LEYTE DANCE THEATER: BAYAN KO

LEYTE DANCE THEATER's Bayan Ko is a signature song that tells the history of the Filipino struggle for freedom from the clutches of Spanish dominations and servitude to the present emancipation of the working class from the ravages of corruption of government officials. Bayan Ko is the story of every Filipino who yearns for real freedom- freedom from want, freedom from hunger, freedom from oppression and from all remnants of
repression in the Philippines.

Choreographer: Jerry Mores
Artistic Director: Jess De Paz
Musical Arrangement: Melvin Corpin

Leyte Dance Theater Profile:
After 20 years of artistic pursuit, the Leyte Dance Theater (LDT) can rightfully claim as one of the top dance companies in the Philippines today. The acclaim and recognition, accrued through the years of performances in major cultural centers in the country and abroad, and even in the remotest town or barrio, are testimonies to the excellence it pursue in the field of dance.
The LDT today is a handiwork of its founder, Jess de Paz, who never stop training and learning under the hands of local and foreign masters. His scholarship to the Joffrey School of Ballet in New York and his representing the “Study of ASEAN-sponsored “Study of Traditional Dance, Music and Choreography” in Thailand, widened his teaching and choreographic interest. He then initiated his company into rigorous, demanding and exhausting world of ballet and contemporary dance. These genres have ever since provided venue for the company’s creativity to capture in movement, or to suspend in tableaux, what is profound and sublime to subjects that Filipinos warmly identify with… stories and legends, historical accounts and current events, steeped in indigenous humor and values.
The programs of LDT includes: Free training for talented dance enthusiasts in numerous dance forms (folk, ballet, contemporary, jazz and creative dance); performances in local, national and international events; conducting seminar-workshops for teachers, dance students and children; spearheading festival dance development in Region 8 through consultancies, dance tutorials, and workshops; developing programs funded by cultural institutions for dance development in the Region.
LDT has traveled to the USA six times since 1997 and performed for Filipino-American audiences with overwhelming response. Other major performances are as follows: Philippine representative to the Chingay Festival in Singapore; International Folk Festival in Turkey; International Folk Festival in Indonesia; and International Folk Dance Competition in Sabah, Malaysia where it was adjudged as Grand Champion and winning the Best in Choreography, Best in Music and Best Male Dancer. In 2013, LDT was among the 40 or more performers around the world that performed during the Grand Prix event in Bahrain. LDT is also a regular performer in the yearly International Dance Xchange event sponsored by the National Commission for the Arts Dance Committee.
Today, aside from its regular performance and travels, the LDT continues with its dance productions and free training for talented dancer. These programs of training, production and performance make LDT a venue for dance development, artistic expressions and national pride. As recognition for LDT’s efforts, the Sangyaw Foundation, Inc., cited the group for its meritorious achievement in the field of Arts and Entertainment on June 2013. Also, the ALIW Awards Foundation, Inc., recently awarded LDT a “Lifetime Achievement Award” in the field of Performing Arts during the 26th Annual Aliw Awards ceremony at the Manila Hotel last October 8, 2013.