PHL’s top ballet companies unite to stage dance.MNL festival, ‘Giselle’

The country’s top three leading professional ballet companies have pooled their powers and expertise to stage the pioneering “dance.MNL: The Philippine dance festival,” a biennial event focused on uniting and celebrating the Filipino dance community, from June 14 to June 26. 

With the support of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the three dance companies—Ballet Manila (BM), Ballet Philippines (BP), and Philippine Ballet Theatre (PBT)—will mount Filipino and international classical, modern, and contemporary dance creations at three venues—CCP, Aliw Theater, and Star Theater.

Lisa Macuja-Elizalde of Ballet Manila is one of the festival directors. She will also dance as Bathilde in dance.MNL's 'Giselle'. All photos courtesy of dance.MNL

Chris B. Millado, CCP vice president and artistic director, said the inaugural edition of dance.MNL will showcase 11 matinee and evening performances, a two-week dance intensive session, and a conference assembling more than 500 dance professionals from Metro Manila.

The three ballet companies have worked together and collaborated in the past “but, for something on this scale, it is unprecedented,” Millado said.

The first dance.MNL has Lisa Macuja Elizalde of BM, Paul Alexander Morales of BP, and Ronilo Jaynario of PBT as co-festival directors.

‘Giselle’

The three of them announced that one of the highlights of dance.MNL is the production of the full-length romantic ballet “Giselle” featuring dancers from BM, BP, and PBT on June 25 at the CCP Main Theater.

Paul Alexander Morales of Ballet Philippines, also a festival co-director, will perform as Duke of Courland in 'Giselle'.

The special production of “Giselle” and the joint participation by the three companies aim to honor Felicitas Radaic. One of the Philippine dance icons, Tita Radaic, as she is popularly known, is one of the pioneers in dancing Giselle in the Philippines.

The June 25 gala night will mark the first time that all the three ballet companies will be part of one full-length ballet.

Elizalde said BM takes the lead in bringing in all of the corps de ballet roles and the title role of Giselle, to be essayed by Joan Emery Sia, a former student of Radaic. Her “Albrecht” is BM soloist Romeo Peralta.

The pivotal role of “Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis,” will be danced by BP’s Stephanie Cabral, while the iconic peasant pas de deux is to be performed by PBT’s Regina Magbitang and Jared Tan of Atlanta Ballet.

The matinee show will feature an all-Ballet Manila cast.

Even the sets will be a collaboration. BP will showcase its hanging drops while BM will pitch in the stand-up sets such as the two cottages and Giselle’s grave for Act 2.

An added treat is the appearance of Morales, BP artistic director, and Elizalde, BM artistic director, as the “Duke of Courland” and “Bathilde”, respectively. Morales and Elizalde had Radaic as their first ballet teacher.

Co-festival director Ronilo Jaynario of Philippine Ballet Theatre said PBT's invitational open rehearsal on June 22 will give audiences a sneak preview of the company's repertoire for its 30th anniversary.

Asked what prompted all the three companies to finally unite, Morales said there had been an ongoing discussion “for some time now” to mount a gala, and the idea evolved into coming up with a dance festival.

Manila is the only city in the world which has three professional dance companies, Morales said.  dance.MNL is “a very special occasion” and that young Filipino dancers must take this opportunity to actively immerse themselves in this festival, he said.

The Winners’ Circle

Among the highlights of dance.MNL is the June 21 gala of “The Winners' Circle,” a celebration of the Filipino dancers who have conquered the local and global stage. Set to perform are Candice Adea (now of Ballet MET), Christine Rocas (of Joffrey Ballet), Jared Tan (of Atlanta Ballet), and the winners of local and international dance competitions.

“The Winners’ Circle” will also feature the world premiere of Martin Lawrance’s “Amid Shadows,” a work made especially for Rocas and the BM principal dancers.

Other events

In celebration of its 30th anniversary season, the PBT will hold an invitational open rehearsal called “PBT@30” at the CCP Main Theater stage on June 22, 6 p.m.

“This intimate show is set to give audiences a sneak peek into the repertoire lined up for PBT’s landmark season,” said PBT artistic director Jaynario.

Meanwhile, the UP Dance Company will present “A Wanderer in the Night’s World” on June 22, 8 p.m. at the Aliw Theater.

On June 23, 6 p.m., BP will mount its highly celebrated touring repertoire “Master Pieces” at the CCP Main Theater. “Master Pieces” had toured the US, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, China, South Korea, and Indonesia.

On June 24, contemporary dance artists will take the centerstage with two productions. Airdance shall unveil “Body of Work,” 6 p.m., at the CCP Little Theater, and Daloy Dance Company will present “Unearthing,” 9 p.m. at the CCP Rehearsal Hall.

“Dance Diaspora” will showcase the diversity of Filipino dance talents and will be staged on June 25, 6 p.m., at CCP’s Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino.

“Generation Next” which boasts of the future of Philippine dance is on June 26, 2 p.m., at the Aliw Theater.

On June 26, 8 p.m., the festival closes with “Ballet Filipino,” a program featuring BM, BP, and the PBT showing off “the best of Filipino choreography.” This gala is at the CCP’s Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo. —KG, GMA News

For more information, visit www.dancemnl.com, email info@ballet.ph, call (02) 551-1003, or check out the official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Dance.MNL.