A Tribute to National Artist for Dance Agnes D. Locsin (Ayala Museum, Makati City)

 

National Artist for Dance Ms. Agnes Locsin

For two days (June 10 to 11), the works and life of highly acclaimed Filipino dance choreographer and dance director Agnes Dakudao Locsin, recognized as a National Artist of the Philippines for Dance in June 2022 (the second in the Locsin clan to be named as a National Artist after Architect Leandro V. Locsin, in 1990, for Architecture), are the focus of an exhibition and lecture at the Ayala Museum where she was honored, by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCAA), Ayala Foundation and the Carmen D. Locsin Foundation, at the Ayala Museum for pioneering and elevating “Neo-Ethnic” Filipino dance choreography, a distinct style that blends indigenous Philippine themes, folklore and rituals with Western classical ballet and modern dance techniques. She is the the sixth Mindanawon to receive this distinction.

 

Dance is My Life Exhibit

The June 10 traveling exhibit “Dance is my Life,” at the second floor of the Ayala Museum (until June 28), focuses on her life and works as a National Artist for Dance. The exhibit also features a selection of her own artworks, offering a direct look into her creative practice, alongside visual pieces that explore dance and cultural memory as artistic subjects.

 

Dance is My Life Exhibit

Dance is My Life Exhibit

The June 11 lecture, titled “Pamana ng Pilipino: A Lecture by National Artist for Dance Agnes D. Locsin,” featured the National Artist as she traced “The Path to Neo-Ethnic Choreography,” from her early exposure to Filipino dance traditions and formal training to the artistic process behind her distinct movement language. 

Pamana ng Pilipino: A Lecture by National Artist for Dance Agnes D. Locsin

Here, Agnes shared stories behind key works: Igorot, Bagobo, and Moslem, as well as discuss her latest exploration into Neo-Ethnic Tap Dance. The program will also feature the Locsin Dance Workshop. This 2-day event was held in partnership with the Ayala Museum and the Filipinas Heritage Library and was made possible with the support of Purefoods Deli and the NCCA through the Order of National Artist Program.

 

Locsin Dance Workshop performers

Igorot, a composition heavily praised during its European tours, helping put Philippine contemporary dance on the global map, premiered in 1987 in Amsterdam for Le Petit Theatre and was restaged, in 1988, in the Philippines  for Ballet Philippines Celebrating the cultural rituals and dances of the Cordillera indigenous peoples in Northern Luzon, the work fuses ethnic movements with ballet technique to highlight communal harmony and mountain life.

Born in Davao City on September 28, 1957, Agnes Locsin attended the Philippine Women's University for her elementary and high school studies; Ateneo de Davao University for her bachelor's degree in English; and Ohio State University (OSU) in the United States for her master's degree in dance, with a focus on modern and contemporary techniques. Pioneering ballet teacher Carmen Dakudao Locsin, her mother and founder of the Locsin Dance Workshop (established in 1947, it is the oldest dance school in the country) in Davao City, introduced Agnes to dance. After graduating from OSU, Agnes took over as its artistic director. 

In the late 1970s, while an Ateneo de Davao student, Locsin collaborated with artists Joey Ayala and Al Santos for the rock opera, Sa Bundok ng Apo, as a choreographer for Ayala's music and Santos' lyrics. In 1992, they would collaborate again in Encantada, an award-winning neo-ethnic masterwork and full-length ballet, that premiered in February 1992, with Ballet Philippines.  The piece draws on Filipino folklore and history to evoke themes of enchantment and the mystical bond between humans and nature, featuring ethereal movements that blend ritualistic elements with contemporary dance forms while highlighting the consequences of environmental destruction. 

She was also part of the faculty of the University of the Philippines Dance Program where taught choreography and modern dance techniques, contributing to the academic development of aspiring dancers.  From 1989 to 1999, she was the artistic director of the Ballet Philippines in the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex.  Around the 2010s, she began doing choreography for environmentally-themed works such as Agila and the Alay sa Puno series. 

Agila, created in the 1990s, premiered with Ballet Manila.  Emphasizing soaring, expansive gestures that capture themes of aspiration and national identity, it symbolizes the Filipino spirit of freedom through the metaphor of an eagle's flight, set to original music by composer Joey Ayala.  The Alay sa Puno series, developed from the late 1990s through the 2000s, comprises four interconnected pieces (Ugat, Dahon, Puno, and Sanga).  Performed initially with Ballet Philippines and later restaged with international collaborators, it honors trees as symbols of life, strength, and indigenous rituals while advocating for environmental preservation.  The series incorporates natural textures like bamboo and flowing fabrics to evoke the vitality and vulnerability of forests. 

Her other stunning and socially conscious major pieces include:

• Dabaw - a prominent contemporary/neo-ethnic ballet first choreographed in the early 1980s as a tap dance, and later premiered as a full ballet commissioned by Ballet Manila in July and August 2003.
• Bagobo (1990)
• Ismagol (1990)
• Kulam (1991)
• Moslem (1991)
• Moriones (1991)
• Hinilawod (1992) – a narrative dance piece based on the ancient Panay epic featuring the character Labaw Donggon.
• Babaylan (1993) – a piece that portrays indigenous shamanistic rituals and spiritual leaders, winning second place at the 1993 Tokyo International Choreography Competition.
• Salome (1994) - where dancer Camille Ordinario secured second place at the Concours International de la Danse in Paris.
• Taong Talangka (1994) – choreographed, in 1994, to music by Joey Ayala, it explores human resilience amid greed and societal pressures through the allegory of a crab-like struggle. Originally performed by soloist Camille Ordinario with Ballet Philippines, it features angular, clawing motions that convey entrapment and defiance.
• Sayaw and Sabel - presented together in 2010 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, it formed a series of solo dances depicting life's darker facets, such as isolation and mental fragility. Sabel specifically draws inspiration from Benedicto Cabrera's iconic series of the same name, portraying the scavenger figure as a symbol of urban poverty and endurance through fragmented, expressive gestures.
• Elias (1995)
• La Revolucion Filipina (1997) - a creative, striking dance homage to the paraplegic revolutionary hero Apolinario Mabini, it was part of Ballet Philippines' 45th anniversary season, with performances at the Cultural Center of the Philippines from July 25 to 27. This choreography, which originally premiered in 1997, narrates key episodes of Philippine revolutionary history, from the Spanish colonial era to the fight for independence, using dynamic group formations and dramatic solos to portray figures like Andres Bonifacio and Jose Rizal.
• Ang Pagpatay kay Antonio Luna (2002)

Agnes Locsin’s "Neo-Ethnic" approach roots itself firmly in the history, beliefs, and indigenous environments of the Philippines. Her work and contribution to choreography, in general, famously brought awareness to indigenous communities and environmental issues, earning her international acclaim and multiple prestigious awards in global choreography competitions in Tokyo, Paris, and beyond. They include: 

• Araw ng Maynila's Patnubay sa Kalinangan at Sining Award (1994) awarded by the City of Manila for her the for her significant cultural impact through dance.
• Hiyas ng Lahi Award (1992) from the Dance Alliance and National Choreography Endeavors, celebrating her excellence in choreography, particularly works like Encantada that blended indigenous and modern elements
• Datu Bago Award (2000) from Davao City, recognizing her efforts in promoting Mindanao's cultural heritage via performances and education.
• Pilak Award para sa Serbisyong Pangkultura, Sining at Kumunidad (2004) from the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
• Gawad Buhay Award from Philstage in 2008 and 2011 for outstanding production and original choreography, including for Encantada
• Gawad CCP para sa Sining (2013) from the Cultural Center of the Philippines,  its highest accolade for lifetime achievement in dance, underscoring her decades of innovative artistic direction.
• Gawad Tanglaw ng Lahi (2014) from Ateneo de Manila University , honoring her as an exemplar in advancing neo-ethnic Filipino dance and cultural preservation.
• Daigler Award for Mindanao Culture and the Arts (2017_ from Ateneo de Davao University
• Gawad Buhay Lifetime Achievement Award (2018) from Philstage
• The inaugural Gador Award (2020) from the CCP's Kaisa sa Sining at Kultura Mindanao Network, honoring outstanding Mindanawon artists in dance for her enduring promotion of regional cultural expressions.
• 6th Mindanawon National Artist for Dance (2022) underscoring her role in representing Mindanao's artistic heritage within the national pantheon, highlighting her efforts to amplify regional voices in the broader Philippine arts scene. 
• Pinoy Pride Award for Dance (2025) at the MEGA Ball.

 Beyond choreography, her book, Neo-Ethnic Choreography: A Creative Process (2012), documenting her her methodological approach to blending cultural elements in dance, won the Alfonso T. Ongpin Prize for Best Book on Arts at the 32nd National Book Awards.  She also won the Gador Award, from the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and the Datu Bago Award (2000), for her contribution to dance and culture, from the Davao City government.

 She maintains strong ties with her siblings within the Davao arts community, including her older sister Bing, a former member of the Bayanihan Dance Company, who inspired Agnes by teaching her, upon returning home, various dance forms. Agnes also shares a collaborative bond with Sonny Locsin, her nephew and son of her late brother Cesar Jose “Boy” Locsin, performing together in an aunt-nephew dance act that highlighted their extended family's involvement in the local performing arts scene.