Reinvention: Ballet Manila 2.0

Reinvention is a word not welcomed by many. It's intimidating. It's beyond the borders of comfort, It's a risk. Many mistake it for dressing up a different way, cutting and coloring your hair or maybe even relocating to a different location. Tiptoeing to the edge of map need not be letting go of who you are as a person. Ballet Manila shows us how its done right with Ballet Manila 2.0

Precious Beginnings

The repertoire presented last March 1, 2015 reflects a tribute to the past  and a transition to their future.  Ballet Manila has always  been at the forefront in presenting and preserving classical ballet reportoire. It was but fitting that  began the program with Paquita.  Incidentally this was also  their  season closer on their very first season twenty years ago. Dawna Mangahas danced with an effervescent quality. She was beautifully statuesque  as the ballerina. Her lines were picture perfect and I couldn't resist clicking away with her every pose. She was ably partnered by Elpidio Magat. Magat  who  nailed his tours landing on arabesque consistently and with ease.  The corp de ballet articulated the classical symmetry  required of the ballet. Classical ballet when done right is like a beautiful sunset that warms your heart. It stays with you after days. 

I saw Osias Barosso's Etudes twenty Years ago when my own friends who of course were kids then were the featured dancers. It was a mighty strong throwback that got me a bit emotional. It's a just precious when you see works that have evolved and developed through time. Definitely, Etudes reflects a journey of hard work and commitment. 

A brand new flavor 

 
There was a time that I did not appreciate the modern ballet repertoire of Ballet Manila. Twenty years after, It seems the hunger to explore new territory has now put Ballet Manila as a double treat in the dance industry.  I saw a different level of maturity as they performed "Bloom" choreographed by Belgian-Columbian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.  A different company danced with confident synchronism. Pardon my language when I say  the unison portions of the men  were fiercely "bad-ass" good. The performance however glorified the women a tad bit more. Bloom speaks of  beholding beauty and gratitude. The piece ever so gracefully like a flower opened up and revealed its   rising stars with commanding allure. Undoubtedly, my new favorite in the Company is Abigail Olivieros who  kept the audience captivated with her every move dripping with emotion. Blessed with a good body to work on she executed her extensions almost lovingly with her partner Brian Williamson. New to the company, Williamson seems to be a good fit so far showing dynamics in the way he moves. With  talent and a greatly intense dance vocabulary, Bloom was just a plain and simple success. It's  a taste of Ballet Manila's brand new flavor out to entice new markets and audiences. 

Staying close to home

Tara let's  choreographed by Gerardo Francisco was a crowd favorite. I think it always has been since it premiered. Music is hip and happy, choreography energetic and story telling relatable. Though I did appreciate the fact that they chose to include in their repertoire a Filipino choreography.  I did think it was quite out of place. Ballet Manila has  numerous pieces that showcases how the Company have in the past  supported  Philippine talent.  The pompous half of me just thinks I know better and that they should have performed more epic (and to a point nationalistic)  pieces from the likes of Agnes Locsin, Tony Fabella or Bam Damian. 

I do understand though that this is a representation of how how they make the art form relatable to many.

Alumni Connection 

The star of the show was definitely the flawless performance of Christine Rocas from Joffrey Ballet. I grew up seeing Rocas dance with Ballet Manila and it is quite touching to see her perform with such maturity  on that stage. No longer a pretty girl, she has grown into a sophisticated woman whose eloquence is painted with her every movement. She dances with such sincerity that it's hard not to be moved by her. She is both fluid yet strong at the same time.  Her feet melt on the ground  as she makes a step towards Rory Hohenstein, her Romeo for the evening.She leaps in an elegant grand jete and you hear a slight gasp in the audience. It's not because of it was a simply a split but because she performs with such quality that it feels like a breeze just passed by. 

I've never seen Christopher Wheeldon's piece performed live and was always a little baffled when people  go nuts over it in the internet. But done perfectly, I felt Wheeldon's choreography. I didn't just watch it. It felt like the whole world stopped  and that the performance was for me. It was a piece that spoke volumes in its simplicity. I couldn't help but tear up as the  piece progressed. It just dug deeper and deeper. Hohenstein and Rocas were drawn together by the music. The contact between the two of them was palpable. Seamless. Mind blown.

In a nutshell

In a nutshell, Ballet Manila is fired up with renewed passion. If this show was meant to send a message to the audience and the industry , I think they were absolutely successful. Ballet Manila's refreshing new command of modern ballet is impressive and they can only get better through time. Perhaps a slight quiver of panic is now felt by its contemporaries in the business. Ballet Manila's reinvention is one that will take them to higher heights. I approve of the yin yang of contemporary and classics. Bravo Ballet Manila for a meticulously prepared Ballet Manila 2.0. Cheers to risks meant to be taken.

March 1, 2015

Ballet Manila 2.0 

Aliw Theatre

All photography by me:) Erica Marquez Jacinto