Meet Jazlynn Pastor, dancer for Man@ng is Deity!

Where were you born?
I was born in Pasadena, California and raised throughout Los Angeles.

What is your favorite food?
My favorite foods are anything noodles and bread!

Tell us about your character in Man@ng is Deity, and what you bring to your character
While I am still exploring my character, the more I practice the Taxi Dance Hall section, the more I understand the sacrifices womxn gave during the Manong generation. Like the Manongs but in a very different way, womxn sacrificed their bodies and time. Their efforts were exploited and painful, yet womxn persevered because of their conditions living in the States. Embodying these emotions and movements has made me respect them and the Pilipinas in my life.

What is your most memorable moment as a dancer?
My most memorable moment as a dancer was performing a spoken word titled "Speak" for Kasamahan's 2018 Barrio Fiesta. It was a poem co-written with Kiko Valle about how we young, Filipinx Americans can be blinded by mainstream and social media at times. Our poem called to overcome media's vanity and to use our voices to uplift our culture's community and narratives. 

Jazlynn G. Eugenio Pastor is a Pinay artist who strives to share and understand her culture through the performing arts. With movement, story telling, and writing, she aspires to share hers and her community’s stories. While studying at the University of San Francisco, Jazlynn’s greatest passions were leading Kasamahan at USF’s Barrio Fiesta as Cultural Director and being a collaborator for Five Feet Dance’s “(de)classified”. Today, she continues to promote Philippine arts and narratives as a teacher for the American Center of Philippine Arts, member of Parangal Dance Company, and most recently, dancer for Kularts’ “In the Belly of the Eagle.”