Ballet Philippines' Season closer was the mindblowing Gabriel Barredo's Opera. Redha Benteifour took the task of creating the movement for the original music of Malek Lopez. The artistic collaboration left me dumbfounded. I cannot claim to understand the entirety of the libretto and the intricacies of the choreography. The unbridled artistic contribution of Barredo and Benteifor put together was explosive. It was so rich an experience that I did not find the need to overthink the ballet. I just simply let my eyes and heart appreciate the beauty of their work.
Gabriel Barrredo's massive and ornate creations was a conversation piece in itself. I found myself in a conversation with no less than Mr. Ramon Orlina (the sculptor) talking about the genius of his work. Redha Benteifor has created numerous masterpieces for Ballet Philippines in the past. To create movement in such a complex set like that would have been a daunting challenge but his organic sequences fit like a glove. These two artists seemed to be art soulmates, understanding each other well never overshadowing the other.
Opera may not be your go to show if you are a purist but it is a product of ingenius expression. Truly it is a gift to Ballet Philippines, one of their precious additions to their esteemped reportoire.
Gabriel Barredo
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