In its heyday, the Alitaptap Folkloric Dance group was a spectacle of Filipino culture both in Juneau and across Alaska.
Filipinos, from elementary schoolers to elders, learned and shared the story of Filipino history through dance. But it’s been more than a decade since those dancers took the stage.
Kaye Roldan doesn’t really recall joining the group with intention.
“When I joined, it was like we didn’t really get the full picture of what we were actually doing,” she says. “I just did it because my mom told me to.”
Many Filipinos who grew up in Juneau had a similar experience. But years later, they can appreciate the chance they had to connect with the culture their parents and grandparents came from before arriving in Alaska.
In the fifth and final episode of Mga Kuwento, Anna Canny brings us the story of those who once danced under the careful instruction of their elders, who are now searching for spaces to reconnect and pass down Filipino culture.
