Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Japan–Philippines Friendship
The Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM) will present a special performance STELLA DANCE JAM (SDJ) to commemorate the 2026 Japan–Philippines Friendship Year, marking the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Philippines.
The long-awaited collaboration between RIEHATA, a globally acclaimed dancer and choreographer who continues to shape the international dance scene, and SB19, one of the Philippines’ most celebrated groups, will finally come to life on stage in Manila!
In addition, young dancers selected through auditions in both Japan and the Philippines will also participate in the performance. Bringing together the next generation of “Stellas”—rising stars—from across borders, the project offers these emerging dancers the rare opportunity to share the stage with world-class artists. Philippine auditions will be held in Manila and Davao. For further details on how to participate in the auditions, please refer to the information below.
70 Years of Philippines-Japan Friendship
Under the theme of the 2026 Japan–Philippines Friendship Year, “Weaving the Future Together: Peace, Prosperity, and Possibilities,” the event will bring a world-class stage to audiences through dynamic dance performances featuring artists from both Japan and the Philippines. It is also hoped that this project will serve as an opportunity to further deepen affinity toward Japan among a wide range of generations in the Philippines.
This project will be implemented as part of the Next Generation Co-Creation Partnership – WA 2.0, a comprehensive people-to-people exchange initiative aimed at promoting exchanges and fostering the next generation of leaders between Japan and ASEAN.
Event Overview
Philippines × Japan Friendship 2026
STELLA DANCE JAM (SDJ)
Dates: Saturday, 20 June and Sunday, 21 June 2026
- SB19 will appear on June 20 only.
Location: Metro Manila
Admission: Ticketed event (PAID ADMISSION). Ticket purchase is limited to those aged
18 and above. Further details will be announced at a later date.
Organizer: The Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM)
Co-organizer: Embassy of Japan in the Philippines
Supported by: JTI Philippines, All Nippon Airways (ANA)
In cooperation with: 1Z Entertainment
Production Support: Nippon Television AX-ON Inc.
PHILIPPINE AUDITIONS
Audition Date: Saturday, 25 April 2026
Location: Davao
Audition Date: Sunday, 26 April 2026
Location: Manila
Registration for Audition:
Please register via the link below.
https://bit.ly/StellaDanceJam
For details, please refer to the application guidelines in the registration form.
Participation in the audition is free of charge.
Registration Period: Tuesday, 24 March – Sunday, 5 April 2026
ARTIST PROFILE:
RIEHATA
Born on August 9, 1990, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. RIEHATA is one of Japan’s leading dancers, choreographers, and artists. She has choreographed for numerous global artists, including Chris Brown, BTS, G-Dragon, Lisa (from BLACKPINK), TWICE, and PSY, and is widely recognized for her work in the K-pop industry.
In Japan, she has created choreography for major artists such as EXILE, King & Prince, Nissy, and BE:FIRST, contributing to many hit productions. She also appeared with her team RHTokyo on the popular Korean dance competition program World of Street Woman Fighter and performed alongside G-Dragon at the Melon Music Awards 2025, further expanding her popularity both in Japan and internationally.
SB19
PABLO | JOSH | STELL | KEN | JUSTIN
SB19 IS A MULTI-AWARDED FIVE-MEMBER GROUP FROM THE PHILIPPINES.
The “SB” in SB19 stands for “Sound Break,” which represents their aspirations of disrupting the music scene and bringing Filipino music and culture into the international spotlight. They debuted in October 2018 with their single ‘Tilaluha’ and gained popularity with their second single ‘Go Up’. Since their debut, SB19 has amassed fans- A’TIN – across the globe and was recognized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as Youth and Sentro Rizal Ambassadors since 2021. SB19 broke into the global spotlight as the first Southeast Asian and Filipino act to be nominated in the Billboard Music Awards as Top Social Artist in 2021. They are also the first Filipino act to land on the international Billboard Social 50, Next Big Sound Charts and #1 on the Billboard Hot Trending Songs in 2021 with ‘Bazinga’.
Their latest release, ’GENTO’, debuted at #8 on the Billboard World Digital Sales Charts. By 2025, SB19 released their long awaited comeback with the EP “Simula at Wakas” starting things strong with “DAM”. The track garnered records and chart success both locally and internationally with it reaching the IFPI top 20 spots in the Philippines, Middle East and Hong Kong and No. 1 in the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Charts in its Ist week of release. SB19 is managed by 1Z Entertainment, a company built by SB19, themselves.
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