A Whirlwind of Color : Ballet Manila's Tatlong Kwento ni Lola Basyang

Literature often becomes a source of inspiration for art and life in general. In the field of dance it is a solid pillar that continues the legacy of ballet narratives. Hence the practice is considered perpetually relevant and even necessary for dance evolution. However, when choreographers turn to pages, it is usually to reconnect with a familiar story that they wish to dissect and bring to life through movement. For its season opener, Ballet Manila does not offer a Filipino epic, a Shakespearean Classic or an E.L James modern tale. The Company chose to work with intrinsically Filipino stories from Severino Reyes' collection of jewels. Consistent with the Company's well publicized commitment towards minimizing the gap  between  ballet and the  people, they chose to immortalize short stories for children. They chose stories they believed would be memorable enough to entertain, educate and inspire.

The story tellers on pointe started off with "Ang Prinsipe ng mga Ibon" choreographed by Osias Barroso. It is a story that revolves around a princess in love with the mythical Prince of the birds. Despite proving the depth of his love to the Princess and her Father, the King remained  firm that the union  could not be allowed.  The Princess tried to protect her  beloved Prince and  her pure love for him transformed her into bird. Soon enough they flew away to their happy ending.  The curtain rose and revealed a grandiose set worthy of mention. It quickly set the asian tone of the story. With its extravagant set I reckon it would be easy to get visually drowned but Prinsesa Singsing played by Katherine Barkman entered the stage with a commanding presence. The set quickly embraced her and she took her place as the ornament on spotlight. Barkman was an entrancing princess with a winsome smile and expressive sweeps. She splendidly executed lyrical extensions. Her feet are noticeably well arched  and are easy on the eyes. Her technique is obviously solid despite her young age but this is not exactly what made her a star that night that I watched. I rarely see a dancer that gives 100% heart. A hundred percent heart on stage for some results to a few technical steps left amiss or a few counts late, possibly lack of awareness of space because emotion completely takes over logic and sensibility. Very few can afford to literally dance perfectly with a free heart. I believe she did just that. Maybe it's her youth, maybe it's her solid technique or maybe she really does just have the gift. Definitely, she secured her place in the company with her entertaining debut. Principal dancer Rudy De Dios took on the role of Prinsipe ng mga Ibon. He ably partnered  Barker and matched her emotional investment to the story. With the combined technical ability of the two, Barroso's clever choreography was glorified. The choreographer's  wealth of knowledge in partnering and technique is obvious as there were several lifts with silky transitions. It was a dream to capture so many picturesque pas de deux moments.

   

The second offering was  the story "Ang Kapatid ng Tatlong Marya" which is a result of a choreographic collaboration between Lisa Macuja, Osias Barroso, Ernest Mandap and Gerardo Francisco. The story is about three sisters who were separated from their parents because of a tragic mistake. A devilish snake wreaked havoc when she fooled Teong (the patriarch) and convinced him that if he cut the healing tree he will be rewarded with all the healing leaves of the tree. What happened instead was he lost his daughters who were taken away by the snake.

Pedro his youngest son was tasked to find his sisters when Teong was struck with sickness. Pedro traveled far and wide to different lands to eventually find his sisters and bring them back home to their family. Pedro was played by Alvin Santos. He was charismatic as he knit the story together. His leaps were exciting as they consistently showed off his flexibility. The three sisters were played by Ballet Manila's usual frontliners. Marya Loleng (Queen of the Eagles) was performed by Abigail Oliveiro, Marya Upeng (Queen of the Lions) was performed by Dawna Mangahas and  Marya Trining (Queen of the Sharks) was played by Joan Emery Sia. It was splendid to watch these three girls because together they represent a new generation of dancers for the company. Junior Principal Dawna Mangahas was ever so elegant. Her movements were rich and velvety as she confidently silenced the lions and the crowd with her attitudes. Abigail Oliveiro was delicate and endearing as she played the exotic queen of the Eagles. She moved with a spring on her step as she executed weightless grand jetes and partnered lifts. Her expression was as rich and colorful as the feathers of the birds. Joan Emery Sia seemed to be able to liquefy her steps. Particularly memorable were her arabesque pencees that were consistently and comfortably placed on 6 o'clock. All three textured their characters well and were able to adapt to the choreography's musical challenges.

 

                         

  

   

"Ang Mahiwagang Byulin" closed the show with a bang. The story is about Rodrigo who is a maltreated worker seeking to give his family a comfortable life. He shares his earnings with an old lady who then repays his kindness with a magical violin that helps him get his coveted happy ending. Choreographed by the late Tony Fabella, the audience witnessed his winning formula. The story telling master used clear and simple quick witted steps. Peppered with humor and musical accents, the piece was all comedy. Rodrigo was played by seasoned dancer Gerardo Francisco and the Boss from hell Ahab was played by Michael Divinigracia. Both solid dancers, they performed the choreography with comedic clarity. Francisco's energetic vibe was contagious. Divinigracia had his game face on and was committed to securing laughter from the crowd.

To be constructive, there were scenes in all three sections where I found it too busy and hard to concentrate on the dancing. Perhaps less feathers, less lions and less people would have given me an opportunity to zoom in on the technical dancing of the leads. I also think some of the scenes could have been cut short as there was enough body of work in each section. After all the stories are practically narrated in full by Lola Basyang herself. While I enjoyed the spirited dancing of Missy Macuja Elizalde as one Lola Basyang's apos, I found the interaction of the children and the stories a bit awkward and out of place. Nonetheless these are just minor production sags that were not big enough to compromise the show.

The premise being it was primarily based on pieces that catered to children poses a question about its acceptability to the rest of the adult audiences. For a millenial adult like me who was not exposed to the glory days of Lola Basyang, I was not particularly initially drawn by its novelty. The show had to offer something other than that to fill the thirst for art. Thankfully, the production was a whirlwind of dazzling color coming from all directions. It had something whimsical for every age. There were no pink tutus but the show had the charm of the Nutcracker divertissement. Replacing the colorful tutus were the sparkling exotic costumes. The sets and lighting style were both dynamic dancing flawlessly with the music and the dancers. The amount of talent on stage was encouraging and even inspiring. They had something new (new recruits), something old (their bevy of seasoned dancers), something borrowed (Severino Reyes' stories) and they had not just a sea of blue but a rainbow of colors. Sounds like they prepared for a wedding but it was more like a feast. It was a feast that I enjoyed. Bravo Ballet Manila.

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