Dance artist Roberto Villanueva on a ‘give back’ mission to PH

Roberto Villanueva is hailed for his technical virtuosity and compelling personality. JOSEPH PE

Filipino American dance artist Villanueva will be giving presentations on the art and business of Dance at top universities in Manila as his way of giving back to the land of his birth.

Hailed for his technical virtuosity and compelling personality, Villanueva has received accolades from dance critics. Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times writes how “Mr. Villanueva stood out for the deftness and technical control of his dancing” in one performance. The Village Voice’s Eva Yaa Asantewaa describes Villanueva as “a small powerhouse.”

Villanueva attributes the milestones in his personal, corporate and artistic life to his upbringing and formative years in the Philippines.

From November 8 to 16, Villanueva will be donating his performances, lecture presentations, workshops and master class to the University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, and Ateneo de Manila University.

• November 8, 2019, De La Salle University: He will be providing solo performances and brief lecture presentations for physical education students as part of DLSU Culture and Arts Office’s “Art in Action” Program.
• November 11, 2019, University of the Philippines: Villanueva will be conducting a Contemporary Dance master class and a lecture presentation on “The Well-Rounded Dance Professional” for UP College of Music Dance Program students. The lecture presentation will cover topics such as Audience Engagement & Creative Process, The Business of Dance, The Optimal Body, and other key concepts.
• November 12, 2019, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde: He will be providing DLS-CSB School of Design and Arts Dance Program students and other field experts a lecture presentation on “The Well-Rounded Dance Professional.”
• November 14, 2019, Ateneo de Manila University: Villanueva will perform several solos in the remake of his one-man show titled “Pieces of Me: An Inside Look at A Filipino-American Dance Artist’s Journey” on November 14, 8 p.m.-10 p.m., at Doreen Black Box, Soledad V. Pangilinan Arts Wing, Areté.

The production, an evening of solos, is being sponsored and presented by Areté and the School of Humanities, Loyola Schools, Ateneo de Manila University. To further expand the involvement of the Philippine dance community, Villanueva will personally select five local Filipino artists to also perform his solos in the program. Through Villanueva’s personal commentaries, the audience will get a unique glimpse of his life as a dance artist in New York City, his perspective on the challenges and imbalances in the field of concert dance, and his inspiration for each solo. Villanueva will also perform and premiere his new solo “Arugain” as a tribute to his mother, to other mothers worldwide, and his Motherland. Tickets are free for students upon presentation of an ID card, or PHP 200 for non-students (Buy tickets at bit.ly/piecesofme19).

• November 15-16, 2019, Ateneo de Manila University: Villanueva will conduct two workshops on “Design Thinking For Everyone Through Dance Making” for dancers and non-dancers on November 15, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., and November 16, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., at 2F William and Claire Tan Untiong Performing Arts Studio, Areté – Ateneo’s Creative Hub. This workshop is for anyone who wishes to explore design thinking and innovation through movement as a tool to express ideas, develop themes, tell stories, visualize phenomena, and create products. Tickets are P150 (Register at bit.ly/DTDMArete).

Born in the Philippines, Villanueva is the Executive & Artistic Director and founder of BalaSole Dance Company. He has 28 years of professional experience in the field of dance as a producer, director, performer, choreographer, adjudicator and educator in the U.S., Europe and Asia, as well as 25 years of professional background in business, financial, non-profit, operations, organizational and arts management.

He currently serves as Director of Dance and Adjunct Professor at the College of Mount Saint Vincent (the alma mater of the late and former Philippine President Corazon C. Aquino) and as Group Sales Manager for the world-renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem. He trained at the Alvin Ailey School, SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance and University at Buffalo, where he received his B.A. in Dance Performance.

More about Villanueva at robertovillanueva.com.