As a young woman, Amy Brillantes was a member of a professional dance troupe that toured the world performing dances of her native country the Philippines. Now she is passing on her knowledge to young people in Southern Nevada so the art form doesn't die out.
Her group the Philippine Dance Company of Nevada has performed at cultural festivals, weddings, hotel events and at the Fremont Street Experience. The group has scheduled its next performance for Saturday at the Clark County Library Theater.
"The presentation is called Sayaw III. Sayaw means dance, and three is because this will be our third year in a row of presenting a repertoire of Philippine folk dances," Brillantes said.
After moving here 34 years ago, Brillantes raised her family and worked, but always found time to teach dance in her home.
She established her nonprofit group Philippine Dance Company of Nevada in 1995 after her interest was piqued by a grant notice for the Nevada State Council of the Arts.
A little investigating showed her former profession classified her as a master of the art. That meant she could apply for a grant, so she did and was awarded a Folklife Apprenticeship Grant.
She used the $850 check to buy costumes and began teaching dances to two students. They were considered her apprentices and performed at events such as the International Food Festival and Folk Life Festival, as well as other special events.
"Those two kids went off to college, got married and now have children," Brillantes said. "And I'm still here."
When not at her job as a cage manager for a hotel, she's teaching dance to more young people in her home near Summerlin. She currently has more than a dozen students ages 14 to 25.
Many people automatically think of hula girls in grass skirts when they hear the words Philippine dance. But Brillantes said the two dance styles are vastly different.
Hawaiian hula dancers use their hands in gentle motions to tell a story. Brillantes' students often mimic animals to tell stories of struggles and nature. One dance, for example, tells the story of the hen defending her chicks from a hungry hawk. Another is an energetic warrior dance.
As there are a lot of islands that make up the Philippines -- roughly 7,700 -- different languages and dialects sprang up -- 57, Brillantes said -- which led to miscommunication. But dance was seen as a universal language and bridged the gap.
To cover all the variations, the group has more than two dozen dances in its repertoire.
"We have costume changes like crazy," Brillantes said.
Nicholas Morata, an 18-year-old UNLV student, joined the group about six years ago. That's when his late great-grandmother, who is of Philippine descent, turned 90 and he danced with the troupe as a special honor for her. He liked it so much, he joined.
As the dances are interpretive, the movements are not strictly choreographed, like in ballet. With that in mind, Morata said the best advice Brillantes gave him was, "Don't worry if you mess up because the audience won't know."
Brillantes' daughter Ramey Rovere, a 15-year-old Cimarron-Memorial High School student, took ballet, tap, jazz and hip-hop before learning Philippine dances.
She said newcomers to the group may have grown up seeing the dances performed, "but when they learn the meaning behind the dances, they go, 'Oh, so that's what that meant.' "
Brillantes said she finds the Madrileña dance to be the most beautiful as it's "very romantic." The name of the dance is Spanish as the Philippines were once Spain's only colony in Asia.
The other dancers in the group are Sarah Miralles, Philipp Abugan, Charlene Damaso, David Vergonio, Eisha Mijares, Chris Elaine Mariano, Emmanuel Banez, Chariane Fife, A.J. Angeles, Danica Ilagan, Troy Corrales, Angelica Price, A.R. Abalon and Ria Francisco.
"I've noticed a lot of my peers who are Philippine, they don't know their culture," Morata said. "I'm happy to spread our culture and keep it alive."
The group plans to put on two shows Saturday at the Clark County Library Theater, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. Show times are set for 2 and 7 p.m. Admission is $8 for the matinee and $10 for the evening show. For more information, call 647-3175.
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