Executive Staff
ANAMARIA LABAO CABATO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Ana Cabato, Executive Director
Ms. Cabato has been with PASACAT since its inception in 1970. She was a dancer, musician and vocalist through 1983 and is currently the Executive Director. She received a B.S. in Business Administration, Emphasis on Accounting from San Diego State University.
Being born of immigrant Philippine nationals, Ms. Cabato’s experience with Philippine dance enabled her to discover her cultural identity. This further developed her appreciation for the arts in general and thus become an advocate for the arts and the promotion of Philippine dance and music to other second generation Filipino-Americans.
She was honored by Women Together, November, 1998 & 1996. She is a 1996 California Arts Council/Coro Southern California Arts Leadership Fellow.; given the KFMB-TV 8 Cares Award, April, 1993; featured in April, 1993 in the Southern Cross (Catholic) newspaper; and as the 1990 Ladies of Elegance Award-Field of Education from the Maria Clara de Filipinas Sorority. Her work was featured in the San Diego Union-Tribune, in June, 1996, for “Filipino role model shortage” and in September, 1990 “Preserving Cultures-dancer’s dream comes true in Filipino troupe.”
A recognized leader, she has served as chairperson of the Diocesan Commission for Filipino Catholics, member of the City of San Diego’s Cultural Diversity Committee and board member of the San Diego Area Dance Alliance. She is proud of her heritage and faith and shares her musical gifts as co-director of the St. Rita’s Folk Choir where she also, is a Minister of the Eucharist, and secretary of the parish Finance Council. In October, 2003, she was selected to serve on the Diversity Initiative Steering Committee for the City of San Diego’s Commission for Arts and Culture.
Her vast experience, integrity and professionalism as an arts administrator coupled with a positive personality have given her high regard and praise in the San Diego arts community.
JOJI RAMIREZ CASTRO
CHOREOGRAPHER/DANCE DIRECTOR
Joji Ramirez Castro, Choreographer/Dance Director
Before moving to San Diego in 1985, Joji was no stranger to San Diego. As a former member of the world famous Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company, she was a member of the international touring group. She performed in two world tours of which San Diego was on the itinerary and many short tours to Asia and Europe. She joined Bayanihan in 1972 and was trained under Lucretia Urtula. Joji became a lead dancer performing the rapid Tinikling and daring Vinta. She became a junior staff member and was responsible for training prospective Bayanihan dancers. Most inspirational was assisting Ms. Urtula on field research studies of rituals of northern Luzon tribes.
Charming Joji, joined the PASACAT staff in 1986 as a dancer. The increasing interest in Philippine dance for children steered PASACAT to create its Junior Dance component hiring Joji as its director. She started with 8 students, and today has 50 junior students. In 1990, Joji became the Artistic Director for the Senior Company. Joji’s arts direction in the ‘92 Summer Extravaganza, garnered rave reviews from Anne Marie Welsh, San Diego Union Tribune dance critic, describing PASACAT as “a touring professional company …. with young and fresh, skilled and well drilled dancers.” Eileen Sondak, San Diego Union Tribune, describes PASACAT’s ‘94 Extravaganza choreography as a “total visual delight.” Jennifer Poyen, San Diego Unioin-Tribune, dance critic, experienced the “joyful (1998) Extravaganza,” with the “smooth, fast-paced choreography.”
In a rare feature of Philippine dance, CNN International featured PASACAT on Inside Asia, February, 1996. The 6-minute segment of PASACAT’s 1994 Extravaganza and an interview with Joji provided information on the importance of Philippine dance in the United States. The segment aired four times in 226 countries.
Joji is respected by many of her peers in the United States and the Philippines. She continues to share her knowledge and has served as a consultant to Bayanihan alumni throughout the country. She is a former resident artist for the San Diego Institute for Arts Education. Joji holds Bachelor of Arts degree in Pilipino Studies from Philippine Women’s University.
Joyelle Cabato
Dance Master
Joyelle Cabato
Joyelle began her Philippine dance career in 1988 as a student of Joji Ramirez Castro in the newly formed Junior PASACAT dance class. She attended San Diego’s School of the Creative and Performing Arts where her vocal and dance skills were honed for musical theatre in the Choral Ensemble and as the lead in Crazy for You. She received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Performance Theater. Performances include Maggie in A Chorus Line for Starlight Theatre where the San Diego Theater Review described her performance as the finest vocal performance of the evening; Gigi in the Starlight production of the Broadway hit, Miss Saigon; Aysha in Children of Eden at the Moonlight Theatre; and A Christmas Carol for the San Diego Repertory Theater and So Here’s the Thing, both at the Lyceum Theater, Horton Plaza, Kingdom produced by the Old Globe Theater, and the Mute in Lamb’s Theater’s The Fantastiks. Joyelle is a former Artist-in-Residence for the National School District and Sweetwater Union High School district as part of PASACAT’s outreach team providing Philippine dance and history instruction for eight local high schools. Her extensive training in ballet and jazz has provided her a deeper knowledge of dance and has strengthened her teaching skills as PASACAT’s lead Dance Master.
Cherryl Castro
Dance Master
Cherryl Castro
A company member of 17 years, Cherryl trained under Joji Ramirez Castro as an original Junior PASACAT dancer. Her love for Philippine dance has blossomed into a career filled with the opportunity for artistic and cultural representation in a diverse city. Arts education and Philippine dance go hand in hand for Cherryl. Her study of Philippine dance has allowed her to share her expertise as a choreographer and knowledge as a consultant for several Philippine Culture Nights for SDSU’s Andres Bonifacio Samahan. She is an Artist-in-Residence for the National School District and is PASACAT’s Education Coordinator where she assisted in the development of outreach programs in the schools and provided Philippine dance and history instruction for eight local high schools. Cherry holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from SDSU.
