Dancer Diaspora Holiday Edition

 

The Holiday Season has always been a busy time for ballet dancers all over the globe. It is a timeless tradition for most companies to have a universal explosion of Nutcracker performances. By itself, this has brought so much joy to so many families. The past month, however, has highlighted something special, unique, and at the same time bittersweet. All over the world, Filipinos claimed the titular roles of the holiday classic. While there have been many Filipinos who have danced a gazillion Nutcrackers, this one stands out because it emphasizes the reality of the consequences of the dancer diaspora. Through the years, for one reason or another, our local artists have chosen to run after glossy dreams of being an international ballet artist. But this last decade, I believe trumps the Disney dancer migration we encountered in the early 2000s. It didn’t start from the pandemic, however it was the last straw did practically pushed the dancers out of the country because of the loss of opportunities here. The sheer number of dancers the Philippines lost was astounding.  A conservative estimate would be around ten homegrown dancers flying off to different parts of the world. While it highlights that there are many reasons for dancers here to want a life outside the Philippines, it also highlights that there is an appetite for the kind of magical dancing the Filipinos can offer. Our homegrown dancers stood tall and claimed significant roles in the Nutcracker. While I miss seeing these dancers perform here in our local theaters, it fills me with pride to see them enjoying the global limelight. They certainly are collectively giving the Philippines a good name. 

Mikaela Santos Photography By Erica Marquez Jacinto 

The top of the list has to be Mikaela Santos. This beautiful ballerina began her ballet journey with iconic ballet educator Effie Nanas. She gained attention in the competition circle finishing 2nd in the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Ballet Competition and top 15 in the World Ballet Competition. She joined the Philippine Ballet Theatre as an apprentice briefly but went on to join Atlanta Ballet. She has been dancing as a full company member since 2018. Her last performance in the Philippines was back in 2019 in Entablado, a gala featuring all the products of Ballet Philippines Alumni in celebration of the Company’s 50th anniversary. She left an imprint with her Black Swan Variation showing off her polished technique. Consistent with multiple pirouettes, strong charisma, and beautifully elongated lines, she showed then that she was born to be a star. The audience certainly agreed.The best validation that she has arrived was Santos being featured in the Dance Magazine's 25 to watch out for this 2023. The icing on the cake for Santos was her being picked to perform on opening night in Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker.  She was the poster girl for this ballet, the most featured Marie and Sugarplum even though she shared the role with three other dancers. I have no doubt in my mind that she gained a stronger following because of this. Santos is soaring and I can’t wait to see how far she can go. 

Luis Cabrera Photo From Hong Kong Ballet Page Photography by Condrad Dy-Liacco

Garry Corpuz Photo from Hong Kong Ballet  Photography by Conrad Dy-Liacco

In Hong Kong, two Filipinos have been making a name for themselves. Both moved to Hong Kong way before the pandemic. Both gentlemen’s careers are deeply rooted in Ballet Philippines. Garry Corpuz joined Hong Kong Ballet in 2017 and rose the ranks until he was promoted this year to Principal Dancer of Hong Kong Ballet. The company has entrusted so many meaty roles to Corpuz  He has danced alongside big stars like Iana Salenko, Mathew Golding, and Maria Kotchekova to name a few. In this run, he performed as Snow King and Cavalier among others. Luis Cabrera joined the Company in 2015  and was promoted to Coryphee in 2019. But like Corpuz, he too has been a valued member of the Company albeit in a different way. He has been the Company’s go-to guy for anything contemporary. He has also forayed into choreography which has elevated his status in  Hong Kong significantly.  This year he takes on the role of Nutcracker Prince among others. These two men have been great examples of hard work, diligence, and commitment. Having seen them grow with the Company, they have had to overcome so many challenges to stand out in such a diverse and powerful Company. Both are at the top of their game but I’m sure there is more to look forward to. 

   

  

Joan Sia and Elpidio Magat Photography by Artistyne

               

Real-life couple Joan Sia and Elpidio Magat are enjoying the spotlight. The two were former principal dancers of Ballet Manila. Both have essayed the titular roles of Nutcracker Prince and Sugarplum Fairy many times but I think this one would be remembered as one for the books. Sia and Magat performed with their new ballet family, Florida Ballet. Scoring the lead says a lot as they are very new in the Company. To be awarded this privilege so early in the game gives me hope that they will shine as brightly in Florida as they have here in the Philippines. 

Denise Parungao Phtoography by Caroline Habib

                           

Eunice Suba By Caroline Habib

Denise Parungao, former Principal Dancer of Ballet Philippines, joined New Jersey Ballet in 2022. Almost instantly she was given a chance to perform in the Company’s most critical pieces. She has had a chance to tackle choreography by George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, and Harrison Ball. With a strong season under her belt, she has caught the attention of critics and balletomanes alike. She shared the role of Sugarplum fairy with another Filipina in the Company Eunice Suba. Two Filipinas doing Principal roles just gives you a warm fuzzy feeling of pride. 

                                  

David Lopena Photography by Risa Mochizuki

New Jersey Ballet newbie Bryan  Sevilla, former Ballet Manila Soloist also snatched the role of Cavalier. After a short stint with Springfield Ballet, he joined the Company just recently. He also shared the role with another promising Filipino David Lopena. While the four Filipinos were not paired with each other, their casting says a lot about artistic diversity and representation. 

Eugene Obille Photography by Erica Marquez Jacinto 

                                

Victor Maguad Photography by Erica Marquez Jacinto 

Lastly, two sleek male dancers formerly from Ballet Philippines are making a mark in Sacramento Ballet. Eugene Obille took on the Nutcracker Prince in 2022 and recently performed the role of Snow King. Who could forget  Victor Maguad ?! He was BP's reliable Principal dancer who danced all the premium roles in the company’s repertoire. He took on the top role this season and I’m sure he was a sight to behold. 

As these Filipino dancers continue to give joy to audiences with their extraordinary talent and dedication, their success becomes a beacon of hope and pride for the Philippines. Their achievements speak loudly about the enduring spirit of the Filipinos. It tells an inspiring story of passion and resilience. Their beautiful stories will affirm to the next generations that dreams indeed come true. Their journeys will be like footprints in the sand, a path that many would want to follow.  These developments of course are bittersweet because their success means they are not accessible to our local audiences. But I am hopeful that they remember to give back one way or another to the dance community that nurtured them. You can still be nationalistic in spirit even if you are a million miles away. Dancer diaspora and worse permanent migration is sad but it will almost always give you a gift.  Santa definitely delivered this year. They will definitely inspire our local dancers. I’ll take their success as a silver lining, a banner of pride for the Filipinos. Bravo Filipino.

Hong Kong Ballet's Le Corsaire and Newly Found Treasures

Note : All performance photos are by Conrad Dy-Liacco

Septime Webre who stands as the new Artistic Director of the company is  a vibrant figure that represents energy and innovation. The astonishing  growth he brought Washington Ballet and their local community is of epic proportion. If his past performance is any indication of his commitment to fresh ideas, then a similar growth spurt should be expected for Hong Kong Ballet. It seems that his  leadership is all about  empowerment of creativity. It is my impression that creativity is his tool in reaching out to more people and connecting them through art. His first steps are quite telling.  This spirited man quickly made a very imposing good impression. So far he has enhanced the presence of the Company by social media activation with live feeds, teasers, visual click baits. While these are normal marketing tools, the Company's approach is very fresh, peppered with youth, charm and yes even humor.  He has captured  the attention of a new younger market by reintroducing  Hong Kong Ballet as an international player  who is inspiring yet RELATABLE.  He has also  brought inspiring guest artists and teachers  to join the Company productions (Don Quixote and most recently Le Corsaire)  enhancing the experience of both the dancers and their audiences. He has likewise improved their community connection by adding more  limited run workshops for dancers and balletomanes to enjoy.  There are pre-show, mid show and  post show activities for ticket buyers. He even opened the shows with speeches and ended them by facilitating meet and greets with the cast. His approach I believe is to create meaningful experiences WITH the Company. Through his efforts, the Company's reach is expanding and the good thing is what he has to show is good. His kick off efforts is a spanking good start. Madeleine Onne (who is also a dance visionary) is probably smiling knowing what she planned for 2017 is being carried out marvelously. 

The Company recently offered their premiere of "Le Corsaire" which was restaged by Anna Marie Holmes  after the choreography of Marius Petipa. Julio Bocca was also commissioned to enhance the authenticity of the performances. The story revolves around the adventures of a pirate named Conrad who needed to rescue his love interest the slave girl Medora. 

This ballet is not  famous because of the narrative. Instead it is popular because of the virtuoso type dancing that is required of the dancers. Hong Kong Ballet delivered and impressed crowds with their dependable technique and polished artistry. The first weekend shows featured renowned guest artists  but the Company's own dancers did not fall behind. Their talent remained in the spotlight. 

Maria Kotchekova as Medora 

Matthew Golding as Conrad

The November 4 matinee show featured Matthew Golding  as Conrad and JIN Yao as Medora. Golding was positively golden. His effortless extended  leaps were consistently buoyant. He tickled the audiences with multiple five rotation pirouettes. There is an  obvious tenacity in his movements making his pirate  swagger believable.   JIN  as Medora was every bit a seasoned Principal Dancer. Her  entrances were done with her body always opening up graciously to the audience. Medora's sequences include numerous complicated fouettes and corner turns but she succeeded   in complying with the technical demands. Plucked from the Corp De Ballet were WANG Qingxin who played Gulnare and Garry Corpuz as Lankendem.  Wang has everything it takes to be a star. She is blessed with beauty, grace and a flexible body. However, as Gulnare I could feel her nerves. She faltered in her corner turns and her fouettes. Often her movements during partnering felt tentative. While she was beautiful in every scene, her matinee performance was definitely far from flawless. Corpuz' performance was unexpected as he is a new recruit from the Philippines.  He delivered crisp and clean triple pirouettes   and jumps that can be likened to Golding's. Fully extended grand jetes, consistent tours en passe made his debut solid. Together, they make a good pair, their body types are complementary. I feel that this match up will have repeats in the near future. LI  Lin surprised me as he seemed meek but he was   dynamic as the slave and was able to  pull of his variation with ease.  Jonathan Spigner was energetic as Birbanto but his troubles with the Orchestra were quite distracting. The Odalisque is one of the highlights of the ballet and the matinee trio was triumphant. Especially brilliant was the performance of Japanese dancer Ayano Haneishi who did six sets of strong triple pirouettes in her variation. She left a very strong impression of dependability. 

Garry Corpuz as Lankendem and WANG Quingxin as Gulnare 

Matthew Golding as Conrad , JIN Yao as Medora and LL Jiabo as Ali

The gala show featured the world renowned  Maria Kotchekova as Medora and Wei Wei as Conrad. Kotchekova's version was only slightly different from that of JIN, Yao  but it seemed like I was watching a totally different show. I would say it was her  brazen approach to movement that  made  the difference.  She leaps and launches into lifts with no hesitation. Her lightness made her upside down fish dive so impressive. Her port de bras more than made up  for her size and she translated them into glorious sweeping movements that brought the audiences to an alternate reality.   Ultimately it was how she commanded her body to tell the story that made her moments on stage special. The only problem with her performance is the obvious height difference between Wei Wei and her. She reached only  the danseur's  shoulders  and the imbalance between a dynamic small ballerina and a gentle giant  was  unsettling. Perhaps someone like Principal dancer Shen Jie would have been a better match. In contrast, XIA, Jun and YE Feifei as Lankendem and Gulnare created magic. Their  pas de deux in Act 1 was a picture of seamless partnership. Individually, they also delivered sparkling performances. YE, Fei Fei's extensions were picture perfect. As Gulnare she appeared fragile but her movements were strong and solid.  She seemed to glide through the floor as she did her diagonal fouettes and double piques and lame ducks. With minimal effort she executed steps with the right breath and grace.  The performance of her Lankendem was entertaining. XIA is not only a strong dancer with hyper extended legs. He is  a great  actor with dominating presence. His approach was flashy and deliciously wicked.  WANG, Qingxin fully redeemed herself when she danced Odalisque. She was absolutely luminous in her variation. She likewise did a series of commendable triple pirouettes. This time she allowed the audience to fully enjoy her performance. Shen Jie as Birbanto exhibited nonchalant maturity in his steps. Eliciting cheers from the audience was the spectacular performance of  Li Jiabo as the slave Ali.. His inverted 540 thrilled the audience making them clap enthusiastically mid variation.  His ala second turns were fast yet controlled and his manege energetic

Maria Kotchekova as Medora and WEI Wei as Conrad 

YE Fei Fei as Gulnare and XIA Jun as Lankendem 

Shen Jie as Birbanto 

                         

The cast is not the only thing exceptional about this show.  Hugo Milan outdid himself with the sets and costumes.  The sets had a  modern take  yet  it did not compromise the details. In a muted way it blends in fantasy into the visuals. For instance the pirate cave  usually depicted as a dark earthy cave was replaced by a bejeweled enclosed space emphasizing the accumulated treasures of the pirates.  A gorgeous view of the moon decorated stage allowing for picturesque moments during the pas de deuxs. The transformation of the palace to the jardin was magical. The lights hit the golden pillars and in a mesmerizing blur transformed into a completely different set. Similarly the costumes he created were couture-like creations with rich details. The show ended with the  ship sinking  but it was cleverly executed using the perspective of the audience.  Seeing the water projected from front and the back of the stage created an almost inclusive three dimensional experience. 

Hong Kong Ballet's  "Le Corsaire" is obviously a product of harmonious collaboration. Webre succeeded in empowering everyone's creativity. The influence of Anna Marie Holmes and Julio Bocca  can be seen in the Company's passionate display of artistry on stage. The sets and costumes contributed greatly in adding color to the story. The interactive experience before and after the shows also brought great joy. This performance raises the bar for Hong Kong Ballet. Not only has Webre proven that he is a precious new treasure, he has also shown that he has the eye to see which people will shine  in the spotlight.   If he can keep producing shows with the same vigor,  Hong Kong Ballet's new chapter will be quite an interesting one.  There will be much to look forward to. 

Note : All interview photographs were shot by the author Erica Marquez Jacinto

Septime Webre and Matthew Golding
"This is the first time that I was given an opportunity to get to know the Company"

Matthew Golding with Ll  Lin

JIN Yao
" Le Corsaire is a very technical ballet. For me it is even harder than Swan Lake because  you are just turning from Act 1 until the end. There so much to think about while telling the story"

Ayano HANEISHI 

DONG, Ruixue