February is arts month at De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), where resident student artists groups will stage a series of performances to mark the month-long celebration of this year’s Lasallian Arts Month.
With the theme “Art Unmasked: The Truth in Art,” the events will be formally and simultaneously launched at the college’s different campuses tomorrow with day-long activities intended to stimulate public interest.
This includes an art forum to be participated in by esteemed personalities in the community, an art drive to benefit public schoolchildren, and an art jam.
Performing groups include Saint Benilde Romançon Dance Company, Coro San Benildo, Dulaang Filipino, Karilyo, supported by the Stage Productions and Operations Team.
Saint Benilde Romançon Dance Company will mount Swan Lake on Feb. 8 to 10, 7 p.m., at the School of Design and Arts (SDA) Theater. This popular ballet about a princess trapped in the body of the swan is performed to the timeless music of Russian master Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Coro San Benildo offers a program of favorite songs in Harmony of Hearts and Voices from Feb. 13 to 15 at ,7 p.m., at the SDA Theater. The choir triumphed in last year’s 70th Llangolen International Music Festival Eisteddfod held in Wales, winning first place in the Youth Choir category, second in the Adult Folk category, and finalist in the culminating Choir of the World competition.
In line with the festivities, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) opens Apichatpong Weerasethakul: The Serenity of Madness on Feb. 17. It presents a survey of the experimental short films and video installations of the 63rd Cannes International Film Festival’s prestigious Palme d’Or awardee Thai artist Apitchapong Weerasethakul.
As a culminating activity following sessions with the different arts groups, the Jaime Hilario Integrated School-La Salle will present a workshop recital on Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Augusto-Rosario Gonzales Theater.
The highlight of this year’s arts month is the staging of the musical Solomon, which is based on the life of St. Solomon Leclercq, a Christian Brother who refused to take an oath of allegiance to the new government during the French Revolution. The presentation, a collaborative effort between DLS-CSB and De La Salle University students, will have its premiere on Feb. 28, 7 p.m., at the SDA Theater.
The college’s arts month is an annual event under the Office of Culture and Arts designed to promote, encourage and empower art and culture within and beyond the DLS-CSB community.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/cultureandarts.benilde