The Company of Dance Artists In 2011, Eli Jacinto launched his Company of Dance Artists (CODA), the performing arm of TEAM Dance Studio and, sister school, Hampton Court Ballet, drawing on the rich repertoire of Eli Jacinto’s choreographies. Works that were touted as “Inventive to a marked degree” (late National Artist Leonor Orosa Goquingco on Morphemes in 1981) and “Different, but beautiful” (an unknown audience member onMga Pangitain ng Tatlong Dalagang Nagsusulsi ng Lambat sa Dilim in 2009). Writing on Magdaragat in 1997, Basilio Esteban Villaruz called Jacinto's work as "most inspired," and "reveal(ing) his choreographic gifts, creating memorable stage pictures and counterpoints."
CODA is composed of Jacinto's home-grown dancers, all are students of TEAM Dance Studio and Hampton Court Ballet and were trained to perform his versatile repertoire, in ballet, jazz, modern and contemporary styles. Their ages range from 20 to 40 and are all dance artists in their own right. Eli Jacinto takes pride in the fact that all members of CODA have established professional careers for themselves while still making time to dance. Recently returning are Atty-at-Law Frances Canto and her sister, schoolteacher Irene, whose first year in TEAM Dance Studio saw both of them as angels in an old production of The Nutcracker. The youngest member of CODA, Nina Sayoc, had just graduated Magna Cum Laude from De La Salle University, where she is doing research work on developmental economics, when not biking to ballet class.
Their seniors, Jacinto’s own children, as well as their peers Sol Ogatis and Erica Marquez-Jacinto, have set the example from the beginning: Lucas is assistant general manager of a maritime company, while Jacqui runs her own business and dances as a freelancer for Philippine Ballet Theatre and Repertory Philippines. Erica is the quality management representative of several sister shipping companies, as well as freelance performer, and commercial model.
Although out of the country, the older Jacinto siblings still maintain their membership to CODA. Joelle is a lecturer at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she restages Eli Jacinto’s works for their resident contemporary company; she also comes home to Manila to join performances, such as CODA’s participation in the Wifi Body Festival in 2014, and recently at the 2016 annual recital, The Sleeping Beauty. Quincy runs his own ballet school, Riverside Dance Academy and Performing Arts in California, USA, and is set to open CODA as a performing arm of RDA-PA and an extension of the original Company of Dance Artists.
CODA debuted in 2011 Pasinaya, the CCP’s Open House Festival, where they performed Metro, Tatlo, a suite with location as its theme, celebrating dance and celebrating place, what it means to be a Filipino and a Filipino dancer. Eli Jacinto’s vision for CODA is to establish an independent dance group that celebrates dance, that elevates it as an artform, and as a powerful medium.
CODA was featured in the Cinemalaya film, Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa (The Dance of Two Left Feet), directed by Alvin Yapan and choreographed by Eli Jacinto. The film was premiered in July 2011 and was praised for its marriage of the art forms of film, literature and dance. Jacinto had also translated the dances from the film for the stage, creating the suite, Mga Sayaw Mula Sa Sayaw ng Daliwang Kaliwang Paa (Dances from The Dance of Two Left Feet). Excerpts from this suite were premiered in December 22, 2011. This suite was performed again in 2014 at the 6th Asian TranslationTraditions conference in University of the Philippines, Diliman.
In 2015, CODA performed at the International Dance Day Celebration organized by Ballet Manila and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts.