Kinding Sindaw Information

The virtue and teachings of this oral history serve as a guide to present and future generations. Kinding Sindaw is a vital force in preserving indigenous cultures, political strength, hope for the next generation of tradition bearers Kinding Sindaw is an NYC-based nonprofit dance theater company composed of indigenous tradition-bearers, Filipino American artists, and educators from all backgrounds founded in 1992. Kinding Sindaw exists to assert, preserve, reclaim, and re-create the traditions of dance, music, martial arts, storytelling, and orature of the indigenous peoples of Mindanao, Southern Philippines. Founded 26 years ago by Maranao tradition-bearer Potri Ranka Manis, Kinding Sindaw recreates the oral traditions of ancestral art forms from Mindanao and is a resident company of La MaMa Experimental Theater Company. Our mission is to educate and enlighten communities about the history and cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Philippines. Through the use of indigenous music, dance and cultural art forms, we serve as an important educational and cultural resource in New York City. We aim to promote the advocacy for indigenous peoples, as well as increase awareness of universal themes that are part of the human experience. The range of our programs also integrates the health benefits of the ancestral movements that we show and teach to our audiences. Through these cultural art forms, we advocate for the preservation of natural resources that are the livelihood of the indigenous peoples. Wellness and healing rituals are also embodied in the repertoire of Kinding Sindaw to increase health and healing awareness of participants and audiences. Since its founding, Kinding Sindaw has performed and provided cultural workshops and educational programs at numerous venues throughout the city, including full-scale dance dramas: "Irimun o Banag", "Agama Niyog", "Rajah Mangandiri", "Lemlunay", "Parang Sabil", "Sultan Kudarat", "Bembaran", "Pandibulan", Pag Babalik, Tao Marayao, and most recently, Mindanao: The ...