Photo: Rydel Cerezo

PIÑA

PIÑA is an interdisciplinary dance work that explores constructions of diasporic identity and how the body carries history and ancestry in a globalizing world. Inspired by Artistic Director Ralph Escamillan’s experience as a first-generation Canadian-born Filipino/a/x, this work considers the parallels between the physicality of this experience, and piña—a traditional and celebrated Philippine fiber made from pineapple leaves. The delicate yet resilient textile parallels the fragility and strength of contemporary diasporic people, and by investigating the many facets of this culturally embedded textile, an anthropological journey through the body is created. Incorporating traditional folk dance, history, music and costume, the political, economic and social dimensions of contemporary diaspora are revealed.

FakeKnot

Photo: Rydel Cerezo

Project Created by: FakeKnot

Key Artistic Collaborators:

Artistic Direction and Choreography by Ralph Escamillan
Costumer Robyn Jill Laxamana
Assistant Costumer Julay
Lighting Design Gabriel Raminhos
Original Music and Sound Design Kimmortal
Dramaturg Denisa Reyes
Piña Textile Raquels Piña Cloth

Dancer Ralph Escamillan, Tin Gamboa, Raul Lorenzo “Buboy” Raquitico Jr, Danah Rosales
Swing Justin Calvadores

Stage Manager Kayleigh Sandomirsky

Consultants & Mentors
Master Piña Weavers Carlo and Raquel Eliserio, Raquels Piña Cloth
Philippine Folk Dance Mentor Peter Alcedo
Lighting Mentor Jonathan Kim
Kundiman Music Mentor Jeremiah Carag
Philippine Textile Historian Sandra Castro
Philippine Textile Conservationist Lenora Luisa A Cabili (Filip+inna)
Philippine Dress Historian Gino Gonzales (Ternocon)
Multimedia Artist Luna Mendoza
Co-founder of HABI The Philippine Textile Council Adelaida Lim
Author and Educator Dr. Randy Madrid
Fashion Designer Anthony Legarda
Curator of Exhibitions at SFO Museum Nicole Mullen

FakeKnot gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the British Columbia Arts Council, the City of Vancouver, The Dance Centre’s Artist-in-Residence program, Toronto Dance Theatre and Far Eastern University.

Performance type: This work is built for a theatre, this work is adaptable to theatre or outdoors or alternative spaces, Full Length Work

How do you define this work: Indigenous Dance/ African Classical Music/ World Music/ Classical Music/ Young Audience/ Indigenous Audience/ Live/ Online/ Culturally Diverse/ Families/Disability

Length of performance: 60 minutes. No intermission.

Audience type: General Audience

General Technical Requirements:

Stage:
Dimensions: If presented ‘in the round: 40'x20' stage. For a traditional stage/proscenium 46’ x 64’.
Black Marley (or equivalent) & Dance floor tape
Black curtains/tabs if necessary for venue
Lighting:
All lighting will be situated on boom pipes or on the floor
x4 ETC Source 4 36deg (or equivalent)
x2 ETC Source4 50deg (or equivalent)
x4 UV lights (FakeKnot will bring)
UV lights need to take:
3-pin DMX (will be rented by FakeKnot if this can’t be provided during the residency)
Converter to 5-pin (will be rented by FakeKnot if this can’t be provided during the residency)
x2 4’-5’ booms on boom bases with short cross brace & pipe
One of them on a flat dolly or equivalent to move on stage (for a single S4 with an iris)
Second boom placed upstage
x2 8’-10’ booms on boom bases
LX console on ground level
*Must be able to have space in full black
Sound:
x4 speakers on the ground upstage, can be visible on stage 10' booms


Does the work require tech residency: No

Number of Performers on tour (including choreographer): 4

Number of Support Staff on Tour: 3

Availabilities: 2024 Spring Season (Mar - June), 2024/25 season, & 2025/26 season

FakeKnot creates performance works that strive to understand the complexities of identity and culture through costume, sound, technology and the body. Artistic director Ralph Escamillan gathers his breadth of experience as a dancer in street, commercial and contemporary dance to create a truly unique choreographic perspective, while also investigating his identity as a queer person of colour. All project/work focuses on a highly collaborative process with the interest in finding ways to intersect the world's Ralph comes from with others, using FakeKnot as the bridge for this discourse.


Ralph Escamillan is a queer, Canadian-Filipinx performance artist, choreographer and teacher based in Vancouver, BC. His work questions notions of identity, tradition and clothing, and the influence of pop culture in a globalizing world.

Performance History & Upcoming Performances

PREMIERE: 4-6 May 2023 — Co-Presented by SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs & The Dance Centre at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (Vancouver, BC)
UPCOMING: 16-17 November 2023 — Presented by the National Arts Centre at the AZRIELI STUDIO (Ottawa, ON)

Project Details

Community Engagement

Artistic Director Ralph Escamillan places a strong emphasis on cultivating community. One way that he does this is through workshops focusing on contemporary dance that encapsulates his background in street, commercial and contemporary dance. He’s especially interested in mixing styles/training and bringing various dance communities together. His workshops follow an investigation into how dance can expand beyond being just a set of ‘moves’, and more a ‘movement’ of peoples—sharing not just the physical, but the histories of where these movements come from. Additionally, we open up our creative process to the public. This has been done in the past by holding public showings of works in development in a studio context, live-streaming rehearsals, holding online learning series that invite the public into the research phase of new works, as well as participating in panel discussions. In addition to these activities, FakeKnot holds multiple workshops throughout the year, locally in Vancouver where we are based, as well as at tour destinations.

We’d like to engage with all communities, giving special attention to those who may face various barriers to opportunity—be it systemic, financial or some other. In the spirit of inclusivity, there is no specific age group or level of ability that we target. While in person community engagement is more suitable for activities centered around movement, such as in the form of dance workshops, engaging communities with our work can take other forms such as through online talks, and by giving an inside look into our process.

Contact information

Francesca Piscopo, francesca@fakeknot.com

Website: https://www.ralphescamillan.com/fakeknot
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FakeKnot
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fakeknot/?hl=enwww.tundejegede.org