Looking Inside Agnes Locsin

At the outset, watching her choreography in the Neo-Ethnic dance genre she conceived, a conservative mind with set ways and considerations could dismiss the choreography as utter disrespect of tradition—perhaps because the mind is ill-informed about the meticulous process Agnes Locsin goes through in transforming a tradition into a modern dance genre based on movements and intricacies that, in fact, respect tradition.

- 

"Dance Is My Life"—an exhibit of Agnes’ creative journey in dance, meticulously documented and curated by Pamela and Virgilio Castrillo at the Davao Museum of History and Ethnography until March 31—considers Agnes’ massive contribution to modern dance, and is an important addition to the museum’s list of exhibits. The walls are papered with photographs of Agnes from the time she was her mother’s ballet student as a child, plus Agnes’ own tributes to her mother, Carmen D. Locsin, a ballet teacher who started what is now the oldest dance studio in the country (at 80 years old this year). Agnes aptly pays tribute to her mother with her blown-up photograph and a mention that "Mommy Nitang’s" dedication to teaching dance at their home preceded Agnes’ birth by a good 10 years.

Exploring the exhibit, Agnes’s mindset and intent become clearer: just how dedicated she is to Filipinizing her body of work, which was triggered by her mother emphasizing the inclusion of a Filipino piece or two in all Agnes’ presentations. In this, Agnes not only complies with her mother’s wishes, but goes beyond that, staging complete show repertoires made up of Filipino-themed dances. Her process, which she outlines in detail in her book, Philippine Neo-Ethnic Choreography: A Creative Process, started when, as a student at Ohio State University, she introduced Igorot and Muslim steps and moves for her Movement Exploration class, astounding both her classmates and professors.