Requesto (far right) leads Pangalay movement as part of a workshop. Photo: Courtesy of the artist.
Kimberly Requesto
Philippine folk dance
Philippine folk dance
Kimberly (Kim) Requesto is a Philippine born, Mission District raised Cultural Worker and Interdisciplinary Artist based in unceded Ramaytush Ohlone Territory, also recognized as San Francisco, California. With an artistic foundation in Philippine folk dance, Requesto has dedicated herself to cultural expression and advocacy through movement, photography, and community outreach. Requesto has been part of the Philippine Folk Dance community since 2005, and is currently a part of Parangal Dance Company’s Artistic Team. She is also the producing artist behind Pangalay Circle, a workshop series focused on providing accessible resources and creating in-person dance circles, with hopes of connecting community members and seasoned practitioners who specialize in Pangalay dances and related forms.
Living Cultures Grant
2023
Pangalay Circle
Requesto will expand and continue the Pangalay Circle Workshop Series, which will showcase three forms of dances: Igal of the Sama, Pamansak of the Yakan, and Pangalay of the Ta’u Sug. These dances and their respective ethnic groups originate in the Sulu Archipelago in the Southern Philippines, between Mindanao and Borneo.
Apprenticeship Program
2022
Requesto, under the mentorship of Jenny Bawer Young, learned patterns and playing styles of the two main traditional instruments found in Kalinga: the Tongatong and Byallingbying, which are both made from bamboo. During the apprenticeship, Requesto reviewed the reasons for the patterns (what music is played for various events), as well as traditional dance movements for the music.
2016
As an apprentice to Jenny Bawer Young in 2016, Requesto trained in the practice of the indigenous Kalinga dance of the Philippines.
