SILAYAN DANCE COMPANY

Artistic Director

"C'est la perfection, un moment d'emotion rare, des filles d'une divine beaute' et quelle agilite'; deja remarque lors du defile ce groupe a recueill une immense ovation." - L'e Veil de la Haute, Loire France

Above: Dulce Capadocia & Silayan Dance Company in Kuh Ledesma's "Keep on Loving Me" music video.

SILAYAN — Pronounced (see-lie-yan) meaning “reflection” as in a ray of light. When light is reflected, it diffuses into many directions creating patterns of shadows and color.

Silayan's artistic mission is to produce and present high caliber dance theatre from a Philippine-American perspective. Its repertoire investigates how traditional art forms are preserved, influenced and transformed by today's culture and society.

Honored by the Los Angeles Dance Resource Center as a "Milestone Dance Company" for over 25 years of professional participation in performance, leadership and service to the Los Angeles community, Silayan Dance Company originated as a traditional arts ensemble and remains the first culturally-specific performance group founded in the city of Los Angeles.

Born in the '70s out of the vision of its late founder, Philippine dance authority Sonia Capadocia (Dulce's mother) and motivated by a continuous search for cultural identity in a foreign land, Sonia gathered a handful of young inner city students from her "Temple Street" neighborhood. Being a school teacher by profession, she taught them Filipino folk dances. Fascinated by the exotic rhythms and intricate dance steps, the youngsters wanted to learn more. Armed with a choreographer's grant award from the National Endowment for the Arts, Sonia formed a 50-member performing arts group in 1973. Silayan produced its first major concert debut at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Los Angeles Music Center. Local TV appearances followed and the company traveled to perform throughout California—from Monterey to Desert Hot Springs. By 1990, Silayan completed its third European tour representing the Philippines with awards in international folk dance festivals throughout France and the Basque cities of Spain.

During this time, Dulce took over the artistic helm of the company. Borrowing from traditional art forms, ancient rituals and Philippine history, she transformed the repertoire to include new, exciting work richly inspired by oral tales, native legends and deeply felt stories of the human experience. Under her artistic direction, Silayan began receiving wide public recognition and audience enthusiasm. The notable ensemble has garnered the coveted Lester Horton Dance Award (the "Oscar" for concert dance) and remains a recipient of sponsorships and multiple organizational grants from AT&T, California Arts Council, Los Angeles County Performing Arts Commission and Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department for artistic excellence.


Daughter & Mother, Dulce & Sonia Capadocia

Background Image Photographer: Rico Mejia