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Dance review: Ballet Philippines’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ sets the season in motion
The dancing lights start the show. Photos by Jojo Mamangun courtesy of Ballet Philippines
Ballet Philippines capped off the year with a postmodern pastiche of the 19th century Charles Dickens novella “A Christmas Carol”. Choreographer Edna Vida-Froilan created an interesting, eclectic collage of dance scenes from ballet and musical theater to hip-hop and jazz, set to contemporary dark wave music, '40s songs and classic orchestral Christmas carols.
During her recent six-month stint as an Asian Cultural Council fellow in the US, Vida-Froilan had the chance to watch a production of "A Christmas Carol" in Los Angeles. She also did some research by watching online some ballet interpretations of the same novella but found them all “very balletic.”
The result of Vida-Froilan's interpretive musings on the Dickensian drama resulted in a more diverse collection of movement styles and aesthetic elements. Videos by Digibox Productions were used to project select dialogues between characters, and also flashed the wintry European setting for the scenes. The over-all set design by Ricardo Cruz was of a disarming minimalist powder-white outlined with modernist geometric squares, adding a sense of elegant cleanliness to the scenery.
The use of "dancing lights" in the opening scene was extremely inventive, as the sheer darkness of the stage was only lit up by the red pin lights held by an ensemble of dancers in all-black leotards and tights. Like fireflies, the throbbing, moving lights made delightful patterns on the stage as Dead Can Dance's “Children of the Sun” played, its lyrics powerfully setting the tone of the lesson that we may glean from the very story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the ballet’s main character.
During her recent six-month stint as an Asian Cultural Council fellow in the US, Vida-Froilan had the chance to watch a production of "A Christmas Carol" in Los Angeles. She also did some research by watching online some ballet interpretations of the same novella but found them all “very balletic.”
The result of Vida-Froilan's interpretive musings on the Dickensian drama resulted in a more diverse collection of movement styles and aesthetic elements. Videos by Digibox Productions were used to project select dialogues between characters, and also flashed the wintry European setting for the scenes. The over-all set design by Ricardo Cruz was of a disarming minimalist powder-white outlined with modernist geometric squares, adding a sense of elegant cleanliness to the scenery.
The use of "dancing lights" in the opening scene was extremely inventive, as the sheer darkness of the stage was only lit up by the red pin lights held by an ensemble of dancers in all-black leotards and tights. Like fireflies, the throbbing, moving lights made delightful patterns on the stage as Dead Can Dance's “Children of the Sun” played, its lyrics powerfully setting the tone of the lesson that we may glean from the very story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the ballet’s main character.
The poor but loving Cratchit family celebrate Christmas.
The task of interpreting one of the more popular literary works into dance vernacular has been a big challenge, Vida-Froilan admits, calling this challenge her "vitamins" that made her "work very hard."
Sixty-three-year-old former premier danseur Nonoy Froilan also made a dramatic comeback on stage after a 20-year hiatus, in the lead role of Scrooge. Even with minimal dance steps, Froilan’s vigorous presence and elegant representation lent distinction to Scrooge’s famous miserly character.
In the videos, Vida-Froilan added a snippet of animation showing traditional Filipino houses with capiz windows and parols being blown away by a typhoon, as the Cratchit family watched in fear. It appeared malapropos given the English setting of the performance, but the directorial intentions appeared relevant in the context of the recent calamity. “I insisted on including the Yolanda typhoon, its devastation and rebuilding—with hope—because I was so crushed by it while I was trying to finish the ballet. I felt this was very much a part of Scrooge's story of transformation,” she said.
Working with a huge cast of some 70 dancers, spanning three generations of Ballet Philippines dancers, Vida-Froilan acknowledged them as her “first collaborators” who executed movements “that came from their body and mind.”
The more memorable moments of the show was the appearance of the Ghost of Christmas Present, danced by Richardson Yadao, who wore an ingenious Christmas tree costume. His wacky moves made his presence a delight to the audience, compared to the more somber presence of both the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Future.
Sixty-three-year-old former premier danseur Nonoy Froilan also made a dramatic comeback on stage after a 20-year hiatus, in the lead role of Scrooge. Even with minimal dance steps, Froilan’s vigorous presence and elegant representation lent distinction to Scrooge’s famous miserly character.
In the videos, Vida-Froilan added a snippet of animation showing traditional Filipino houses with capiz windows and parols being blown away by a typhoon, as the Cratchit family watched in fear. It appeared malapropos given the English setting of the performance, but the directorial intentions appeared relevant in the context of the recent calamity. “I insisted on including the Yolanda typhoon, its devastation and rebuilding—with hope—because I was so crushed by it while I was trying to finish the ballet. I felt this was very much a part of Scrooge's story of transformation,” she said.
Working with a huge cast of some 70 dancers, spanning three generations of Ballet Philippines dancers, Vida-Froilan acknowledged them as her “first collaborators” who executed movements “that came from their body and mind.”
The more memorable moments of the show was the appearance of the Ghost of Christmas Present, danced by Richardson Yadao, who wore an ingenious Christmas tree costume. His wacky moves made his presence a delight to the audience, compared to the more somber presence of both the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Future.
Froilan as Ebenezer Scrooge.
The hip-hop dance showing a flashback party from Scrooge’s past was also high-spirited and engaging, as was the scene where Scrooge orchestrated his office workers as they sat and moved around in wheeled boxes, reminiscent of the mechanistic clockwork of the business that consumed Scrooge’s life.
The "hand dance" by the corps de ballet was also refreshingly novel, excerpts of which Scrooge himself would essay as an encore in his solo parts. However, the dance where Scrooge was shown chained by a group of ghosts appeared too lengthy and drawn out; one might wish for it to have shown a bit more dynamism, and rendered in a shorter period of time.
JM Cordero as the young Scrooge and Carissa Adea as Scrooge’s former love delivered their parts with emotion. The three boys who portrayed Tiny Tim—twins Daniel and David Andres and Renz Gagui—showed the natural innocence of the character who provided a counterpoint to Scrooge’s stubborn crabbiness.
The reprise of the enchanting dancing lights charmingly bookended the ballet, with the addition of the dancers spelling out the word “Joy” with their red pin lights. I had hoped that we would see Froilan suddenly dance and leap in jetes to show Scrooge’s dance of cheer and transformation, but one might realize that perhaps with age and an injury that he sustained from many years of dancing, that would not have been possible anymore.
The "hand dance" by the corps de ballet was also refreshingly novel, excerpts of which Scrooge himself would essay as an encore in his solo parts. However, the dance where Scrooge was shown chained by a group of ghosts appeared too lengthy and drawn out; one might wish for it to have shown a bit more dynamism, and rendered in a shorter period of time.
JM Cordero as the young Scrooge and Carissa Adea as Scrooge’s former love delivered their parts with emotion. The three boys who portrayed Tiny Tim—twins Daniel and David Andres and Renz Gagui—showed the natural innocence of the character who provided a counterpoint to Scrooge’s stubborn crabbiness.
The reprise of the enchanting dancing lights charmingly bookended the ballet, with the addition of the dancers spelling out the word “Joy” with their red pin lights. I had hoped that we would see Froilan suddenly dance and leap in jetes to show Scrooge’s dance of cheer and transformation, but one might realize that perhaps with age and an injury that he sustained from many years of dancing, that would not have been possible anymore.
The production featured 70 dancers spanning three generations.
Despite his age—and maybe because of it—we are thankful that Froilan has once more gifted the stage with the magnetic charisma that has endeared him to various audiences through the decades, even those like myself who did not get the benefit of seeing him perform in his more younger, robust days.
The heartwarming ovation he received at the curtain call attests to his intergenerational appeal, and his memorable gesture of pointing one finger upwards, as if directing his accolades to the "Hero up there" was truly humbling to witness. Vida-Froilan and Ballet Philippines have responded to the challenge of bringing life to a well-loved story of transformation while offering delight to a generation bound by cybermedia and a glimpse of hope to a nation hounded by tragic calamities. — BM, GMA News
A Christmas Carol was shown at the CCP Main Theater from Nov. 29-Dec. 8.
Rina Angela Corpus is an assistant professor at the Department of Art Studies, University of the Philippines. Her research interests include feminist aesthetics, dance history and alternative spiritualities. She trained with the Quezon City Ballet and Limon Dance Institute in New York. You may visit her writings at Dance of Stillness.
The views expressed in this article are solely her own.
The heartwarming ovation he received at the curtain call attests to his intergenerational appeal, and his memorable gesture of pointing one finger upwards, as if directing his accolades to the "Hero up there" was truly humbling to witness. Vida-Froilan and Ballet Philippines have responded to the challenge of bringing life to a well-loved story of transformation while offering delight to a generation bound by cybermedia and a glimpse of hope to a nation hounded by tragic calamities. — BM, GMA News
A Christmas Carol was shown at the CCP Main Theater from Nov. 29-Dec. 8.
Rina Angela Corpus is an assistant professor at the Department of Art Studies, University of the Philippines. Her research interests include feminist aesthetics, dance history and alternative spiritualities. She trained with the Quezon City Ballet and Limon Dance Institute in New York. You may visit her writings at Dance of Stillness.
The views expressed in this article are solely her own.
