Filipino-American dance artist gives back through mission project

MANILA, Philippines (As released) — Roberto Villanueva, an acclaimed Filipino American dance artist, will embark on a mission trip to the Philippines as his way of giving back to his birthland.

From Nov. 8-16, 2019 he will be donating his performances, lecture presentations, workshops and master class to some of the top universities in Manila—namely University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and Ateneo de Manila University.

• Nov. 8, 2019, De La Salle University – Villanueva will be providing solo performances and brief lecture presentations for physical education students as part of DLSU Culture and Arts Office’s “Art in Action” Program. The lecture presentations will cover topics such as Value Proposition, Creative Process, and Careers in Dance, and The Business of Dance.
• Nov. 11, 2019, University of the Philippines – Villanueva will be conducting a Contemporary Dance master class and a lecture presentation on “The WellRounded Dance Professional” for UP College of Music Dance Program students.

The lecture presentation will provide the students valuable insight and holistic perspective on the professional field of Dance and cover topics such as Value Proposition, Audience Engagement & Creative Process, Basic Financial Literacy, Strategic Career Trajectory, The Business of Dance, The Optimal Body, as well as other key concepts/practices taught in business schools and corporate settings as they related to the field of Dance.

• Nov. 12, 2019, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde – Villanueva will be providing DLS-CSB School of Design and Arts Dance Program students and other field experts a lecture presentation on “The Well-Rounded Dance Professional.” The lecture presentation will provide the students valuable insight and holistic perspective on the professional field Dance and cover topics such as Value Proposition, Audience Engagement & Creative Process, Basic Financial Literacy, Strategic Career Trajectory, The Business of Dance, The Optimal Body, as well as other key concepts/practices taught in business schools and corporate settings as they related to the field of Dance.
• Nov. 14, 2019, Ateneo de Manila University – Villanueva will perform several solos in the remake of his one-man show titled “Pieces of Me: An Inside Look At A Filipino-American Dance Artist’s Journey on November 14, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., at Doreen Black Box, Soledad V. Pangilinan Arts Wing, Areté. The production, an evening of solos, is being sponsored and presented by Areté and the School of Humanities, Loyola Schools, Ateneo de Manila University. To further expand the involvement of the Philippine dance community, Villanueva will personally select five local Filipino artists to also perform his solos in the program. Through Villanueva’s personal commentaries, the audience will get a unique glimpse of his life as a dance artist in New York City, his perspective on the challenges and imbalances in the field of concert dance, and his inspiration for each solo. Never one to hold back, Villanueva’s show is distinguished for its intelligence and honesty, and designed to reveal both his artistic strengths as well as his personal vulnerabilities. Villanueva will also perform and premiere his new solo “Arugain” as a tribute to his mother, other mothers worldwide, and his motherland. Tickets are free for students upon presentation of an ID card, or PHP 200 for non-students (Buy tickets at bit.ly/piecesofme19).
• Nov. 15-16, 2019, Ateneo de Manila University – Villanueva will conduct two workshops on “Design Thinking For Everyone Through Dance Making” for dancers and non-dancers on November 15, 6PM-8PM, and November 16, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., at 2F William and Claire Tan Untiong Performing Arts Studio, Areté – Ateneo’s Creative Hub. This dance-making workshop is for anyone who wishes to explore design thinking and innovation through movement as a tool to express ideas, develop themes, tell stories, visualize phenomena, and create products. The workshop is ideal for people who desire to explore interdisciplinary work in or between the arts and the STEM/business fields. After a familiarity with movement patterns, participants get the chance to design their own movement sequences to reveal unique insights on a given subject. Tickets are P150 (Register at bit.ly/DTDMArete).

Hailed for his technical virtuosity and compelling personality, Villanueva has received several accolades from dance critics.

"Mr. Villanueva stood out for the deftness and technical control of his dancing." – Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times (New York, NY)

“A dazzling soloist with bravura technique and facility that puts him in Sylvie Guillem's league.” – Juan Michael Porter II, Broadway World (New York, NY) "A small powerhouse (Villanueva) drew appreciative gasps from the audiences." – Eva Yaa Asantewaa, The Village Voice (New York, NY)

"When Mr. Villanueva is on the stage, he is huge, and that is all that mattered." – Madeleine Dale, Attitude Magazine (New York, NY)

“Renversant!” (English Translation: Breathtaking!) - Florence Michel, La Liberté (Fribourg, Switzerland)

“He showed the best overall technique of the evening.” - Joel Benjamin, Times Square Chronicles (New York, NY)

Villanueva said he attributes the successes in his personal, corporate and artistic life to his upbringing and formative years in the Philippines. For the past several years, he has been thinking “how can I give back to my homeland in a unique, but impactful way?” And just recently, he arrived at the decision of pursuing a mission trip to the Philippines to share his skills and knowledge with the dance community as a professional artist. — As released