MANILA, Philippines– The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Choreographers Series continues to be the prime mover of contemporary dance in the Philippines as it launches its solo-duet competition WifiBody [Virtual Body] 2020 exclusively online.
A platform that discovers and launches new talent in choreography and contemporary dance, WifiBody [Virtual Body] 2020 will feature 6 to 10-minute dance on video of ten up-and-coming Filipino dancer-choreographers from across the country.
Seeking to answer the question of whether or not the home can be a creative space given the COVID 19 pandemic, this year’s dancer-choreographers aim to troubleshoot the choreographic practice by taking dance discourse beyond perceived limitations. Each work is an interpretation of the artist’s private space as a stage, and allows the viewer to witness the story each artist is able to craft within the confines of their living spaces.
The dancer-choreographers were chosen through online video auditions and participated in a specially designed programme that would meet the challenges brought about by the global pandemic. Each dancer-choreographer was guided by choreographic mentors Myra Beltran, a pioneer for independent dance; Denisa Reyes, the Gawad CCP award-winning choreographer; and Asianist choreographer Raul Alcoseba. In order to translate the experience of live dance to video, award-winning filmmakers Sherad Sanchez and Ruello Lozendo also mentored the choreographers.
The competition will be judged by leaders in the dance sector: Nes Jardin and Basilio Esteban Villaruz, with Shinji Ono, director of the Yokohama Dance Collection Ex, who participates courtesy of the Japan Foundation Manila. The winner will receive a cash prize and the WifiBody medal in bronze designed by Leeroy New. Another prize will be awarded to the audience’s choice, with voting happening on our Facebook Page.
WifiBody [Virtual Body] 2020 will be streamed for FREE on the CCP YouTube Channel on August 28 starting at 2 pm (Competition Set 1), and 4pm (Competition Set 2). Winners will be announced on August 30.
