Passages

 

Passages is defined as  the act or process of moving through, under, over or past something on the way from one place to another. Sounds like a simple concept of gravitating towards something. The truth of the matter is the word is as complex as it gets.   When someone moves forward they allow themselves to feel, accept and respond to whatever emotions, opportunities and or obstacles come their way.  Bringing with them what they want to bring from the past, they eventually take the step forward. This Sunday June 11, 2017, BGC Arts Festival will present a  show that intends to share  the art of people who are in passage.  Five dancer-choreographers will present  pieces that represent their artistic journey. (Elena Laniog-Alvarez, Al Bernard Garcia, Erl Sorilla, PJ Rebullida, Dingdong Selga)

Having seen parts of the show, I find that it is one that gives a lot of hope for artists. It is an affirmation that your feet will lead you exactly where you are meant to be. Watch the show and you just might find the inspiration to move forward. 

Have a visual taste. 

All accompanying text are just a play of words and do not necessarily represent the choreographers' point of view. #hugot

Out of the Shadows (Self Titled)

Choreographed by Al Bernard Garcia 

Performed by JM Cabling, Al Bernard Garcia and Rita Winder 

Stepping out of the shadows 

Mind tells you you're alone but the heart knows better.

You move forward but you feel the wind blowing you backwards.

Your body weakens, your heart momentarily stops.

Something, someone steadies your feet

Suddenly you feel the warmth of the light. 

 You're in the light. 

Are you happy now?

 A Cup of Me 

Choreographed by Elena Laniog Alvarez

Performed by Rita Winder and JM Cordero 

Waking up to a new day with an unfamiliar breeze 

Speaking with an unfamiliar tongue

Moving forward unto the maze with unfamiliar uncertainty

Waking up familiar with the once unfamiliar breeze

Speaking comfortably with a familiar tongue

Moving forward passionately to uncertainty

Things change.

Vici

Choreographed by Erl Sorilla 

Performed by Victor Maguad 

I am me

strong yet soft,

masculine yet feminine,

simple but colorful.

Do you love me?

Can you love me?

Inday 

Choreographed by Erl Sorilla 

Performed by Gia Gequinto

Another day. Passing through another day. 

Beautiful Embrace (Self titled)

Choreographed by Erl Sorilla 

Performed by JM Cordero and Erl Sorilla

Sometimes you look at nothing but you see something. 

Sometimes you see something but pretend you see nothing. 

Butter Pls

Choreographed by PJ Rebullida

Performed by Karmela Cortez Jabla, Bianca Perez, Christine Crame  

Is there anything I haven't given you?

Neo Filipino 2015 Reboot; More than a Replay

Sentimental me, I have always believed in the concept of time capsules. As children or even teenagers, we are encouraged to put a few items in a box so that you could open them up at a later time when there is a need to look back at your younger self.  It could be letters, diaries, special gifts, audio recordings etc.  The intention is to relive a few moments from the past and I guess learn from  them. Yesterday (July 24, 2015), I did just that. I went home with a sense of joy after having a glimpse of a rich past that I will cherish all my life. It reminded me that I was part of something that was bigger than myself.

 A couple of days ago, I was tagged in a post meant to encourage people to come see Neo Filipino. I messaged my friend Orly Agawan  and told him I was happy to know that a non dancer was supporting the show. Having seen the line up of the pieces to be shown, I knew that it was definitely a must watch. After that, we casually decided to do a podcast for his blog, jellicleblog.com. And so I went to my childhood playground and set my senses on fire.  It was as if I opened a time capsule laying out a moment in time where everything was beautiful at the ballet. 

Neo Filipino is one of the first modern shows  that I watched as a CCP scholar. Bereft of any dance or theatrical exposure, I went into the theater not knowing what to expect. We were required to watch these shows as part of our training. And so I went, excited that my name was in the souvenir program. I went home that day with my mind altered. Truth be told it was not that all the pieces were mind blowing. It was the thought that people could create such strikingly different work with the same vocabulary taught to them day in and day out. At that time I did not understand why the show was important. I only knew that it was  a breath of fresh air. Now that I'm older I not only see the good intentions of this show, I see its products. I am reminded of why this show is important 

A product of time 

I opened my Neo Filipino 1994 edition Souvenir program from way back. I turned the pages and I saw quite clearly that  Neo Filipino has done its job. The show was created to encourage young artists to bravely create dance perspectives.  It was meant to produce relevant choreographers. I opened the pages and low  and behold I saw  a line up that spoke volumes. At the helm, Agnes Locsin  was the artistic director of that show.   Alden Lugnasin, Paul Morales and Dwight Rodrigazo as junior choreographers presented their early works in  1994. Their write ups spoke of  their " interest in choreography". Look at them now, all  three are prominent figures in the dance world not only as dancers but as choreographers and  artistic directors.  It would be naive to say that they are where they are now solely because of the platform they were given. However, as an artist I know that every opportunity to share something with the audience is also an opportunity to receive something. Perhaps it was criticisms that taught them well. Perhaps it was the confidence that made them stronger. Perhaps it was a processing lesson from the masters that they worked with. But art on the platter definitely gives back something to the artist. Whatever they did to the gifts they received, they must have done something good. I'm quite sure the experience of seeing former prodigies show their art with their mentors this time as colleagues. 

A lesson in history 

The line up of choreographers include a roster of former Ballet Philippines artistic directors. Most of the pieces to be shown were created for Ballet Philippines during their active years with the company. Seeing the show would be getting a glimpse of  what the company was about  under the different directors. For the older dancers it would be reminiscing  a few glorious moments from the past. For the younger dancers, it is a history lesson worth paying attention to. To name a few of my favorites Neo Filipino 2015 Reboot includes Agnes Locsin's "Taong Talangka" which was an entry to the 6th Paris International Dance Competition. I think it won second if I'm not mistaken.   Alden Lugnasin's  "Flippers" was a well received piece in the nineties. It was a piece that gave Ballet Philippines II a lot of fame and attention.

Above photos from Neo Filipino Facebook Page

                         

A dancer's dream

It is a dancer's dream to dance the significant works of your mentors or favorite dancers. As JM Cordero( currently Ballet Philippines Principal Dancer) said during the Jellicle blog podcast, the dancers of this show feel a sense of privilege that they are given a chance to dance side by side former members of the Ballet Philippines as well as step into the spotlight formerly reserved for them. The pressure is indeed high but the dancers are all abuzz with excitement. Ronelson Yadao (Former Ballet Philippines Soloist)  mentioned how their only goal more than upping the old cast is to show how diversity works. Old and new, classic and contemporary, adagio and bravura, a merry of different flavors is always a good thing right?!

Change is a constant

As the name implies this is a reboot. It's aim is to revisit old works and present it in its new form. With new dancers performing the pieces it would be interesting to see if they are able to live up to expectations. The standpoint of the choreographer may have changed as well. A different frame of mind might change the tempo, the texture, the highlights of the choreography. This is after all a reboot. Change is inevitable. At the end of the day, it is always fun to judge if the change was for the better or not. #audienceperks 

In a nutshell

I see a lot of merit in this show. I don't know whose brilliant idea it was to do a reboot but I sure am glad that it materialized.  In a nutshell, with the amount of talent  this show relies on I highly doubt it would be anything less than amazing. Can't wait to  feel like that teenager who went home altered for life. I'm excited to be changed for good. 

Check out the photos below and I'm sure your curiosity will urge you to get that golden ticket to Neo Filipino 2015 Reboot

All photography by Erica Jacinto

Ms. Denisa Reyes at work 

Theater Actors transformed to dancer extraordinaires for Ms. Denisa Reyes "Asong Ulul"

In the Photos: Mailes Kanapi and Mae Paner

Neo-Filipino takes the stage from July 31-Aug 2. For tickets and more information, visit their page at https://www.facebook.com/events/437488136454904/ or call 832-1125 loc 1803 or 1409. ‪

Pulso: The Filipino Soul in Dance

March seems to be the kick off month for the Dance Community. Pulso, is the 3rd major dance show  of the year and of the month of March. Having seen foreign shows recently, I was hungry for Filipino flavor. The title of the show being  "Pulso: The Filipino Soul in Dance", I looked forward for a  happy fill of beautiful movement. 

The production was supposed to highlight the current state of the dance community. The intention was to exemplify the Filipino's versatility and ability in various dance genres. Invited performers included heavy hitters such as Philippine Ballet Theatre, Ballet Philippines, Ballet Manila and Ramon Obusan Fokloric Group.

I braved the traffic for the gala show last March 31, 2012. As destiny would have it I missed the first two pieces because of the throng of people marching outside of the CCP in celebration of the lenten season. As they say, better late than never. I made it to my seat and I was still in high spirits with equally high expectations. But the build up, I'm afraid did not do me good. I sat through a few ho hum performances until I saw a few gems. For me a good performance requires three things 1. Strong Technique 2. Emotional Heart 3. A Moving choreography . If one of the three are  beyond good, then people will be forgiving about the other two.

Amongst those who delivered was Ballet Philippines' pride and joy Candice Adea. As expected, she delivered a crisp and clean  performance with her able partner JM Cordero. What was nice to see about their Diana and Actaeon was that it showed progression. It showed that even Principal dancers can  still up their performance a notch or two. Kudos to the pair for additional turns and longer balances. Their presence in the show was also fitting as their wins from  international competitions have instantly made them household names in the dance industry. They represent everything good about the dance community , skilled, versatile, fiery and most importantly unstoppable.

I saw a glimpse of Unschooled (Hip Hop Dance Group) in the finale and  I liked the little that I saw. They were exciting to watch. They exuded confidence and pride . I liked the fact that  their dancers came from different universities. Good fellowship makes my heart fuzzy happy. They too made a statement through their dancing and their existence. Filipino dancing is about overcoming obstacles with a smile on your face. In this case, it was literally a burst of happy energy on stage. They had more than a smile on their faces, their souls were shared with the audience.I'm not surprised that they are now called the new champions in hip hop.

Disappointing to me was the lack luster performance of the famous Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group. For me, their performance was close to amateur. Perhaps it was the inappropriateness of the their selected piece. It did not show the capacity of a CCP resident company. Perhaps, they were unrehearsed or bored?! Im a  BIG  fan of this group but for me, their performance  was boring and uninspired. Ramon Obusan probably wanted to stand up from his grave to give them a beating.

Dance Afficionados did not quite hit the mark . True, the kids were adorable. Yes they were graceful. But to be on stage with the best representing dance sport of the Philippines, you've simply got to bring the goods. It was nowhere near close to Filipinos' best dancing nor effort. They  did not represent the blooming dance sport industry.

The best part of this show was the coda and the curtain call. No sarcasm here. It literally was the coolest part of it all. All the dance groups performed the different genres as they bowed. I have to admit it did generate  a bit of laughter from me seeing some awkwardly dance. Led by no less than Lisa Macuja, they started a dance off. Hip hoppers were flying in the air. The ballroom dancers were spinning. Lisa Macuja and Candice Adea did a fouette showdown. The danseurs did ala seconde turns . The contemporary dancers showed off their fabulous lifts. In this case dancing with the heart (in my head) propelled the show  from ho hum to exhilarating. It was amazing. It filled the theatre with life. It made the people bravo til their throats hurt, clap til their palms hurt and dance til they hit the next person. And for that, we have Ms. Edna Vida and Mr. Nonoy Froilan to thank for. No the show was not quite perfect. However, to be able to put together such a spirited and united dance crowd out there is a big challenge. In the end, people stood up to dance. Isn't that the point of it all. Shows should always inspire and put a little happiness in people's heart . Just for that, I say Bravo to Pulso. We've got Soul.

Curtain Call (video quality isn't great . . .  but enjoy!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPVtbY-6NqY&feature=relmfu