The IDD Fest returns to the Samsung Performing Arts Theater this April, championing dance as conversation, community, and shared human rhythm

Some days back, I was at the media launch of the 2026 International Dance Day (IDD) Fest at Circuit Makati’s Power MAC Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater. Brace yourselves—IDD 2026 is leaping onto the stage at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater from April 22-26, and it’s not coming quietly. The launch made one thing crystal clear: the conversation around dance has shifted. Not softened—it’s expanded, stretching its reach and widening its scope far beyond what we’ve seen before.

Because IDD 2026 isn’t just about performance anymore. It’s about access, exchange, and community.

Set against the backdrop of the Ayala Malls Circuit, in a area that is historic for live entertainment (the vicinity once housed the Sta. Ana Cabaret, a popular high-society dance hall in the 1900s), the festival feels less like a string of shows and more like a statement of intent. And it couldn’t be more timely. Dance has long been put on a pedestal—elevated, yes, but often out of reach. At the launch, it became evident that it doesn’t have to be that way. Dance can be world-class and widely accessible. In fact, it has to be.

Movement as relevance—and community

Dance is, and always has been, a communal act. Long before stages and studios, our ancestors used movement to tell stories, mark rituals, celebrate victories, and mourn losses—an expression embedded in tribal life, woven into community bonds. In that sense, IDD 2026 is coming full circle: reminding us that dance is more than spectacle; it is a human connector, a shared rhythm that bridges differences.

Trends fade, formats evolve, but movement—as expression, as storytelling—never loses its immediacy. It adapts, persists, and remains one of the most human ways we connect. In a fractured world, where divisions run deep, dance reminds us that some things are universal: rhythm, expression, and the shared joy of participation. It is a space where community can form, conversation can happen, and transformation can start.

Global and local in dialogue

IDD 2026’s programming embodies this ethos. The American Ballet Theatre Studio Company anchors the Opening Gala on April 22, joined by special guest principal dancers Thomas Forster and Christine Shevchenko. Yet, the festival isn’t just about watching stars onstage: ABT will also hold a public lecture-demonstration on April 21 for students in nearby communities, creating a rare, direct line between international artists and local audiences.

The launch also spotlighted Filipino talent holding its own on a world stage. Sindaw Philippines Performing Arts Guild, Ballet Manila, Hiraya Contemporary Dance Company, and Mixed Nuts PH gave us a taste at the media launch, delivering performances that were polished, emotive, and technically on point—reminders that local artistry can be global-caliber while remaining distinctly Filipino.

Five days of movement and meaning

IDD 2026 balances global reach with local depth, offering audiences a full spectrum of styles and traditions:

• April 22 – Opening Gala: ABT Studio Company, with guest principals Thomas Forster and Christine Shevchenko
• April 23 – Folk & Traditional Dance Gala: Bayanihan, The National Folk Dance Company; PNU Kislap Sining Dance Troupe; UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe; Sindaw Philippines Performing Arts Guild; UP Filipiniana; Kaloob Philippine Music and Dance Ministry; ALUN ALUN Dance Circle with Marikina Dance Guild; Likhang Sining Dance Company (Batangas); Perpetual Sanlahi Pangkat Mananayaw; Sining Tanglawan ng San Jose Del Monte Performing Group
• April 24 – Street Dance Gala: Unrlvd; W3; Mixed Nuts; Eleven 11
• April 25 – Ballet Gala: Ballet Manila Inc.; Philippine Ballet Theater; Ballet Philippines; Alice Reyes Dance Philippines; Steps Dance Studio; Association of Ballet Academies in the Philippines
• April 26 – Contemporary Gala: Hiraya; UP Dance Company; Galaw.Co Dance Theater; Benilde Experimental Dance; Airdance; Daloy Dance Company; The Project DP; Rhosam Prudenciado; FEU Dance Company; Dance Forum

The people shaping the conversation

After the performances at the media preview, the panel discussion—moderated by host Yana Laurel Siguion-Reyna—brought together the minds driving the festival: Cris Mohnani, Samsung Performing Arts Theater Managing Director and Circuit Makati Arts and Culture Manager; Misha Quimpo, Ayala Land Project Development Manager for Makati; Sofia Zobel-Elizalde, Founder and Managing Director of Steps Dance Studio; Ronnie Mirabuena, Chief Culture & Arts Officer, CCP Arts and Education Department & Philippine Folk Dance Society; and Myra Beltran, Dance Artist, Choreographer, and Founder of Myra Beltran’s Dance Forum.

The dialogue revealed what makes IDD 2026 distinct. Some highlights: Quimpo stressed moving past the “karaoke people” stereotype to recognize Filipino dancers’ global caliber. Zobel-Elizalde emphasized collaboration over competition, noting that the arts thrive when knowledge and opportunities are shared. Mohnani captured the festival’s spirit: building a space where arts are accessible, dynamic, and community-embedded isn’t just aspirational—it’s essential.

Why all of this matters

Established in 1982 in honor of Jean-Georges Noverre (recognized as the “Father of Modern Ballet”), International Dance Day celebrates dance as a universal language. IDD 2026 localizes that vision, blending global perspectives with Filipino artistry. The festival isn’t about passive viewing; it’s about presence, interaction, and shared experience.

This April, the invitation isn’t just to watch—it’s to be part of the conversation. Ballet’s precision, street dance’s raw energy, contemporary’s inventiveness, folk dance’s rich storytelling tradition—IDD 2026 proves that performing arts are vital, human, and transformative, especially in a world that sorely needs spaces where we can come together, move together, and remember what connects us.

_{International Dance Day Fest 2026 is brought to you by Ayala Land, Make it Makati, Circuit Makati, and the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, with additional partnership support from Ayala Corporation, the Steps Dance Foundation, and SEDA Residences Makati, the official residence for International Dance Day Fest 2026. Get your tickets via TicketWorld: https://bit.ly/IDDF2026tickets}

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