Photo By: RoseAnna Schick
ABOUT ME
Maribeth Manalaysay Tabanera aka Kilusan (siya/sanda/they/she/he) is a Tagalog Bisaya filipinx queer non-binary multi-hyphenate artist, educator and community organizer. Their ancestral roots are in San Roque, Navotas, Manila and Tamalagon, Tangalan, Aklan. Kilusan is a chosen Tagalog name that means movement of an individual and/or group. Maribet is a child of Filipino immigrants, born, raised, and based in Winnipeg on Treaty 1 Territory. Maribeth is currently completing their MEd in Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto and working as a freelance artist.
A life-long learner, they have focused their energy on diving deeply into their passions of dance, education, DJing, social justice and community building. Maribeth has been a a full-time public school educator for over a decade, artist facilitator with Graffiti Art Programming and Unity Charity, and has served on the boards of Manitoba Association of Dance Educators, Seven Oaks Filipino Employees Association, and Manitoba Music. Currently, they are a board member of the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists - West. They have presented their work as an educator, dancer, and DJ at events all over Turtle Island (North America).
Some of Maribeth's most notable projects include presenting 'Into Our World' at Art Holm no 8 (September 2023) in Winnipeg and producing a video for CBC Manitoba's Creators Network "Unlocked" series (March 2022). In November 2023, Maribeth became a published author, contributing "Pagpapasok sa sarili ko/Coming Into Myself" to Magdaragat: An Anthology of Filipino-Canadian Writing published by Cormorant Books.
Photos By: BNB Studios
A street-style dancer for over 25 years, Maribeth's training background includes breaking, hip hop, house, vogue, waacking, dancehall and afrobeat. They began their dance training at the age of 8, with Filipino folk dance organisation, Magdaragat Inc. From 2006 - 2013, they were a member of Define Movement, one of Winnipeg's premiere Hip Hop dance crews. In 2015, Maribeth was part of Project Dance Company. The crew became one of the first groups to represent Winnipeg at the Canadian Hip Hop Championships in Montreal, and Canada at Hip Hop International in San Diego. In 2016, Maribeth became a choreographer and performer with B.O.S.S. Dance Team.
A graduate from Mama Cutsworth's DJ Academy for All Women and Non-Binary Folks, they have been an open-format DJ, since 2018. Kilusan has worked with Queer People of Colour Winnipeg, Synonym Art Consultation, DJ Bles-sed, DJ Maseo, Ill Town Sluggaz and Skratch Bastid.
In 2022, Maribeth launched their company Kilusan Productions. Through unique, inclusive and community-minded education, dance, DJing, production and event organising, Kilusan Productions strives to cultivate a grassroots contemporary art movement rooted in social responsibility and mutual solidarity. Maribeth was also chosen as Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists/West Chapter - BIPOC Dance Resident, and was a recipient of the Manitoba Arts Council Support Arts Leaders Grant.
CURRICULUM VITAE AS OF OCTOBER 2023
