Company Profile
After more
than three decades of artistic pursuits, the Leyte Dance Theater (LDT)
has continued to pursue a highest level of excellence in the field of
dance. The acclaim and recognition accrued through the years of
training and performances in major cultural centers in the country and
abroad and even in the remotest towns, are testimonies to the
excellence they earnestly achieved.
The Leyte
Dance Theater was first known as the Danzz Corps, a homegrown,
community based dance troupe composed of young students with common
love for dance. From this batch sprung Douglas Nierras, now the Artistic Director / Choreographer of the Powerdance and later Danny Marshall
now lead dancer of Powerdance. When the founder joined the Leyte
Normal University, he brought with him his dance troupe and established
the Academy of Arts at the Universtiy. From the ranks of the
student of the Academy came Alden Lugnasin erstwhile choreographer and now the Associate Artistic Director of Ballet Philippines.
In 1993, it
changed its name to Leyte Dance Theater when the founder thought of
making his dance company a private entity and after two years it was
duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as Leyte
Dance Theater, Inc. At present the LDT Inc. is composed of 10 board
members and 5 officers. Members of the board are all former members of
the different groups organized by its founder.
As LDT, the
company has received numerous grants from government institutions and
private subsidies. In 1988 the Cultural Center of the Philippines
Outreach Program approved a regional tour grant when LDT was then Dance
Theater of Tacloban. In 1995 the NCCA granted LDT a subsidy for
the project “Dance Development Program for the Visayas and in 1999
another grant was awarded for the project “Continuous Dance Development
Training for LDT. Another grant from NCCA was given to LDT for its
production of “Los Pintados in 2003 and lately it partly subsidized the
travel expense of the participation of the LDT’s junior dance company,
the Kaliawan Performing Arts Group in the 4th CIOFF Asian
and Oceanian Children’s Folklore Festival. Other grants were received
from the Provincial Government of Leyte, City Government of Tacloban,
DOT Region 8 and the Pintados Foundation. Filipino-American
Associations also extends donations for scholarships and
training-related programs.
LDT has
traveled to the United States of America five times since 1997. It
was the 2001 official Philippine representative to the Chingay Festival
held in Singapore.
In 2002, the
LDT organized its junior dance company, the KALIAWAN PERFORMING ARTS
GROUP (KPAG), with Leyte Park Resort subsidizing the program. The
KPAG is composed of public school pupils with ages ranging from 9-13
years old. The KPAG becomes the training ground for LDT members
who have achieved a level of teaching competencies and choreographic
talent. These members are the trainers, dance teachers, and they
choreograph the repertoire built for KPAG.
In 2003, the
LDT Inc. opened a school of dance catering to the numerous demands of
dance enthusiasts from the Eastern Visayas region. It has managed
to conduct dance recitals during summer terms and offers classes in
ballet, jazz, Polynesian dances, folk dances and workshops for
teachers. LDT members are the dance teachers and occasionally
dance teachers and choreographers from other dance companies are
invited as guest trainers.
Today, the
LDT continues with its dance production and trainings. With the
grants and subsidies it receives from different government and private
entities, simultaneous dance training are accorded to children coming
from public schools, both elementary and out-of-school youth and the
LDT performing group. LDT’s performances abroad as cultural
ambassadors have become one of its major projects. These programs
of training, production and performance make LDT a venue for dance
development, artistic excellence and national pride.
