Barangay, derived from the Malay word "balangay" or "balanghai," is a large and swift boat which the early Malay immigrants from the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago used to travel to the Philippines. Measureing at least eight feet in length of the boat, a barangay couuld carry anywhere from thirty to sixty people. Thus, the word eventually came to mean a family or clan.
     Today the word has come to mean a village, neighborhood or district. In the same sense,
Barangay Dance Company is a community or family of immigrants and American-born, of the young and
the young-at-heart bounded together by a common passion: Philippine folk dancing and music.

     Since its inception in 1987, Barangay Dance company has actively represented the Filipino American community at numerous events including multicultural festivals such as the annual  San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and Asian-American Tradewinds Series. In addition, Barangay participates in community events: annual Pistahan at the Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, Kababayan Festival at Marine
World in Vallejo, Fil-Am Friendship Festival in Daly City, KTSF's Asian Heritage Celebration at Great America in Santa Clara and Samahan Festival at Tanforan in San Bruno. Furthermore, other events Barangay participates in are at various schools, parishes, centers, and private functions throughout California and Nevada.
     Barangay has also produced several dance concerts showcasing Philippine folk dancing and music at San Francisco State University's McKenna theater,  Yerba Buena Center's Performing Arts Theater and Skyline College's Theater.