ABOUT US
Originally 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 promotes 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.
IN MEMORIAM
FOUNDER
Lolita Diñoso Carter, PhD (1927-2011)
Dr. Carter, a dance professor at Grossmont College, was responsible for organizing the SAMAHAN Philippine Dance Company through COPAO’s Youth Program. She generously volunteered her time and expertise to help build and sustain the ensemble for the Filipino American community. Raised in the Philippines, she learned folk dances and traditional music firsthand and pursued formal training at the University of the Philippines, including study under Francisca Reyes Aquino, a leading authority on Filipino folk dance. Read Autobiography
In your life you touched so many, in your death many lives were changed”
–Melinda Jones
