SAMAHAN Filipino American Performing Arts & Education Center, Inc.
In Memoriam
FOUNDER
Lolita Diñoso Carter, PhD (1927-2011)
“In your life you touched so many, in your death many lives were changed” – Melinda Jones
SAMAHAN PROFILE
Initially named SAMAHAN Philippine Dance Company, the SAMAHAN Filipino American Performing Arts and Education Center, Inc. (SAMAHAN Arts) was founded in 1974 with the purpose of helping Filipino American youth develop pride in their cultural heritage by offering meaningful opportunities to participate in and experience Filipino folk dance and music. These programs were designed not only as social and recreational activities but also as avenues for serious artistic development and professional performance.
Becoming a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization immediately after its founding, SAMAHAN Arts has for five decades worked to advance the beauty and richness of Filipino culture, reaching hundreds of young people and engaging the broader San Diego community. Over the years SAMAHAN Arts has sustained a welcoming environment for the appreciation of Filipino cultural arts through regular classes, workshops, and public performances of dance, music, and living traditions.
Mission and Services
SAMAHAN Arts preserves and shares Filipino culture through thoughtfully designed classes and evocative performances of traditional dances, music, and living cultural practices, fostering broader appreciation, communal pride, and sustained cultural knowledge. We actively support the Filipino American community in building cultural confidence, strengthening identity, and deepening a sense of belonging, while nurturing intergenerational connections and artistic growth — all with the aim of promoting meaningful cross-cultural understanding and celebrating the enduring richness and resilience of cultural diversity.
SAMAHAN Arts’ cultural programs include multi-generation dance and music classes, public and private workshops, a Train-the-Trainer program, and performances for community events across San Diego County and frequently throughout Southern California and other U.S. regions. Annual highlights such as the Philippine Cultural Arts Festival, Concert of Filipino Folk Dances & Music, and the Pamana Junior Concert showcase students’ growth and accomplishments. Our ensembles — the SAMAHAN Philippine Dance Company, Rondalla Music, and Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble — are recognized as foremost ethnic performing groups in San Diego County.
PERFORMANCE REPERTOIRE
The SAMAHAN Filipino American Performing Arts & Education Center presents a full repertoire of Philippine dances and music featuring the Spanish influenced dances called “Maria Clara”, the rural dances of the peasants in the country-side, and the adaptations or variations of ethnic dances and rituals of the indigenous tribes of the Cordilleras in Northern Luzon and the Islamic and the highland tribes in Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. We bring to every occasion a combination of exhilarating Filipino folk dances and indigenous tribal rituals accompanied with live Rondalla and Kulintang music. Read more…
MEET OUR CREATIVE TEAM
SAMAHAN’s Creative Committee is responsible for teaching, coordinating and staging performances of Filipino folk dances and music. The members of the committee have been long-time performers of SAMAHAN with professional and academic background in dance performance, choreography and ethnomusicology. Read more…
Board of Directors
Reina Belle Chiong – President
Eleanor Edraisa – Vice President
JdLynn Chiong – Secretary Irene Almoite – Treasurer Elly Aguilar – Public Relations Officer
Lorena Welch Lorna Mayo Jelynn Rodriguez Malone Andrea Marie Nievera
Parent Liaisons – Melanie Reyes Ashley Natad
Jhenice Villanueva – Immediate Past President Dina Ellorin – Executive Director
Ruby Chiong – Artistic Director Nico Delmundo – Asst. Artistic Director Bernard Ellorin, PhD – Music Director
