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.

REVIEW: Ballet Philippines’ “Exemplars” is a requiem (Archive)

                   Click here to see Theaterfans Link where it was originally published

Exemplars was a step back in memory lane. Ballet Philippines revived five pieces from their seventies repertoire to signify the beginning of a requiem leading to their golden anniversary in 2019.

Nostalgic merits aside, I recognize the need for this kind of mixed bill performance. It’s hitting two birds with one stone when you combine discovery with commemoration. Ballet Philippines’ audiences were educated about the Company’s beginnings, particularly the pieces that inspired more years of creative innovation. The Company, on the other hand, was given a chance to step into the shoes of their predecessors. I reckon that it was an enriching experience to perform the pieces that ensured their future. The intention is truthfully quite beautiful, it connects different generations in celebration of dance.

Exemplary

AMADA, choreographed by National Artist for Dance Alice Reyes , is one of the monumental pieces that catapulted Ballet Philippines to a professional level. It should be preserved for good reason. Amada is inspired by National Artist for Literature, Nick Joaquin’s short story, ”Summer Solstice”. Its music was created by National Artist for Music Lucrecia Kasilag. But its significance goes beyond the artistic collaboration of these art masters.

Amada is a transnational art piece that helps solidify cultural roots of the Filipino people. The story is about the evolution of a couple dynamic. Don Rafael and Dona Amada of aristocratic background live within the confines of male domination. The woman obeys, the woman is silenced, the woman is merely respected and provided necessities and pleasantries. Amada, however, encounters the paganistic ritual of the Tadtarin which is a fertility ritual that blesses the woman a conqueror’s spirit.

The Tadtarin ritual coincides with the celebration of St John’s Day, a Catholic celebration. Amada, unable to resist the urge to indulge in the Tadtarin, satisfies her thirst and joins in the festivities. Satisfying her curiosity led to her ultimate transformation and she finds a sense of empowered femininity. She returns home with a fired up sensuality  that tames Don Rafael and forces her to succumb to her reformed womanhood.

In essence, the story re-inscribes in visual format the variety of influences here in the Philippines. The conflict between Paganism and Christianity, contribution of social classes to the Filipino mindset, gender roles, and impact of colonization are all magnificently put together in rich portrait of the Filipino people.  With that in mind, it is almost imperative that it be performed with much respect to its significance.

Empowered Amada

Untouched, Amada’s choreography is filled with beautiful references to tradition. Its movements are both vibrant and sullen, unconfined and military. This piece is the highlight of exemplars.

Perhaps armed with the pressure to deliver, the dancers emerged powerful. Dance portrayals by guest artists Candice Adea and Ronelson Yadao were not mere stage performances, there was an outpouring of emotion. Adea’s Amada was perfection personified with the focus of every step being the articulation of a woman in bloom. Her beautiful transition from repressed to unguarded was evident in both her movement and in her eyes. She sustained several balanced extensions. She exhibited extraordinary freedom in her steps especially in partnering sequences where she would comfortably leap to Yadao while maintaining lines and bravura.

Yadao, in contrast, was the necessary alpha-male. Memorable to me was the scene where his role is tamed by the woman. The willingness to be tamed was touching.

Central to the story is the Tadtarin who brings about the change. Sarah Alejandro was indeed the revelation of the evening. With much strength and power, she reintroduced herself to the ballet world with her performance. With her steely eyes and commanding presence, her influence on Amada and the audience was believable. To perform alongside senior dancers like Adea and Yadao is a challenge, but she conquered and her victory will be remembered. The anguished ensemble who constantly created a swirl of movement around the characters were commendable. Dance was brilliant education on a platter.

Unrequited

Among the performances, Songs of the Wayfarer, choreographed by Norman Walker, also stood out. In a story about unrequited love, Yadao’s ability to translate longing was moving. Visuals of constant jetes in attitude (both legs bent while jumping in the air) were impressive. Their costumes being burnt orangey red also creates beautiful blurs across the stage. The sustained poses by the ensemble painted pretty pictures with the soloists and their stories standing out. It closed with chains falling from above, covering the coveted bride  and the wayfarer. This kind of visual theatrics is magnificent.

Ang Sultan choreographed by Gener Caringal had its highs and lows. Soloists Victor Maguad and Jemima Reyes were able to execute the glorious pas de deux lifts and transitions, a Caringal trademark. Eugene Obille was also quite a technician with his exquisite extensions and leaps.

However, collectively the storytelling was compromised. It became merely a broken love story. Caringal’s iconic piece is about the cruelty of the caste society yet that did not quite translate effectively. The ensemble in the very end of this tragic story remained almost unaffected. There was no burn on stage and off stage from the tragedy. Additionally while the male ensemble were quite limber and spirited in their jumping, the female ensemble looked tired.  

Nothing is forever

Concertino is a stylized piece by Pauline Koner who was one of the pioneers of “modern dance”. It explores the story of a lady of the court and how they are behind closed doors. This piece honestly just felt dated. While I understand the significance of the genre, the style no longer resonates. It was a very lengthy display of repetitions. Glistening moment, however, was Denise Parungao’s solo, as well as a few back bending hinge exhibitions.

Valse Fantasy is the only classical ballet in the mixed bill program. Five girls and one boy feverishly performed at least a dozen grand jetes (split jump) on stage. Featuring the strong classical technique of the Company, it was a bit of fresh air.

As a whole, I would say the show was important. The dancers were definitely schooled with styles that are surely unfamiliar to them and the audiences were schooled about Ballet Philippines’ roots. I wouldn’t say though that it was a great idea to compile some of  the broodiest pieces of an era in one show. I actually left the stage with a bit of unwanted melancholy (which in a way is good).

There was very little joy in the program which can be intimidating for new audiences. Similarly, there is a feel of archaicness that may not appeal to a major part of Ballet Philippines’ audiences. It must be remembered that Ballet Philippines has been known for artistic explorations featuring the now. Exemplars was educational, but might not have lived up to the words “completely exemplary”.