New ways of moving and seeing at iDDF 2025

Working with his dancers to create choreography from personal memories, art, and music, they crafted movement material reflecting the 23 pairs of chromosomes of the human genome and fed these into an algorithm based on McGregor’s genetic code. The algorithm randomly selects sections to determine the material and sequence for each performance.

The result was nothing short of mesmerizing. With the hyper-rhythmic electronic music of Jlin and the dynamic lighting of Lucy Carter, a world was built where snippets unfold through astonishing movements, creating unusual shapes—what McGregor calls “mental architecture”—reflecting thoughts and moments in his life, the energy of which is channeled to the dancers who add their own imprints. Classical ballet steps are mixed with contemporary gestures to compose tableaus filled with beauty and mystery.

It’s an immersive experience as planes of light slice through, separating scenarios like a tension-filled interaction of a group on one side from the tenderness of a pas de deux on the other. Just when you sink into a soothing reverie, flashes of light jolt you back and draw you in for the next chapter. The randomness coupled with the different combinations dictated by the algorithm reflect the unpredictability of life itself—the multiplicity of paths and choices that we encounter in our lives.

“Absolutely amazing,” “insane,” and “a life-changing experience” were some of the reactions on social media. McGregor once said, “I’ve always been just as interested in making people think as I am in making them feel, and one of the things this scientific process allows me to do is make the audience look differently at dance.” Autobiography was indeed the most fitting piece to open the festival, inspiring new ways of moving as well as new ways of seeing.

Day 2: Folk & traditional dance

Companies based on established norms still found novel ways of seeing. Bayanihan, the National Folk Dance Company, viewed tradition in a new light, through the prism of Masters in Motion, manifesting the Filipino’s empowerment through dances like the Agung, a challenge of strength and balance; and the Arnis, a test of agility and grace. The Kalilayan Folkloric Group of Catanauan, Quezon reimagined Romblon’s dances tied to Santo Niño festivities by taking us back to the pageantry of Spanish colonial times, complete with lavish costumes and sets. The Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, known for its painstaking authenticity, uncovered an obscure piece from Cuyo, Palawan performed during the Feast of St. Augustine, but updated it with bolder colors of costumes and props to create a vibrant tableau.

Day 3: Street Dance

The sheer diversity and range of the different groups was quite overwhelming, each with their own style—from the preppy Team Package Makers (TPM) and the athletic Power Impact Dancers (PID) to the slick ATeam, the super cool UNRIVALD, and the next-level LGBTQ+ group of Femme MNL. Street dance has gone a long way from its beginnings and continues to evolve. Improvisation, individual expression, and social interaction are still the driving forces but there is more discipline involved together with exhilarating choreography and some of the most passionate dancers who have syncretized Filipino influences, making this genre truly one of our own.

Day 4 Ballet Gala

The mix of demographics and level of enthusiasm at this gala shows how ballet is thriving in our country where dancers have reached a level of competence to make it to the great dance companies of the world. Vince Pelegrin, a STEPS scholar who was singled out by the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and is now an apprentice for its main dance company, partnered elegantly with Sooha Park of the ABT Studio, showing how he has matured in precision and musicality, making STEPS Founder and Artistic Director Sofia Zobel-Elizalde happy and proud of her mentee. She was also proud of her current crop of students who presented SWAN, choreographed by Jun Saagundo, showcasing their proficiency in contemporary dance with a strong classical foundation that won them First Prize in the YGP Philippines Regional last September. Ballet Manila performed Adagio from Swan Lake, showing how classical ballet has always been their company’s raison d’etre. Hong Kong Ballet’s Fei Fei Ye and Ryo Fukuda did a delicate pas de deux from Giselle, as well as one from The Butterfly Lovers, a graceful take on a Chinese legend. To cap the evening, Alice Reyes Dance Philippines (ARDP) presented C’est la Cie, Bam Damian’s latest work created just for the company, inspired by their “technical prowess, artistry, and explosive energy,” which shone through in this delightful masterpiece of complex movements, partnering and ensemble work which the dancers executed beautifully.

Day 5: Contemporary Gala

It was reassuring to see how contemporary dance groups are expressing what’s going on in our world as they reflect on the human condition. Hiraya Contemporary Dance’s Faces dramatizes the tension between societal expectations and personal authenticity through stylized angular movements of gray suited drones in silver masks. Teatro Ambahanon wittily tells the story of a spirit doctor who helps restless souls find peace in a dance between duty, desire, and redemption. Compelling choreography highlights the need to avert climate change in Sharing the Last Breath by Daloy Dance Co. Despite global crises and personal vulnerabilities, there is still optimism, a belief in our capacity to survive and overcome all adversities, exemplified by Para Dancesport Team Philippines in Gravity, where handicaps are no hindrance to expressing feelings and emotions in a lyrical ballet on wheelchairs. Rounding off the theme of the festival that “Dance Is for All,” the UP Dance Co. heralds the promise of our youth in Eyyy, championing the freedom to express one’s true self and connecting with others through the shared joy of dance, a universal language that unites us all.