PAGDIRIWANG PHILIPPINE FESTIVAL 2024
LIKHA Pilipino Folk Ensemble is a San Francisco, California-based cultural organization founded in May 1992 by a collective of individuals who came together to form a group that celebrates Philippine culture and traditions. Founded by artistic director Rudi C. Soriano, LIKHA showcases the diversity of Philippine culture on the stage to bridge differences with Filipino-American culture.
Projects of LIKHA include research about the Philippines to further its mission of collecting and preserving Philippine culture through dance as well as to continue its long-standing goal of educating its members and the public about Philippine tradition. The LIKHA School of Philippine Dance also seeks to educate youth and adults.
LIKHA’s accomplishments include performing in the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, and Asia on Stage, as well as in national and international performances representing the Philippines at dance festivals in South America, Europe and Asia. LIKHA was a Finalist for the Isadora Duncan Award for ensemble choreography for Bay Area Dance Organizations.
Edward Cruz
Executive Director, Likha Pilipino Folk Ensemble
Edward has been a dedicated math educator for almost thirty years and is a tenured professor of Mathematics at Contra Costa College since 2000. His other passion is Philippine folk arts. As a participant in a UC Berkeley Pilipino Cultural Night in 1990, the lively melodies of the rondalla struck an inspired chord in him. This began a lifelong goal of learning to play music from throughout the Philippines. Over the past 25 years, he feels blessed and humbled to have worked with and learned from amazing culture bearers from across the archipelago and here in the United States. As the Executive Director for LIKHA-Pilipino Folk Ensemble, Ed finds joy in supporting the amazing work of LIKHA’s artists as LIKHA strives to share the beauty of Philippine folk arts.
