Magsayaw ta / Let's dance!

Join us at Magenta House in Redfern, Gadigal/Sydney on Saturday 22 March at 3pm for an open introductory workshop with Sitti Obeso exploring Pangalay, a pre-islamic classical dance form Indigenous to the Tau’sug people of the Sulu Archipelago. Characterised by intricate and flowing movements of the hands and arms, this dance resembles the movement of ocean waves.

Participants will be guided into Pangalay improvisation methods bridging their bodies with land and water, spirit and sea. This workshop is a rare opportunity to learn from one of Tau’sug’s foremost cultural bearers, Sitti Obeso, with live music accompanied by kulintang master Pahad Panayaman.

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Pangalay Dance Workshop:
Dance of the Southern Seas
Taught by Tau’sug cultural bearer Sitti Obeso with
dance artist Bhenji Ra and live kulintang by Pahad Panayaman
Saturday 22 March 2025 | 3pm-5pm
Magenta House, Redfern
Cost: $20

This is a beginner's class so you don't need to have prior dance experience to participate
Please wear comfortable clothing and be prepared to dance barefoot.
The address will be provided after registration. We will meet at Magenta House and proceed to the class together.
The class will be held in the public playground near Magenta House and participants may leave personal belonging at the House during this time.
All proceeds from the workshop will go towards supporting Sitti's cultural practice.
For enquiries or an access info, pls contact housekeeper@magentahouse.com.au.

About Sitti Obeso
Sitti Airia Sangkula Askalani-Obeso is a Ta'u Sug Cultural Bearer and Pangalay Master from Jolo, Sulu, now residing in Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines.She learned Pangalay at a very young age from her mother, Jamjora Timbasal Sangkula populary known as Camaso. Sitti was a former member of the pioneering Ta'u Sug performing arts, founded in the 1970's, the Dayang-Dayang Filipinas Dance Troupe. Sitti is the Artistic Director of Bunga Lima Ta’u Sug Community Cultural Group based in Davao, City. As a culture bearer and Pangalay Master, she has helped preserved and build Pangalay‘s vocabulary in various hand gestures Bunga Lima and footworks. She actively performs and teaches the Ta'u Sug children and community in Davao. Sitti has performed in New York, Malaysia, and various festivals including Kadayawan sa Davao and Budayaw in General Santos. In 2011, Sitti was the champion of Kalilangan Festival’s Pangalay Dayang-Dayang competition, culture bearer for NAMCYA 2019 and performed as part of Dance Xchange on Air 2020 She serves as culture bearer for various dance companies such as Hiraya Performing Arts (Brisbane, Australia), Madayaw Cultural Ensemble (Davao, Philippines), Kababayang Pilipino (Vancouver, Canada), Kinding Sindaw (New York, USA), Parangal (California, USA) and Kalinangan Dance Company (Brisbane, Australia). Her teachings, through performances, span in Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America and Australia. Sitti has served as guest culture bearer/ teacher at University of San Francisco’s Philippine Dance and culture. Bunga Lima has been taught through various universities in the United States.

About Bhenji Ra
Bhenji Ra is a transdisciplinary artist currently based on Gadigal land, Eora Nation. Her practice combines dance, video, illustration and community activation. Her work dissects cultural theory and identity, centralising her own personal histories as a tool to reframe performance. She is the mother of Western Sydney based collective and ballroom house SLÉ.

About Magenta House
Step inside Magenta House ~ a gathering and knowledge-sharing space in Redfern, Sydney, Australia. Based inside a re-imagined micro-terrace, our homespace program comes alive through workshops, communal meals, test kitchens, soirées, dialogues, and library sessions. We also run an online shop supporting independent artisans and social ventures across Asia and Australia. Magenta House is a synergetic site for ideas and conversations to ferment through encounters and collaborations.

Image 1: Kim Requesto / Image 2: Rob Tennent