Blessyl Buan- Multidisciplinary Artist

Update: Thank you for supporting BABAElan

I want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has already supported BABAElan. Your generosity means so much to me and to the artists involved in bringing this work to life.

BABAElan is deeply personal. The choreography is inspired by ancestral memory, the body as archive, and the power of women’s labour carried through generations. Working with palm, raffia, and movement has been a way of unlocking memory — both personal and collective.

This project is not only about performance, but about reconnecting to embodied knowledge, land-based materials, and stories that have often been overlooked or erased.

Every contribution helps support rehearsal time, the dancers, production, and the many invisible hours that go into shaping a work like this.

If you feel called, one of the most helpful things you can do right now is share the campaign with your community. Even a simple repost can help this project reach someone who may want to support.

https://gofund.me/9805ba69f

Thank you for being part of this journey.

With gratitude,
Blessyl

Donate to Carry BABAElan Forward: Help Bring It to the Stage, organized by Blessyl Buan I’m so grateful you’re here. I created BABAElan as a contemporary … Blessyl Buan needs your support for Carry BABAElan Forward: Help Bring It to the Stage

Help bring BABAElan to the stage.

BABAElan is stepping onto the stage this April through Citadel Dance Exchange a program by Citadel + Compagnie and The National Ballet of Canada

Within one year this work has moved from the Art Gallery of Ontario, to Dusk Dances, and now into its first stage presentation.

BABAElan draws from Indigenous-informed Filipino process and the living lineage of the Babaylan — spiritual leaders who mediate between humans, nature, and the cosmos.

This season the project did not receive production funding, and I remain committed to compensating the artists with integrity.

So I’m inviting our community to help carry this work forward.

If this work resonates with you, you can support artist fees and rehearsal costs through the fundraiser linked here: https://gofund.me/ed0d4239d

Every contribution helps bring this stage premiere to life.

Maraming salamat.

Hi friends, my online fundraiser to support the creation, artists and rehearsals for my upcoming choreography and performance, BABAElan with Danah Rosales and Candace Kumar is coming to a close in 15 days. Please donate if you can to support this work. Every small amount helps. thank you in advance. https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/9gpVHmKA2h

There's still time to have time to register for my fundraising dance workshop for the BABAElan remount. Thanks to Casa De Danza and Dusk Dances for the organizational support. Check the link to register and for info: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/babaelan-contemporary-dance-workshop-fundraiser-with-blessyl-buan-tickets-1443693609449?aff=oddtdtcreator

BABAElan is more than a performance—it’s an offering.

A remembering of the Babaylan, precolonial Filipina spiritual leaders who moved with power, care, and purpose.

This site-specific dance work was originally commissioned by the Art Gallery of Ontario and is now being remounted for Dusk Dances 2025.

To bring this work back to life, I’m raising funds to cover:
✨ Dancer fees
✨ Rehearsal space
✨ Pre-production and creative prep

BABAElan blends contemporary dance, house, groove, and Philippine Indigenous storytelling. It’s a movement for those of us reclaiming body, land, and lineage.

If this resonates with you—
👉🏽 Please consider making a donation today.
📲 Donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/9gpVHmKA2h

Thank you for helping me honour this story.
Maraming salamat.

BABAElan will be remounted at Dusk Dances this August 3-10pm. Save the date and learn more below:

Get ready for Dusk Dances 2025!

"We are elated to be bringing another season of dance to Withrow Park! I feel lucky and inspired that we get to present this phenomenal program of artists. They each bring a deep relationship to self, land and community in their work that moves me. I can't wait to witness their work unfold under the trees with all of you. See you in the park!" - Sofi Gudiño, Festival Director

📆 August 3 - 11
⏰ Workshop at 7pm; Performances at 7:30pm
📍Withrow Park

Find all the info at our new website: www.duskdances.ca
Poster & web design by Mohammad Rezaei