Philippine Ballet Theatre Revisits La Bayadere

COURTESY OF PHILIPPINE BALLET THEATRE 

Philippine Ballet Theater restages "La Bayadere" to open its 31st  season.  This 19th century classic has been regarded as one of PBT's trademark performances.The he Philippine audience  has been waiting for its return to the stage.  The word "bayadere" is a French word that translates to "temple dancer". But the word  was rooted  from a Portuguese word that means "dance" Indeed, this ballet makes the dancers dance to the bone. Marius Petipa's choreography demands pristine lines and tempered dancing from the corp de ballet and the the exact opposite from its leads. The title roles  in stark contrast are made to dance a spectacle of sorts while displaying a wide range of emotions. Indeed the technical and artistic requirements of this ballet is sky rocket high.  It has been performed in full and in part several times before  by PBT and has consistently reaffirmed  the quality of the Company's dancers.   It has ably showcased and even launched different generations of dancers including international star Jared Tan (former soloist of Philippine Ballet Theatre) who has come home join the production. This new cast now has the opportunity to show people they can continue the  tradition of excellence. 

PHOTO BY STAN DE LA CRUZ 

Jared Tan is a homegrown talent who was lucky enough to have 

found a solid spot in Atlanta Ballet's roster. Critics abroad are now zooming in on his rise. Recently he was given ample praise from critics for his performance in AB's "Firebird" and "Vespertine" The good reception of two pieces that showcase both his classical and modern technique is quite a good indication of where he is going as an artist. Needless to say it is heartwarming that he chooses to give his country and first ballet home the time of day.  He comes full circle this time around as he revisits a ballet that helped him rise through the ranks when he was with PBT.   In 2004 he first tackled the ballet when he performed the epic character "Golden Idol". In 2008 he performed the lead role of "Solor" as well and was finally baptised as of the Company's reliable constants.   Equipped with improved technique and richer experience he now returns as an international guest star. When asked how he thinks this performance will be different from his previous attempts he says "I approach this performance in a different manner. I am more confident with my technique and so I have the opportunity to deepen my artistry. Also this time I am not performing with my sister and so I can assume the role in a different way. I'm also very intent on  making sure my partnership with my partner translates well to the audiences." If there is one thing on his mind it is that he wants his shows to make a difference for the company. He emphasized that he comes back periodically because he wants to contribute to the dance community. "I may not be a big star in my Company yet but I do hope that my performances can inspire people. I'm giving my 100% to make sure that people leave satisfied with the Filipino artist" 

PHOTO BY JUSTINE BELLA ALONTE 

While Tan's familiarity to the ballet is a plus, the rest of the cast will be entering the stage as debutantes.  He will be partnering two of PBT's rising stars. Award winning dancers Kim Abrogena and Veronica Atienza will debut  as "Nikiya and Gamzatti" in their first lead roles in a full length ballet. Matthew Davo will take on the role of "Solor" in his first principal role appearance. He will be partnered by Pbt's dynamic duo Lobreza Pimentel (as Nikiya) and Regine Magbitang (as Gamzatti) . Having said that this performance will be a moment in all their careers. A seasoned dancer showing his country his heart,  local stars conquering new challenges and rising stars off to make their mark makes for an interesting brew of  heart. Let's all be there for them and see if they make "La Bayadere" as magnificent as it should be. 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

July 15, 2017 (Saturday) | 3:00PM & 8:00PM
July 16, 2017 (Sunday) | 3:00PM

Ticket discounts for students and senior citizens are available!

For ticket inquiries and orders please contact:
PBT office at (02) 632-8848 ; 09493252545; 09951580538
Email: secretariat@pbt.ph

CCP Box Office at (02) 832-3704
Ticketworld at (02) 891-9999

REGINA MAGBITANG
The role is quite challengng. There's a lot of character dramatization, in addition to the technical side of dance. I am very grateful that I was entrusted tp play the role of Gamzatti. I hope and pray I will be able to do justice to the role

KIM ABROGENA
I feel humbled to be portraying the role of Nikiya. I find it both technically and artistically challenging since it will be my first time to do a major role with the company. However, with all coaching and guidance given by our Artistic Director and Ballet Master, I believe I was able to discover more about myself, enhance my strengths, and work and improve more on my weaknesses.

VERONICA ATIENZA
I feel very thrilled and fortunate. Gamzatti has always been one of my dream roles in ballet, and now that I have the chance to portray her character in this production, I am more than happy and excited to perform it on stage

LOBREZA PIMENTEL
I am grateful to be given the role of Nikiya. It is my first time playing Nikiya and I will do my best to portray the character accurately and in my own unique way. I think showing what I can do technically and artistically on stage will always be my favorite part of ballet. I would love to capture the attention of the audience and help them understand the whole story of La Bayadere. I am excited to see it all come together and hope that it will be an enjoyable show for everyone.

MATTHEW DAVO
I am blessed to be portraying the role of Solor, my first lead role in a full-length production. Aside from the opportunity to partner with so many talented dancers, my six years with PBT have allowed me to grow beyond my expectations. I'm very thankful for the trust that our Artistic Director and Ballet Master have given me. I feel motivated to prove that I can rise to the challenge and make them proud.



PORTRAITS BY ERICA JACINTO 

Crossroads : Philippine Ballet Theatre's Dancing in One Voice

The goal of every production is to stimulate emotions. The stage was built to stir the feelings of an otherwise resting heart. Philippine Ballet Theatre's (PBT) second season offering definitely jolted mine awake. Like caffeine it allowed me to feel  everything from  happiness, turmoil, love and even a bit of sadness. 

Fourteen choreographic pieces were created by PBT's artistic director and resident choreographer Ronilo Jaynario. For this benefit show, the intention was to highlight the supposedly orgasmic experience of dance, music and vocal stylings of reputable singers, quite an original concept. 

Opening with "The Prayer", Joni Galeste and Mark Pineda performed a beautiful lyrical piece.   In tune with the song's tone quality  , it did provided a sense of yogic calm. The synchronicity and the fluidity of the dancers' partnership  gave the audience a chance  to savor the aesthetics. Aside from their solid technique, perhaps it was divine intervention that gave the couple a definitive glow. 

                   

Particularly noteworthy was "Summertime" performed by Lobreza Pimentel and Matthew Davo. This jazzy ballet displayed technically very difficult backbend lifts, contortionist exhibitions and partnered extensions. Extraordinary was Pimentel's ability to remain strikingly fierce throughout the demanding  two minute extravaganza. She was flirtatious, sassy and even a tad devilish. Davo ably partnered her armed with his boyish charm. Their performance matched the temperament of the song leaving the audience wanting  more of their bite sized goodness. 

Kim Abrogena and Kaizier Policarpio brought a whole new meaning to the words "Hold me in your arms."  They performed a romantic pas de deux to the song " How do you keep the music playing" . It was poetry in motion as they nailed the dance  highlights, Deliciously extended partnered arabesques, ala secondes and attitudes were a delight to see. With Abrogena sweet as pie, Policarpio hammed up and danced like a debonair. 

The best offering of the night for me was a contemporary piece performed by Ian Ocampo and Regine Magbitang. Packed with emotion they gave meaning to the song "Just Give me a Reason". Through movement they shared with  the audience a conversation. There was love, longing, hope and hurt. It was almost too real. They filled the theatre with a powerful energy that left my heart pulsating in the rhythm of their music. I particularly loved the suspended shapes and the unexpected assisted leaps.  Magbitang was agile and completely solid throughout. Ocampo's lines were picture perfect. 

                

I would love to say that the string of choreographic successes that I mentioned set a trend for the evening. Jaynario is a very good choreographer who often challenges his dancers to do more than they think they can do both emotionally and physically.  This is proven by the winning performances mentioned earlier.  But I thought for this particular production  it wasn't enough that you create individual pieces that are good. Yes the pieces made me smile, cry, feel romantic even, but some of it also made me a bit sad.  

Philippine Ballet Theatre's dancers are world class. They are capable of  displaying  a high level of skill and artistry  under the whip of Jaynario. They are schooled to perfection. It was a bit disappointing that there were conceptual decisions that  made it seem like the dancers could not carry a show based on the Company's excellence.  Ballet is a visual art form, I thought the very vague and generic narrated introductions were highly unnecessary. After all, the lyrics were already sung and the bodies already moved, it was like the audience  members were incapable of comprehending the material. The concept was presented to the would be audiences as a revolutionary concept  combining singers and dancers yet they had just finished a similar concert format show. Numerous runs of Serye at Sayaw delighted audiences in different parts of  Manila. 

I understand the concept of producing material with  commercial appeal but I do not necessarily agree that showing pieces that are more appropriate on tv variety shows is reflective of the Company's thrust. I salute PBT  for their display of athleticism. I applaud them for their soulfulness and commitment to whatever they were made to dance. While I'm certain many people loved this show I  hope  that  PBT can combine their millennial spirit with a little bit of  familiar classical taste in their future explorations.  I can't wait to see PBT shine bright  again with their crowd favorite "Nutcracker".