Rooted

Eric Solano founded Parangal Dance Company in 2008 to advance and promote Philippine dance. He serves as its artistic director and choreographer. Parangal has performed on mainstages including SF Ethnic Dance Festival, Merrie Monarch Ho’ike-Hawaii, and festivals in Latin America, Europe and Asia. Solano began dancing as a teen and trained with Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company, and Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group. He performed with Barangay DanceSF and later became its artistic director. He is a University of San Francisco adjunct professor of Philippine Dance, and trains multi-generational community folkloric practitioners. Central to Solano’s artistic practice is the building of authentic relationships with over 30 culture bearers over time through cultural immersions. Solano has created thirteen new works which consisted of creating awareness on 75 traditions under the guidance of culture bearers which include: Faisal Monal-Maguindanaon, Jenny Bawer Young - Kalinga, Sitti Obeso-Tausug, Abdul Dimalna-Meranao, Nanak Ahaddas-Yakan, Gauden Sireg-Subanen. Solano creates the essence of indigenous village for the proscenium stage with a narrative rooted in myths, daily life, or rituals, dance and music. Eric started performing Pangalay in his teens and received training sessions from Pangalay Master Artist Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa in 2011. In 2012, he received classical Pangalay training from Sitti Airia Sangkula Askalani-Obeso, a Ta’u Sug, Cultural Master and former member of the pioneering Ta’u Sug performing arts, founded in the 1970’s, the Dayang-Dayang Dance Troupe, and with Mark Angel Tolentino, visual artist and performer, and Ta’u Sug at heart, Sitti Airia’s young Master Artist. In 2014, Eric served as a master artist in Pangalay for ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program. Rooted in Pangalay and Ta’u Sug traditions, he has created two new works which consisted of fourteen new dances.