoover Theater in San Jose, has come a long way since the days of backyard rehearsals. At the end of the month , 24 of the company's dancers, along with a group of 40 parents and board members, will travel to the Philippines for the troup's first tour. On the itinerary are visits to the cities of Olongapo, Makati and Nueva Ecija, where the dancers will perform with and learn from some of the country's renowned dance companies -- Bayanihan and the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group -- and the Philippine Dance Society. The two-week tour, which has been three years in the making, is a triumph for Pastor-Moreno, whose ultimate goal in starting Kaisahan was to give second-generation Filipino youth a genuine taste of their culture. The main problem I was seeing when I was new to the U.S. was people doing the Filipino dances wrong,'' says Pastor-Moreno, a choreographer and authority on traditional Filipino folk dance. ``The costumes weren't right. The dances weren't interpreted properly. The tinikling was modernized. . . . I'd see all the different college (Pilipino Culture Night) performances, and our national anthem was being sung in a hip-hop style. It's OK to have that freedom in the U.S., but at the same time this is your culture -- you should first learn it the right way. The original way.'' Pastor-Moreno, who studied physical education and dance at the University of Santo Tomas, has strived to keep the company's repertory authentic by traveling to the Philippines every year to do dance research, attend workshops and find original costumes to bring back to San Jose. Some of the young dancers, however, will be traveling to the Philippines for the first time. For them, the tour is not only about gaining dance experience, but also about learning their roots and meeting long-lost relatives. ``I'm a Filipino-American and was born here,'' says Ruel Ragadio, 22, a De Anza College student who joined the company last year. ``I want to be able to see where my ancestors came from and what my family went through living there. I hear about it a lot, but it's different to experience it myself. I'll also see cousins that I've never met before.'' The dancers, who are paid modest stipends to perform at city and private functions, have also been pooling their pay for the past few months. They plan to donate the money to a non-profit children's charity, Bantay Bata, based in Quezon City. Several of the dancers came up with the idea after being moved by Bantay Bata's cable television commercials on the Filipino Channel about poverty among children. So far, the dancers have collected more than $800. The endeavor hasn't been easy, considering most arts groups in the area are hurting because of ongoing funding cuts. The tour was funded by the dancers, board members and a handful of small Filipino business sponsors in the South Bay. Pastor-Moreno is hoping the trip will be worth it and that the company -- the family -- will continue to grow. ``We're the oldest existing dance company in the Bay Area,'' Pastor-Moreno says, ``The kids keep joining. I have a lot more nieces and nephews to add. It's my mission to keep this going for generations.'' Kaisahan Goodwill Philippine Tour Kick-off performance Where: Hoover Theatre, 1635 Park Ave., San Jose When: Saturday, 3 and 7 p.m. Tickets: $20-$50, at the door or e-mail kaisahan@hotmail.com Call: (408) 298-3787 or (408) 365-0293, www.kaisahan.org Contact Nerissa Pacio at npacio@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5827. Published on December 9, 2004, Page 1E, San Jose Mercury News (CA) GO BACK