BALLET MANILA TAKES FLIGHT WITH IBONG ADARNA (originally published in Theaterfansmanila)

Abigail Oliveiro as Ibong Adarna

Originally Published in THEATERFANSMANILA.COM CLICK THE LINK 
with edits including additional photographs from my collection 

Ballet Manila started this year with a very specific vision for the company. They resolved to move forward with a refreshed take on the classics, and create new ballets that will continue to tell stories that need to be remembered by the Filipino audiences.

As Ballet Manila boldly stated during their press con in the beginning of the year, they want to expand their wings with this season aptly called “Flights of Fantasy”. Taking it quite literally, their line up includes the contrast of avian nature in the classic Swan Lake and their recently concluded ballet, Ibong Adarna. However, more than the obvious reference to bird wings, I believe that through their first production, they also gave other things wings to fly. They are giving Philippine literature a chance to reconnect with audiences. It was also a rebirth of a dancer.

Gerardo Francisco, currently Principal Dancer and resident choreographer of the Company was given the daunting task of retelling Ibong Adarna independently taking charge of pretty much everything. Such a big opportunity to create with freedom is a rare one. Thankfully, the ballet’s first weekend of shows are perfect examples of defining moments born out of saying yes to opportunities. Francisco’s first flight was light and easy.

Ibong Adarna is a colorful story about a King who falls ill because of a premonition of betrayal. With Healers unable to help him improve his health, the queen was told of the mythical bird who could bring peace, tranquility and healing to those who have heard her melodies. She quickly sends out her sons Don Pedro, Don Diego, and Don Juan one at time in pursuit of the bird. After a series of tests on bravery, kindness, and sincerity, the true hero is revealed.

Ibong Adarna Reimagined

Gerardo Francisco’s staging of the ballet was quite different as he did not directly copy from a particular ethnic or rural community. Instead, he opted to create his own wonderland and used reimagined elements to paint the picture of the Filipino myth.  His assigned movements and characterization was easily relatable. Makisig, malakas, and matapang men filled the stage reflecting the Filipino archetype of warriors. His women, in contrast, were purposefully graceful but equally strong in stride. Noticeably, he has given a contemporary feel to folk dance.

Sets and costumes made by Make It Happen Workshop had an earthy feel with the use of natural materials such as bamboo, walis, banig, and pattern accents. Even the Ibong Adarna did not look like the usual rainbow-hued bird with long tail feathers. Instead, she was dressed completely in gold– keeping colors restricted to her make up. Supporting his vision is the all-original musical composition of Diwa De Leon, whose music was a good fit. Generally, the old elements were revamped keeping only the essential ideas intact.

                  

 

Picturesque Movement

The power of this ballet lies in its choreography. Francisco successfully weaved  patterns, created levels, and crafted sequences that were visually exciting. He has a penchant for rhythmical, electrically-charged dances which all typically require precision and presence of mind to be executed well. This is consistent in all the sections throughout the ballet. The ballet’s best moments were the wonderfully-shaped laudable unisons and ensemble work.

Within minutes of the show, it was quickly established that the ensemble would not take a back seat in this production. The opening number of boys and girls was energetic and polished. The first unison introduced the capacity of the dancers. Both the soloists and the crowd had their moment to shine. The amazon women also collectively displayed a powerful tour de force delivered with a singular breath. 

Slow Pace 

Storytelling transitions were often dealt with the curtains falling down unnecessarily to show the characters doing simple steps or even just running around. It was heavily anticlimactic to see it done over and over again.  Having Don Juan (played by Rudy De Dios) literally run from stage left to the second floor, and then to the stage via the audience entrance was quite disturbing.

There were also a few scenes or characters included to add humor that muddled the story. The sudden emergence of monkeys and fireflies that were pretty much Disney formula were underdeveloped.

Katherine Barkman as Queen Alitaptap

Magic of Storytelling

Noteworthy was the performance of the lead characters. Mark Sumaylo as Don Pedro with his princely swagger delivered wonderfully executed leaps. He stayed suspended in the air creating lines that were wonderfully picturesque. Romeo Peralta who played Don Diego had just the right touch of arrogance. His bastardly approach nicely differentiated him from the two brothers. Ever so consistent, Ballet Manila’s Principal dancer, Rudy De Dios as Don Juan, displayed refined technique and artistry.  This allowed him to navigate the story and command the audience to root for him.

Mark Sumaylo as Don Pedro

Romeo Peralta as Don Diego

Rudy de Dios as Don Juan

The Flight
Of course, no one can forget the two ladies who performed as Ibong Adarna. Abigail Oliveiro gracefully ascended from the skies. Striking a lovely contrast with the earthy grounded humans, she had the gracefulness of a swan and the passion of a firebird. With her elongated, sustained lines she convinced me that she was indeed a mythical bird that could make miracles with her movements. The role was shared by Gia Macuja Atchison who lent her melodious pitch perfect voice to accentuate the power of Ibong Adarna. In perfect harmony she likewise performed with the same tempered  grace and poise. Embraced with just a gentle spotlight, she still managed to capture the full attention of the audience. Her presence was always enough.

Abigail Oliveiro as Ibong Adarna

Gia Macuja Atchison as Ibong Adarna

Overall, the Ibong Adarna took flight and soared high without hesitation. Francisco’s first effort at a ballet was rich in flavor and abundant in talent. Led by Gerardo Francisco, Ballet Manila was rewarded with thunderous appreciative applause. It is beginnings like this that affirm that singular opportunities seized fervently can amount to more.

Run: August 26-27, 2017 and Septemer 2-3, 2017

Aliw Theater 

Ballet Manila 

A Spectacle of Sorts, Ballet Manila's Cinderella

When I write, the words often come quite fluidly as I rely on only one voice and influence, my own. However, I watched Ballet Manila's Cinderella with my ballerina bunhead daughter and she was adamant that I heard her blow by blow critique of this show. As her booming voice so eloquently articulated her opinion about each aspect of the show like an adult, I had to step back and digest it. After all, she was the primary target market for this show. And so I must thank my daughter for providing another perspective that gave me that extra push to dig deeper and understand more the purpose of every artistic choice that was made.

A Spectacle of Sorts

Ballet Manila has invested much into breathing life into Ms. Lisa Macuja's vision of Cinderella. With well publicized collaborations with Mio Infante for sets, Michael Miguel for costumes and Roy del Valle for music arrangement, I am certain it was a costly investment. While there are several variations in film, in theatre and in books, most ballet Cinderella stagings rely heavily on the original libretto made to serve the music of Sergei Prokofiev done by Nicolai Volkov. I came in with the highest of expectations after all this is our beloved Prima Ballerina's first major solo choreographic conquest. Much like Gelsey Kirkland's Nutcracker, the transition of a Prima Ballerina to a choreographer leaves the audience excited to see a  legend's point of view. But is the show really a reconstruction? What I am definite about is that it is quite a departure from the ballet references. Ms. Macuja's version does away with the season fairies and instead follows the storytelling flow of the Walt Disney animated film. Retaining only the dance master scene from the original ballet libretto, she remains consistent with the Disney inspired  staging from usage of animal friends in the opening to the final wedding scene.

The familiarity of the story line made it possible for the ballet to instantly connect to the audience eliciting cheers and laughter from children and the young at heart. For most, gone was the loyalty to the classic ballet. Except for a handful, nobody missed it. In fact my very own daughter said "They have the correct story Mom". (This of course is her response after having seen seen a couple of stagings of the traditional ballet in the past.)

To start of they had a delightful stage fit for the ballet, a beautiful fireplace, a house that gave a natural vignette frame to the dancers and who could forget the globe dome royal palace. Adding to the magic was the well thought of lighting by Jaime Villanueva that was critical in threading together the scenes. They kept the glitter and the frills coming with tried and tested theatrical exhibitions such as illuminated white cloth incorporated in the choreography, black light choreography and confetti showers. To cap it off, they did the audience interaction during the finding of Cinderella. All of which brought joy to the audience. It is quite similar to Children's theatre and Children's ballets staged by different professional companies here and abroad (eg. Repertory Philippines, Hongkong Ballet's Children's Ballets). Ballet Manila's Cinderella is simply a Children's Ballet. It promised to be light and humorous and it was. It promised to show magic and it did. I  believe it caters to a particular audience. I use the words Children's ballet not to degrade the show in any way. I use it because it is an accepted genre that has developed through time. Its specific goals are clear to allow adults and children to have common space to enjoy art. It is a means to inspire children to integrate art into their lives. Seeing the effect on my very own daughter, I would say that the show was victorious. My daughter said to me babbling "Mom I want to watch this again next weekend! Why can't we go backstage like the other shows? When are we staging Cinderella again in Hampton Court Ballet?" and then it progressed to something deeper in the car ride home. "Mom I really want to dance the Cinderella part one day, I think I could be her (Katherine Barkman) maybe not your friend Ms. Lisa Macuja but I could be her." As an artist and as a mom, it was a beautiful moment to see your child loving ballet so gently, so fervently. I had to at that time dismiss my analysis of what I just saw and remain content with the healing and loving effect of the arts on people. A dream is a wish that heart makes, and now my daughter's dreams have been fueled on. This is why I have much gratitude for the arts.

(See link https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2013/oct/23/why-childrens-theatre-matters)

Artistic Choices

After digesting what had just happened in the theatre, I looked through the pictures and decided on which parts I loved and which parts I thought dimmed the light a bit in the sparkling ballet.

While the audience loved the music, it pained me a bit to have too many versions incorporated into one show. I love all the music separately but together, its seemed a bit disconnected. In my ears, Prokofiev's music is very distinct and punctuated with intricate winds and strings while the Disney music and Rodgers and Hammerstein's music tend to be very melodic and calm. Often it seemed the scenes were from different ballets.

The choreography was enjoyable especially because the Company relished every moment on stage. However the repetitive usage of the same theatrical techniques was a bit of an overkill. The white cloth made magical by the light in Act 1 was picturesque. When it appeared again in Act 2, it was still beautiful but no longer as stirring. And it continued to diminish in value as the dancers used the cloth for a good five to ten minutes staging the pas de deux. And of course it appeared again in the wedding. After awhile you start noticing who was holding what part of the cloth as if they were part of the dance.

I did not understand the need for the dancers wearing the light. Were they the fairy entourage, a part of the carriage, magic sparkles or an excuse to use Pinocchio's technology? 

The costume transformation of Cinderella was not flawless at all because everyone could see that her costume went from slip to fat before she transformed into that gorgeous vision of ocean blue. Visible also was how she did the  transformation.

The stars of this ballet savored every moment on stage which made me enjoy their individual performances. Katherine Barkman embodied kindness. She appeared as an effervescent beauty in that royal ballroom extending her body beautifully in each arabesque. Rudy De Dios was quite handsome in his velvet blue number waking up the audience with his smooth and princely charm. Stepsisters Jasmine Pia Dames and Crysdavince Violet were simply adorable as they played the stepsisters with flair and very good technique. Jonathan Janolo is a seasoned comedian and was often the pun of all jokes. His drag queen titas of manila version was quite a hit. Ms. Lisa Macuja's involvement gave the audience something to look forward too. You could hear her adoring fans gasp every time she would appear. Her appearance was magic itself.

At the end of the day, this show delivers what Ms. Lisa Macuja promised. The ballet was "bright and cheerful" and the audiences left with a "light and joyful spirit". I am certain that this is her stepping stone to bigger and brighter self choreographed productions. This ballet is not a classic yet but could given time be a well loved holiday tradition.

Remaining show dates are:

December 3 8:00 p.m.
December 4 3:00 p.m.

Tickets available at all Ticketworld outlets, online at www.ticketworld.com.ph, or call 891 9999.

Substance on a Platter: Ballet Manila's Romeo and Juliet

Ever since I was young, I've always believed in giving respect to the theater. The stage  to me is not just a venue but a representation of the collective triumphs of artists. It is a place that glorifies the hard work of artists. More importantly it is a place that  sends a message to  non artists that the artist's life is worthwhile.  Having said that  I always get disappointed when newbies perform in their comfort zone and calculate every move they make.   When that happens it feels that the stage was  was not given ample respect. Personally, heart always weighed more to me than any other factors of a show. Ballet Manila's Romeo and Juliet  affirms that they have attained a level of maturity that practically ensures that each dancer understands the concept of  going full out. I saw   an ensemble  that offered their heart for the taking. Ballet Manila was a picture of  youthful endurance, artistic freedom and generosity. No doubt about it Romeo and Juliet will always focus on the leads  but it was refreshing to see  an ensemble fully invested in  telling a story. They supported the  characters con gusto with their dynamic execution of the quick-footed choreography. 

Katherine Barkman as Juliet showed that she was a sensitive artist. The ballet required numerous arabesques but each seemed different as she swept across the floor with a different breath each time. She paced her emotions with care as if to ensure that the audience felt everything with her. She had the audience ( well me at least) aching for a different ending even if everyone knew the story's tragic ending. Layers of emotion unfolded  like beautiful colors. I particularly enjoyed the balcony scene and her death scene. On a technical note, I love how her feet melt down nicely on the floor. The choreography  requires intricate transitions  in the pas de deux which she performs with complete trust in her partner. 

Rudy De Dios as Romeo was charming. He was focused on his portrayal of  the love stricken man tortured by thoughts of distance. I would have wanted to see a more boyish Romeo in Act 1 to establish the contrast as he introduces a more mature man towards his death. 

Barkman and De Dios are competent dancers. Their partnership was clean but despite their physical compatibility but did not have the Nuryev Fonteyn magic all couples aspire for. Truth be told, I thought  the  elegant Mark Sumaylo would be a good Romeo to Barkman. Organic chemistry was not quite there but I believe through time they will be able to make converts out of people. Eventually there will be a clamor for   team KatheDy. 

                    

Newbie but goodie Jasmine Pia Dames sparkled as the Mercutio's harlot. Teamed up with Gerardo Francisco, they gave a remarkable performance. The unlikely pair  commanded the stage.  Despite her height, it was hard to miss Dames' energy. She obviously enjoyed the spotlight. She made use of her seconds of fame.  I silently cheered for her as she joyously leaped, kicked and turned. Her size is quite a challenge considering Ballet Manila's roster of tall dancers but her performance  was just too good not too notice. 

The legendary partnership of Lisa Macuja and Nonoy Froilan on stage had me snapping away like a crazy photographer. I didn't want to miss  a single moment. This was a beautiful reunion. I honestly didn't expect much dancing from the couple as they played character roles but Paul Vasterling had them  lunging, lifting and backbending. All of which were of course done in the highest standards possible. 

The ballet performed was the vision of Paul Vasterling who is currently CEO and Artistic Director of Nashville Ballet. Ballet Manila is the first to perform his version in Asia. What makes his version unique was the pace of his story telling. Romeo and Juliet usually clocks in at least two hours and a half without intermission. This however was an audience friendly ballet. It was a speedy performance that was easy to ingest. Compared to other versions this has more technical dancing to enjoy. Juliet's friends  even  had mini solos consisting of different turns including fouettes.  My only disappointment was that when Tybalt died, Lady Capulet's time to grieve ended too quickly. This is usually one of the highlights of the ballet but it seemed like it was done in a minute. Lisa Macuja is an excellent actress and I would have enjoyed seeing her milk that scene leaving the audience in tears. Instead we had to move on to the next scene. 

To end, Ballet Manila's tragedy had a happy ending, with an appreciative audience clapping until their hands hurt. With good ballet technique, inventive choreography and a committed cast, success is inevitable. Substance on a platter simply works. Perfection can never really be achieved but that was a pretty darn good effort to stay on top. Bravo Ballet Manila.