KENKOY Brings a Filipino Comic Icon to Dance
If you grew up hearing someone described as kengkoy, you may have known the word long before you knew the man.
Kenkoy was Francisco "Kenkoy" Harabas, the Filipino comic character who first appeared in Liwayway in 1929. Written by Romualdo Ramos and illustrated by Tony Velasquez, Mga Kabalbalan ni Kenkoy followed a funny, fashionable, and sometimes misguided Filipino trying to keep up with a changing world.
Almost a century later, Alice Reyes Dance Philippines is bringing him into contemporary dance.
KENKOY runs from September 18 to 26, 2026 at Hyundai Hall, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City. Directed and choreographed by ARDP Artistic Director Ronelson Yadao, the new work looks at identity, colonial influence, humor, and resilience through one of Philippine pop culture's earliest recognizable characters.
Who exactly is Kenkoy?
Kenkoy is interesting because his name survived even for people who never read the comics.
The character became known for his exaggerated fashion, attempts at speaking English, and eagerness to appear modern. Much of the humor came from watching a Filipino absorb outside influences and turn them into something distinctly his own.
Eventually, kengkoy became part of everyday Filipino language, used for someone funny, silly, or deliberately comical.
That connection makes him worth revisiting in 2026.
We may not dress or talk like Kenkoy anymore, but we are still constantly picking things up from somewhere else. Fashion moves across TikTok. Slang jumps from one platform to another. Memes cross borders before we even know where they started. Something foreign gets copied, altered, translated, and eventually becomes familiar enough to feel local.
Kenkoy was dealing with an earlier version of the same thing.
KENKOY turns the comic character into dance
ARDP's version does not simply put the old comic strip onstage.
Yadao uses Kenkoy as a way into questions about Filipino identity and how it changes alongside popular culture. The work explores identity, colonial influence, humor, and resilience while bringing a character created for the printed page into movement.
The creative team includes Krina Cayabyab as music director and composer, Guelan Luarca for the libretto, D Cortezano for production design, Jerry Respeto for dramaturgy, and Joyce Garcia for projection design.
The projection element is especially interesting for a character who began inside comic panels. Kenkoy already comes with a strong visual identity, so moving him into a space where bodies, music, design, and projected images can interact feels like a natural way to revisit him without pretending he was created for the stage.
What else is part of the KENKOY program?
KENKOY is the title work, but it is not the only piece audiences will see at Areté.
The program also includes three works from the Alice Reyes Dance Philippines repertoire:
- Holberg Suite, choreographed by Adam Sage, is a neo-classical work set to the music of Edvard Grieg.
- Soliloquy, choreographed by Norman Walker.
- Somewhere, choreographed by Lester Reguindin, responds to Max Richter's recomposition of Vivaldi's Summer.
So even if Kenkoy is what gets you through the door, the evening gives you a wider look at the contemporary and neo-classical work ARDP performs.
I also like that Kenkoy is not being brought back simply because he is old and Filipino. The more interesting question is whether this character still has something to say about us.
Considering that we still live in a culture constantly figuring out what to borrow, what to keep, and what eventually becomes our own, I think he has plenty to work with.
KENKOY 2026 show dates at Areté
- September 18, Friday - 7:30 PM
- September 19, Saturday - 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM
- September 20, Sunday - 2:00 PM
- September 25, Friday - 6:00 PM
- September 26, Saturday - 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM
KENKOY ticket prices and venue
Venue: Hyundai Hall, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City
Ticket prices:
- Orchestra: ₱1,200
- Balcony: ₱800
Tickets are available through Areté's official ticketing platform.
If you have never read a Kenkoy comic, that does not necessarily put you at a disadvantage.
You already know something Kenkoy left behind.
You probably just called it kengkoy.