ONE of the ways to be one in learning a culture is through dance and music. The melodies and movements bring a person to a heightened learning experience, making it easier to connect with his roots.

Such is the Kababayan Program at Skyline College goal—0to be able to reach out to not only their students, but to the community. A transfer and community support program at Skyline College, Kababayan focuses on the Filipino and Filipino-American student experience, which includes cultural experiences and community service. The program also aims to create a feeling of campus affiliation for students and motivate students to learn about their culture.

True to its goal in celebrating the Filipino cultural heritage, the Kababayan Program at Skyline College presents Kaugnayan, on Saturday, October 24 at 3pm at the Skyline College Theater. Featuring the performances of the Barangay Dance Company and Kababayan Dance Troupe, Kaugnayan promises an afternoon of Philippine folk dances and music, as they come together to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the Philippines. The event is also in commemoration of the Filipino-American History Month.

Barangay Dance Company, a San Francisco-based Filipino folk dance organization founded in 1987, has actively represented the Fil-Am community at numerous events including multicultural festivals such as the annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and Asian-American Tradewinds Series. Under the artistic direction of founder Bonifacio Velera, Barangay continues to foster the development of Filipino folk dancing in the Bay Area. They also offer free community workshops on Philippine dance, reaching out to many young Fil-Ams, many who have no prior dance training or experience with the Filipino culture outside of their homes. Most recently, Barangay has developed a fruitful partnership with the Kababayan Program which led to the birth of the Kababayan Dance Troupe.

The Kababayan Dance Troupe of Skyline College is the newest component of the Kababayan Program. Formed in 2008, the group was organized to provide the Skyline College community an opportunity to experience the Filipino cultural heritage through the arts of Philippine folk dancing and music. It also aims to provide the college’s students, faculty and staff a vehicle for cultural and artistic expression, as well as introduce the fundamentals of traditional Filipino dance techniques, styles and performance with an emphasis on the cultural origins.

Experience a celebration of Philippine culture through Kaugnayan on Saturday, October 24, 3pm at the Skyline College Theater, Building 1, 3300 College Drive, San Bruno. Barangay and Kababayan will be joined by St. Thomas More 8pm Choir, tenor Leon Palad, soprano Tracy Sarmiento and the American Center for Philippine Arts rondalla sting ensemble.

Kaugnayan is sponsored in part of the President’s Innovation Fund and co-produced by the Kababayan Program at Skyline College. Tickets are $20 at the door. For tickets and more information, please contact Barangay Dance Company at (415) 333-4133, Kababayan Dance Troupe at (650) 738-4271 ext. 19347, Liza Erpelo at (650) 738-4119 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .