Maria Dolores “Dhol” Enciso Tuason, a Filipino immigrant, spent most of her life in the U.S. working as a nurse. Since retiring in 2022, she has dedicated her time to sharing her heritage with younger generations by founding Sayaw Diversity, an organization that celebrates cultural traditions.

The volunteer organization enables her to share the rich traditions of ethnic, folk and contemporary dance, along with other performing arts.

As the artistic director, Tuason choreographs and mentors younger dancers, guiding them in theater and production work while immersing them in Filipino culture.

“Like me, many Filipinos have been in the U.S. longer than they’ve lived in the Philippines, Tuason said.“The Philippines consists of 7,641 islands, and the beauty of the landscape is majestic. Much has changed and improved as we are still developing as a country.”

Earlier this month, in celebration of Filipino American History Month, which represents the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental U.S., Sayaw Diversity was invited by the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., to represent the Philippines on the Culture Day of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Spouses Circle.

“It was an honor for us to be recognized and invited to the event,” she said.

Tuason migrated to the U.S. in 1982, two years after completing her nursing education. In the Philippines, young people are often encouraged to pursue nursing as a pathway to immigrate to the U.S., where the demand for nurses, higher wages, better working conditions, and favorable visa provisions make it an appealing destination. A nursing career also enables many Filipino immigrants to support their families back home, contributing significantly to the Filipino economy. However, decades of migration have contributed to a nursing shortage in the Philippines.

In the 1980s, when Tuason arrived in the U.S., she could only secure a one-year visa, so she had to renew her visa continually, creating uncertainty.

By the early 1990s, she gained U.S. citizenship, allowing her to bring her parents here for extended visits. She moved them here permanently to care for them as they aged.

Tuason started her career at Johnston Willis Hospital with nine other Filipino nurses. She retired from VCU Medical Center, and she’s grateful that her career in nursing has allowed her to have a better life and care for her family.

“I had to make lots of adjustments,” Tuason said. There were a lot of challenges, but I was very well prepared to do the work.”

Meet the Filipino immigrant who is exploring her roots while providing an informative peek at Filipino culture through the performing arts and this week’s Personality, Maria Dolores “Dhol” Enciso Tuason:

Volunteer position: Founder and artistic director of the volunteer group Sayaw Diversity, a Philippine cultural dance group based in Richmond. I am an officer and board member of the Philippine Nurses Association of Richmond Virginia that promotes health and community outreach. I’m also the socio-cultural chair for the University of Santo Tomas Nursing Alumni Association and participate in fundraising activities for the medical mission in the Philippines.

Occupation: Retired nurse at VCU’s Cardiac Surgery ICU where I worked for 38 years. I also was a member of the professional dance company, the Latin Ballet of Virginia for 14 years.

Date and place of birth: March 26 in Naga City, Philippines.

Where I live now: North Chesterfield.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Santo Tomas, Philippines.

Family: I have a sister in the Philippines and a brother here in the U.S.

Sayaw Diversity is: We are a volunteer group of performers in the city, whose mission is to promote Filipino culture through dance and other forms of visual art. Our work primarily focuses on capturing different traditional Filipino identities through balancing ethnic and folk movements with contemporary ones. With dancers coming from varied ethnic Filipino backgrounds, its repertoire is noticeably richer, more colorful and one of a kind. Sayaw Diversity strives to create vibrant, inspiring and emotionally charged dances that exemplify the true heart of Filipinos.

When and why founded: I founded Sayaw Diversity in 2017 after I retired from professional dance. It was the Filipino’s love of music and dance in events and love for their country that reignited my desire to rediscover my roots as a Filipino.

Meaning of the name: Sayaw means to dance or dance and diversity represents the different influences that the Philippines have acquired in history.

Sayaw Diversity is meaningful to me because: It opened the creative part of me, and the possibilities are endless. Sayaw Diversity marked a different level in my dance passion, it allows me to look at my mission of promoting the Filipino culture, researching and collaborating with other Filipinos to represent our roots.

How to get involved: Be a member of the dance group, an auxiliary member or supporter and collaborate with us. Bring your passion to dance, work hard during rehearsal, be a great team player and open to learning.

Experience required to join: No dance experience needed — just the passion and love for dance and arts.

Joy I have witnessed with Sayaw Diversity: Richmond is bursting in the arts community and inclusion of the different cultures in the community is amazing. This year we have been asked to perform in multicultural events and galas. We are embraced with an openness for our culture with enthusiasm and support. We were the first Asian group to perform for the governor during Asian Heritage Month. When we did our show ”Pamana” last year, the audience was a very diverse mix. We were able to showcase our culture and how there are so many similarities with other cultures. Embracing and respecting the similarities of different cultures is a joy to watch.

Upcoming events: Our biggest event for Sayaw Diversity will be the showing of the video “Pamana (heritage)” on Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. It’s a two-hour cultural presentation of Philippine culture. Tickets are $10 through Eventbrite.

How I start the day: A positive attitude gives you power over your circumstances instead of your circumstances having power over you.

Three words that best describe me: Passionate, patient and people-friendly.

Best late-night snack: Fruits.

Top three on my playlist: “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor; “Dancing Queen” by ABBA; and “Proud Mary” by Ike and Tina Turner.

A quote that inspires me: “You cannot give from an empty vessel. To give to others, you must fill yourself.”

Best thing my parents ever taught me: Perseverance.

Most influential person: My mother.