KUWENTO

Kawayan Folk Arts staff first assembled in August of 2006 at the home of Mark and Stella Trinidad in Mountain View, California. The first rehearsal was held at the Filipino-American Community Center in San Jose’s Japantown. We have rehearsed at the American Musical Theater, San Jose; Steps, Styles & Spotlights Studio in Fremont; Ballare Dance Center, San Jose; PnC Music Company, Milpitas; Dance Affair, San Jose; and Underground Fitness II in Newark.

When we are producing a show, artists rehearse about 2-3 times per month with each season beginning in January and ending in December. Members do not pay fees to the company and all staff positions are volunteer. Our members come from Antioch, Berkeley, Cleveland, Daly City, Elk Grove, Foster City, Fremont, Fullerton, Gilroy, Hayward, Milpitas, Mountain View, Oakland, Pacifica, Palm Springs, Sacramento, San Bruno, San Francisco, South San Francisco, San Jose, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Stockton, Sunnyvale, Union City, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines. 

Periodically, we host Usbong: a cultural experience for young ones featuring dance, music, food, and culture. We teach ethnic and folk dance lessons to local area elementary, high school, and universities. We collaborate with other area artists and organizations to celebrate the performing arts.

Kawayan Folk Arts has performed at weddings, conferences, business events, birthdays, fashion shows, festivals, baptisms, anniversaries, reunions, town fiestas, Simbang Gabi and Santa Cruzan, government events, Pilipino Cultural Nights, the launch of VuQo Premium Vodka, and for the Asian American Recovery Network. Other performances include the Great America, San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors, Oakland Raiders, Great America, Filipino American Arts Exposition, Kababayan Fest, ABS-CBN, San Francisco Parole Festival, UNDSCVRD SF, The Filipino Channel, Adobo Nation, and KGO-TV.

Kawayan Folk Arts, Inc. is a nonprofit public benefit corporation within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. 

The specific objectives and purposes of Kawayan Folk Arts are: 

1. to provide instruction in ethnic and contemporary dance forms inspired from the cultures of the Philippines;

2. to provide instruction in music and musical instruments from the Philippines;

3. to give public performances in musical concerts, dance forms, and creative dramatics;

4. to sponsor special events involving the public performance of any or all of the above art forms as well as other performing arts by the corporation’s performing troupe as well as by other community performing arts groups;

5. to directly engage in and to provide support for others to engage in the promotion of the arts, generally. 

Services 

• Dance – Ethnic-inspired folk dance from various regions in the Philippines 

• Music – Ethnic percussion (gangsa and kulintangan) and rondalla from the Philippines 

• Theater Arts - Costume, stage, lighting design, production & stage management.

• Workshops or lessons – Tailored for your family or organizational event.