The Dance Behind the Dance

In “a dance in a day in a dance,” choreographer JM Cabling and Mari Dance turn the spotlight inward, revealing the grit, longing, and fragile humanity

Words Randolf Maala-Resueño
Photos courtesy of Mari Dance and Cesar Morales
March 14, 2026

Behind every breathtaking leap is a quiet war: exhaustion, doubt, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of voice. 

This May, Mari Dance invites audiences to witness that unseen battle as it restages its acclaimed dance theater work “a dance in a day in a dance” at the Doreen Black Box Theater, Areté, running May 16 to 31.

Michael Que in I Wanna Say Something ADIAD Oct 2025 photo by Cesar Morales

Premiering in October 2025, the piece quickly earned praise for its raw storytelling. Now returning for a three-weekend run, the production unfolds like a dancer’s diary written in movement: one that exposes the emotional architecture of an artist’s life. 

Choreographed by JM Cabling, a multi-awarded figure in Philippine musical theater, and directed by Mikko Angeles, the work dives into the fractures and fervor behind artistic ambition.

Michael Que and Mari Dancers in I Wanna Say Something ADIAD Oct 2025 photo by Cesar Morales

The narratives feel disarmingly familiar: a choreographer wrestling with creative paralysis, a dancer fighting for a coveted role, and performers questioning whether their craft still reflects who they are. These tensions pulse through the choreography, where gesture becomes confession and ensemble work transforms into collective memory.

Mari Dancers in A Day in A Life ADIAD Oct 2025 photo by Cesar Morales

Mari Dance is uniquely positioned to tell this story. Founded by Cabling with fellow dance artists and educators, the company draws heavily from lived experience. Many of its performers come from the Guang Ming Dance Project, where scholarship dancers from across the Philippines train under the very artists staging the work. Their stories—of migration, discipline, and discovery—echo throughout the piece.

Mari Dancers in A dance in a day in a dance Oct 2025 photo by Cesar Morales

Returning performers Al Garcia, Michael Barry Que, and Sarah Samaniego reprise their roles, joined this season by Janine Myrtel Arisola, whose background with Ballet Philippines and Alice Reyes Dance Philippines adds a distinct technical gravity to the ensemble.

Yet beyond virtuosity, “a dance in a day in a dance” thrives on intimacy. In the close quarters of the black box theater, every breath, misstep, and moment of triumph becomes visible. The result is dance stripped of spectacle, replaced by something far more compelling: honesty.

For Mari Dance, this restaging will become a declaration that contemporary Filipino dance has stories worth telling—and audiences ready to listen.