Parangal Dance Company Performs in San Francisco

Parangal Dance Company performs at the Presidio’s main parade ground, with views of the park, the city, San Francisco Bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge on 25 August 2018. (San Francisco PCG photo)

SAN FRANCISCO 12 September 2018 – The Parangal Dance Company took centerstage during the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco and the Filipino-American Community’s picnic at the Presidio’s main parade ground on 25 August 2018.

A Filipino folk dance group based in San Francisco, the Parangal Dance Company, was founded in 2008 by Eric Solano, an expert in researching and performing traditional Filipino dances and music. Parangal’s mission is to give tribute to Philippine heritage by preserving and promoting ethnic attire, music, and dance through research, workshops, and performances.

A wide selection of international cuisine was put on offer through a rotating lineup of 25 of the Bay Area’s best mobile food trucks that include Jeepney Guy, Hookt Mini Donuts, Señor Sisig, which offers a mash-up of the best that Filipino food and Mexican taquerias have to offer, serving sisig-style (marinated pork shoulder) tacos, burritos, and fries, among others.

Filipino-American groups had also set up booths at the community hub at the Presidio Park including Filipino Food Movement, Filipino Cultural Center, Mabuhay Folkloric Society, Philippine American Writers and Artists Inc., The Hinabi Project, and Filipino Arts and Cinema International.

The Consulate General also set up Department of Tourism and Consulate General/Spark*Connect*Empower banners, and distributed tourism collaterals to the public.

This year, free cultural dance performances were held every fourth Sunday of each month from 18 March to 21 October 2018.​ Cultural performances included Awa Odori, one of the most well-known Japanese traditional dances with 400 years of history, Ballet Folklórico México Danza’s colorful high-energy performance, and Polynesian cultural dance from Hawai'i, Tahiti, New Zealand, Tonga, and Samoa​.

The Presidio Picnic is an annual event organized by Presidio Trust, a federal agency in partnership with the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and Off the Grid, a mobile events platform that allows people to connect over a shared love of food and community. It features the food and cultures of the diverse Bay Area community. END

The crowd during the performance of the Parangal Dance Company at the Presidio’s beautiful Main Parade Ground, with views of the park, the city, San Francisco Bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge on 25 August 2018. (San Francisco PCG photo)

For more information, visit www.sanfranciscopcg.dfa.gov.ph / www.philippinessanfrancisco.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHinSF/.