ABSTRACT
A gap within the current artistic ecology in the Philippines is the lack of platforms that engage with critical discourses in dance. Run Thru Magazine, which used to publish articles on dance criticism was discontinued a few years ago. While the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Encylopedia of Philippine Art has a wide range of writings on dance in the Philippines, its essays fail to confront current discourses in dance practice and dance making. The COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the arts has brought in waves of reflections and realizations towards the present and future of ‘production and consumption' of dancing. Zoom talks, virtual webinars, and social media have become available platforms for dance artists to engage with such discourses. An often disregarded but important component of virtual spaces are internet memes. Internet memes may take the form of images with superimposed texts, graphic interchange format (gif), videos, and soundbites. The creation of and consumption of memes requires an understanding of how meanings are layered through multiple references in images, text, and content. Often shared in anonymity, memes offer a democratized means of communication, dialogue and criticism. This manifesto is a critical and creative exercise that outlines my rationale and intentions towards making dance memes. I find this important at this time when artists question existing power structures, reflect on the economics. © Ateneo de Manila University.