Parangal Dance Company Visit Aims to Revive Filipino Culture in Juneau

“Bringing culture bearers to our community is really important. We can have the opportunity to learn and also share culture in that way. So this is really special.”

That sentiment, shared by Kaye Roldan, captures the spirit of a cultural resurgence taking place in Alaska’s capital. In late October, the Filipino Community Hall in Juneau played host to the San Francisco-based Parangal Dance Company, a visit that organizers hope will catalyze a broader revival of heritage programming for the local Filipino American community, according to the Juneau Independent.

The October 24 event drew about 80 attendees. While the hall has long served as a gathering point, the structural focus on organized cultural dance had faded over time. Roldan, who serves as the Juneau organizer for the event, noted that she grew up participating in dance programming at the hall, a tradition she and others have been working to revive since 2025.

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The presence of T’boli culture bearer Lyn Buti in Juneau provided a direct bridge to these traditions. Buti’s visit followed her appearance in the documentary “Bridging Our Stories,” which explores the journey of Ketchikan resident Alma Manabat Parker to the Philippines. The film, directed by Rafael Bitanga, premiered in Juneau on September 19, setting the stage for the live performances.

The collaboration between Buti and the local Juneau community reflects an exchange across the Pacific. During her visit, Buti spoke of the connection she felt between her own heritage and the Alaskan landscape. “I know there is so many Alaskan tribe here, and it’s a great honor for me to connect with the ancestors here and my ancestors in T’boli community in the Philippines,” Buti said.

In the documentary, viewers can witness the Mebal, a sacred T’boli full moon ritual where Buti and Manabat Parker prayed to the Fù, described as the spirit of all spirits. The physical presence of a culture bearer in Juneau allows local residents to move from passive observation of a film to active participation in a living tradition.

The effort to revive these programs is meeting practical success. Two small dance groups are already meeting at the hall, and the recent performance has provided a roadmap for expansion. Roldan pointed to the youth engagement, specifically referencing a morning assembly at Kax̲dig̲oowu Héen Elementary School earlier in October, where local students performed the traditional Itik-Itik dance.

For the Filipino community in Juneau, these hall programs act as a social infrastructure. The Filipino Community Hall is not just a building; it is a hub for intergenerational knowledge transfer. By investing in dance and ritual programming, organizers are effectively creating a buffer against that erosion.

The path forward involves scaling these small, volunteer-led efforts into consistent programming. With the momentum from the Parangal Dance Company’s visit, Roldan and the current dance groups are looking to broaden their reach. The goal is to move from sporadic cultural events to a schedule that serves both the established Filipino community and the broader Juneau public interested in global traditions.

“I wish that moment that one day for our connection and collaboration with Alma, that one day I hope I can visit Alaska,” Buti reflected, noting that her current visit was the fulfillment of a long-held prayer.