Frank Rabon, Master of CHamoru Dance, named 2026 NEA National Heritage fellow

By Pacifici Island Times News Staff

Frank Rabon, master of CHamoru dance, has been selected as a 2026 NEA National Heritage Fellow, the Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency announced.

The NEA National Heritage Fellowship is the highest honor in the United States for folk and traditional arts, recognizing artists whose life’s work has helped sustain cultural knowledge and artistic traditions within their communities. Fellows are selected through a national nomination and review process involving folk and traditional arts experts and the National Council on the Arts.

Since its establishment in 1982, the program has honored more than 500 artists working in over 200 traditional art forms across the country.

Each fellowship includes a $25,000 award and Saina Rabon and the seven 2026 fellows will be formally recognized in Washington, D.C., in Fall 2026.

Frank Rabon has dedicated more than four decades to CHamoru dance (Bailan CHamoru) as a dancer, choreographer, and cultural leader, playing a key role in revitalizing traditional dance, chant, and storytelling across Guam and the Mariana Islands.

He is the founder of Guma Taotao Tano’ (House of the People of the Land) and has helped inspire Pa’a Taotao Tano’ and PIPIT, Inc. (Para I Probechu’n I Taotao-ta), advancing CHamoru language and cultural preservation. His choreography, grounded in traditional knowledge and cultural narratives, is widely performed at cultural events and official ceremonies, with his signature piece, "O Asaina," often presented as a traditional blessing.

Rabon has represented Guam internationally through cultural exchanges and festivals and has led Guam’s delegations to the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture since 1985, including Guam’s hosting of the 12th Festival in 2016. He also contributed choreography to the 1999 South Pacific Games and the 2000 Olympic Torch Ceremony in Sydney, Australia.

He has been instrumental in integrating CHamoru dance into Guam’s public education system, reaching thousands of students and helping cultivate future educators and cultural practitioners.

His honors include the Governor’s Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement and an honorary doctorate from the University of Guam. He is also a member of the original 1998 Guam Masters cohort recognized by CAHA and currently serves on the agency’s Board of Directors.

“Frank Rabon represents the very best of our cultural legacy. His work has shaped generations of dancers and cultural practitioners, and his influence continues to grow far beyond our shores. We are honored to celebrate this well-deserved recognition," said Angie Taitague, CAHA director.

Rabon is the second artist from Guam to receive the NEA National Heritage Fellowship. The first was the late Joaquin “Tun Jack" F. Lujan, honored in 1996 for his mastery of traditional blacksmithing.

The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency established by Congress and the nation’s largest funder of arts and arts education. Through national programs and partnerships, the NEA supports artistic practice and participation in communities across the United States.

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