It was a busy year for Ballet Manila, but it was particularly special as the company marked its 20th anniversary. Aside from this, there were more reasons to celebrate throughout the year as it unleashed memorable productions, made its mark at an international competition and spearheaded an event that brought the dance community together.
Here are Ballet Manila’s Top 5 moments of 2015:
1. Celebrating 20 years with a bang
Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Bloom has its world premiere in BM 2.0, Ballet Manila’s 20th anniversary offering.
For artistic directors Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and Osias Barroso, reaching this milestone seemed to have happened in the blink of an eye. From a fledgling dance group that counted them as two of only twelve pioneers, Ballet Manila now counts more than 50 professional dancers who are continuing the original mission of bringing ballet to the people and people to the ballet.
Ballet Manila unveiled a fitting 20th anniversary offering titled BM 2.0. that showcased its five core strengths. Pas d’Action from Paquita reflected the company’s commitment to the highest standard of classical ballet anchored on its Russian Vaganova training. Bloom, choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s first work for an Asian dance company, reflected BM’s aim of being on a global footing.
Tara Let’s, a piece by company artist Gerardo Francisco, represented BM’s unique flair for celebrating Pinoy choreography and music. With Christine Rocas of the Joffrey Ballet as guest, BM 2.0 also showed how dancers who came from its ranks have been doing well internationally.
Finally, through Osias Barroso’s work, Ecole, BM underscored its belief in nurturing the Filipino talent through the School of Ballet Manila.
2. Winning big at the Asian Grand Prix
Ballet Manila company artist Katherine Barkman receives the coveted 2015 Asian Grand Prix award from jury president Garry Trinder and jury member Zhao Yu Heng. Seated at left is AGP chairman So Hon Wah.
Ballet Manila dominated the 5th Asian Grand Prix International Ballet Competition (AGP) in Hong Kong last August, with newly signed company artist Katherine Barkman receiving the coveted 2015 Asian Grand Prix award.
Other honors that Ballet Manila took home are: Silver in Pas de Deux for Katherine Barkman and partner Elpidio Magat; Bronze, Senior Male Category also for Magat; Silver, Senior Female Category for Abigail Oliveiro; Bronze, Senior Female Category for Joan Emery Sia; Bronze in Pas de Deux for Sia and partner Romeo Peralta; and Silver, Junior B Category, for Nicole Barroso.
The company’s other finalists also received citations in their respective categories: Rissa May Camaclang, 5th Place, Junior C; Jessa Balote, 4th Place, Pre-Senior, and 4th Place, Pas De Deux; Brian Sevilla, 5th Place, Junior B and Sansha Award; Anselmo Dictado, 4th Place, Pas de Deux; Arnulfo Andrade, 5th Place, Senior Male; and Robert
John Peralta, 6th Place, Senior Male.
Jurors commended Ballet Manila for its strong showing at the annual event, and its dancers’ ability to combine artistry and technique.
3. Staging `Romeo and Juliet’
Katherine Barkman and Rudy De Dios take on the lead roles in Paul Vasterling’s Romeo and Juliet.
Celebrating its classical roots, Ballet Manila staged the Asian premiere of Paul Vasterling’s choreography of William Shakespeare’s enduring tale, Romeo and Juliet. Starring three pairs of BM’s finest alternating in the lead roles (Rudy De Dios and Katherine Barkman, Brian Williamson and Abigail Oliveiro, Elpidio Magat and Joan Emery Sia), the production breathed life to one of the greatest romances ever told.
The show was also noteworthy as it featured the on-stage reunion of Philippine ballet legends Nonoy Froilan and Lisa Macuja-Elizalde as Juliet’s parents, Lord and Lady Capulet.
As a rare treat to local audiences, Romeo and Juliet had Sergei Prokofiev’s music rendered by the Manila Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Alexander Vikulov of Marinsky Theater.
4. Hosting a major dance event
Ballet Manila dances Bloom in the International Dance Day celebration that the company spearheaded last April 29
What started out as an idea of to bring together mostly ballet schools to celebrate International Dance Day last April 29 blossomed into a full-blown festival hosted by Ballet Manila. Lisa Macuja-Elizalde recalls that the response to the initial call for participants was overwhelming that the program soon became multi-disclipnary.
Ultimately dubbed the BM-NCCA International Dance Day Festival 2015, the daylong event held at Aliw Theater was supported by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Manila Broadcasting Company, Aliw Theater, Star City and dance schools and companies from Metro Manila, Cavite, Pampanga and Baguio City. The festival featured
performances of ballet, hip-hop, modern, contemporary and folk dance – all for free.
With the event’s success, Ballet Manila is encouraged to embark on other similar collaborative initiatives that will unite the Philippine dance community and allied artists.
5. Creating another children’s classic
Alvin Santos is Pinocchio to Abigail Oliveiro’s Blue Fairy in the full-length Pinocchio choreographed by Osias Barroso.
Ballet Manila seems to have perfected the art of creating children’s classics in dance. After its blockbuster productions of Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang and its sequel Tatlo Pang Kuwento ni Lola Basyang in previous years, the company offered a full-length ballet of Pinocchio that similarly combined a value-laden story and eye-popping spectacle.
Osias Barroso expanded his one-act ballet which has been a staple in Ballet Manila’s repertoire. Based on the tale of a wooden puppet who dreams of becoming a real boy, Pinocchio – with Alvin Santos in the lead – mixed adventure, magic, music and color in one tidy package so appropriate for the Christmas season. Expect this full-length version to be among the company’s sure-fire crowd-pleasers in the years to come.