Multi-awarded choreographer, director and mentor Denisa Reyes will reveal the artistic process behind her iconic 1985 work Te Deum, the social commentary that served as the prayer of the Filipinos during the dark days of Martial Law, in the online talk show HistophTV.
Te Deum, and Denisa Reyes links the role of dance to the historical Martial Law. It highlights the participation of creative thinkers in producing art criticisms that engage the community in the political, economic and social landscapes of the Philippines. She will elaborate on the performativity of cultural identity and the political interventions involved in her creative process.
Premiered in Manila a year before the collapse of Martial Law, the piece was named after the traditional Latin Christian hymn Te Deum laudamus, which means “We Praise Thee, Oh God”.
She launched the Neo Filipino Dance Series in 1987 under her term as Artistic Director of Ballet Philippines. She is a two-time Philstage Gawad Buhay awardee for Outstanding Choreography for a Musical and Lifetime Achievement, a recipient of the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, City of Manila Outstanding Artist Award for Dance, Award for Culture and Arts in Bulacan and Amazing Alumni Award by Miriam College.
Reyes continues to share her expertise as consultant and dance faculty member of Benilde School of Design and Arts and director and mentor for the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Choreographers Series.
The discussion is free and open to the public. It will go live on Friday, September 24, 2021, 5 p.m. on the official Facebook and YouTube channels of Benilde Arts and Culture Cluster. Interested viewers may register at http://t.ly/Xgdy.
