Showing posts with label Ballet Philippines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ballet Philippines. Show all posts

February 3, 2016

Choose art this Valentine’s Day with Ballet Philippines’ Opera



As a special Valentine’s treat, young professionals aged 30 and below may avail of a 30% discount on the 6pm shows of Ballet Philippines’ Opera - February 13 and 14 at the CCP Main Theater. Tickets may be purchased with this discount at the CCP Open House, the Pasinaya Festival on February 7, the Ballet Philippines office or through BP at 5511013.


Ballet Philippines “Opera” is choreographed by French dance maker Redha based on Gabriel Barredo’s acclaimed installation of the same title. The unique show seamlessly merges contemporary art and dance into a new groundbreaking production.

“Opera is a special production for lovers of contemporary art and dance, it breaks many barriers and transcends our expectations of a dance show” muses BP’s Artistic Director, Paul Alexander Morales. “We are offering this special promotion for the young art loving generation to give them a special option for Valentine’s”. 

The original “Opera” exhibition was first presented at Silverlens Galleries in January 2015, and was recently toured to Singapore last November in time with the opening celebrations of the National Gallery Singapore. For the ballet, Barredo is creating a staggering array of new sculptures, which will comprise the production’s set design. 

Redha
Redha’s choreography will guide us along a journey into a new experience of art. Envisioning his dancers on bare feet, pointe shoes, and stilettos, he is set to present a work that is stimulating, sensual, and groundbreaking.

Presented by Ballet Philippines with Silverlens, “Opera” features a libretto by Yvette Tan and Erwin Romulo, original music by Malek Lopez, lighting design by John Batalla, costumes by James Reyes, and videos by Pabrika. This production is in cooperation with the Embassy of France.

“Opera” will be staged at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) on February 13 & 14 at 1:00PM and 6:00PM, with a Fundraising Gala on February 16 at 8:00PM. For inquiries, visit www.ballet.ph, send an email to info@ballet.ph, or call Ballet Philippines at 551-1003. For tickets and reservations, call the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or Ticketworld at 891-9999.

Major sponsors of Ballet Philippines’ 46th Season include Globe Platinum, San Miguel Corporation, and Belle Corporation.

Connect to Ballet Philippines online through the following social media networks:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/balletphilippines

Twitter: @balletph

Instagram: @balletphilippines

YouTube: balletph

To join in the Ballet Philippines conversation, use our official hashtags: #balletph, #dancespring, #operaballetph



October 14, 2015

Sarong Banggi, Ballet Philippines’ tribute to Filipino music and dance on October 16-18


Rediscover local musical treasures in a new ballet about the Filipino family. Ballet Philippines’ Sarong Banggi features new works by six exciting Filipino choreographers set to classic folk songs from around the country, arranged and orchestrated by Ryan Cayabyab, the country’s best-loved composer. This show is co-presented by the Province of Albay.

The show features choreography by Carissa Adea, Ronelson Yadao, Cyril Aran Fallar, Paul Alexander Morales, Nonoy Froilan, and Carlo Pacis. Each choreographer brings to the stage his/her unique impression of the Filipino family in a new contemporary ballet with the cast led by Jean Marc Cordero, Earl John Arisola, Rita Angela Winder, and Monica Amanda Gana.

“Sarong Banggi will tug at the audience’s heartstrings with its nostalgic music and earnest look at traditional Filipino values,” says Ballet Philippines Artistic Director Paul Alexander Morales”. “It will be interesting to see these choreographers’ different takes on familiar themes; love, loss and reconciliation that cements the Filipino family”

When asked by Morales to create two pieces for the show, Hong Kong-based choreographer Carlo Pacis was thrilled at the chance to come home and work with Ballet Philippines again. “As a Filipino living overseas, I felt that it was my responsibility to give back.” Pacis, former soloist of the Hong Kong Ballet is a two-time awardee for Outstanding Choreography at the Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards.

Sarong Banggi’s opening night on October 16 is a Filipiniana Gala featuring the live performance of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Cayabyab himself.

The music of the show was recently created by the Cultural Center of the Philippines in the special Collector’s Edition CD entitled “Serenata: Well-loved Philippine Folk Songs and Melodies”. Included in the album are the Kapampangan “Atin cu Pung Singsing”, the Hiligaynon “Ay Kalisud”, and the Tagalog “Dalagang Pilipina” and “Saranggola ni Pepe”, among others.

Sarong Banggi’s libretto is by Dennis Marasigan, lighting design by Meliton Roxas Jr., sets by Ohm David, and costume design by Rajo Laurel.

Sarong Banggi will be performed from October 16 to 18 at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). For inquiries, visit www.ballet.ph, send an email to info@ballet.ph, or call Ballet Philippines at 551-1003. For tickets and reservations, call the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or Ticketworld at 891-9999.

Major sponsors of Ballet Philippines’ 46th Season include Globe Platinum, San Miguel Corporation, and Belle Corporation.

Connect to Ballet Philippines online through the following social media networks:


Twitter: @balletph

Instagram: @balletphilippines

YouTube: balletph

To join in the Ballet Philippines conversation, use our official hashtags: #balletph, #dancespring, #sarongbanggi

September 8, 2015

Ballet Philippines opens its season with Body Positive + from September 12 to 19




DANCE ARTS TREATS 2015:
BE POSITIV+
SEPT. 12 and 19
CCP TANGHALANG AURELIO TOLENTINO


Swans, Queers, and the rise of AIDS take the spotlight in Body Positive + from September 12 to 19

Ballet Philippines opens its season with Body Positive +, A Dance Gala for HIV Awareness. Featuring excerpts from Swan Lake, Mark Bogaerts’ Bolero, Enrico Labayen’s Cloth, and other landmark pieces, the show celebrates the dancers’ innate athleticism in the context of the alarming rise of HIV in the Philippines.

The prevalence of HIV in the country has risen by over 50% in the last 3 years, yet the general public remains largely unaware. Males having sex with other males (MSM) remains the predominant mode of transmission among males and comprised 84% of infections through sexual contact from the study period of January 2010 to April 2015. With around 20 newly reported cases of HIV per day in 2015, Ballet Philippines was compelled to raise its voice about the matter.

On why BP decided to adopt this particular advocacy in its season opener, Ballet Philippines Artistic Director Paul Alexander Morales says, “When the HIV/AIDS epidemic struck many countries in the 80s, the Philippines was mostly unaffected. Now it’s here, and it’s spreading at three times the rate that it was in 2012, but it’s hardly being talked about. Body Positive + is our small contribution towards changing that.”

One of the featured dances in the Body Positive + program is Enrico Labayen’s award-winning choreography, “Cloth”. It is a dance of two men that investigates missed opportunities for meaningful connections and unrequited emotions. Labayen’s works comment and inform “how society, politics and cultures deals with the plague from the black death in the dark ages up to the plague that haunts us at present such as HIV/AIDS, SARS and the H1N1 virus.” In 1997, “Cloth” won Labayen his first Isadora Duncan award for “Outstanding Achievement in Choreography”, and in 2011, he received the same award for his design and work entitled “en-Gulf-ed”. He is an alumnus of Ballet Philippines and is a staunch AIDS advocate.

At the end of the day, this is still a Ballet Philippines production, and that means having some fantastic dancing. We’re giving some of our young ballerinas a chance to shine, with the White Swan and Black Swan Pas de Deux, as well as the iconic Cygnets pas de quatre from Swan Lake. Monica Amanda Gana and Garry Corpuz dazzle in the romantic White Swan, while Jemima Reyes and Jean Marc Cordero showcase their bravura in the Black Swan Pas de Deux.

These classical swans will also be joined by contemporary counterparts in Erl Emmanuel Sorilla’s “Requiem to a Cygnet”. Last performed in April 2015 at BP’s Young Dancers and Choreographers Showcase for International Dance Day, the piece features three male dancers in white tutus, mourning the death of their sibling.

In addition to the show. Artletics Inc., a group of painters and visual artists convened by the social realist painter, Manny Garibay will join Ballet Philippines and show support by holding a 50-painting exhibit. The exhibit will highlight health and well-being. The exhibit will be displayed at the CCP Little Theater lobby during the Body Positive +’s first weekend and will then be toured to public venues all around Metro Manila.

Body Positive + will be performed at the CCP Little Theater from September 12 to 19, 2015 at 6:00PM. For inquiries, visit www.ballet.ph, send an email to info@ballet.ph, or call Ballet Philippines at 551-1003. For tickets and reservations, call the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or Ticketworld at 891-9999.

Ballet Philippines (BP) is the flagship professional classical and contemporary dance company in the country. A resident company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, it was founded in 1969 by Alice Reyes and Eddie Elejar. It is widely recognized today as a cornerstone of the contemporary Filipino identity. The Ballet Philippines Dance School continues to produce dancers of international caliber.

Connect to Ballet Philippines online through the following social media networks:

Twitter: @balletph
Instagram: @balletphilippines
YouTube: balletph

To join in the Ballet Philippines conversation, use our official hashtags:‪#‎balletph‬, ‪#‎dancespring‬, ‪#‎bodypositive‬, ‪#‎bepositive‬

BP celebrates its 46th anniversary season under the direction of Paul Alexander Morales. Witness the rise of a new generation of Philippine dance in Dance Spring [Pagsibol].

March 19, 2015

Dance this Summer at the Ballet Philippines Dance School

Now on its 46th year, the CCP Summer Dance Workshop is once again paving the way for young dance talents to achieve their dreams to become professional dancers.

Starting on April 7, 2015, dance students from all over the country will flock to the Cultural Center of the Philippines for the five week-long summer dance workshop. Esteemed Ballet Philippines current company members and alumni will guide these aspirants in honing their craft. The workshop gives courses in Classical Ballet for all ages, Modern & Contemporary Ballet, Creative Movement, Jazz, and Hip Hop for kids and teens.

The workshop will conclude with two grand performances of a double-bill program: “Flower Festival” back to back with “Wonderland” on May 9 and 10 at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).. “Flower Festival” will feature excerpts from Aguste Bournounville’s “Flower Festival at Genzano” along with other dances, while “Wonderland” adds a new kind of groove to the beloved classic, featuring the contemporary, jazz, and hip hop dance classes.


Scholarship auditions for the CCP Summer Dance Workshop will be held on February 28 and March 21, at the CCP Rehearsal Hall. Provincial applicants may also audition on April 7. Scholarships are available for students aged 9 to 13, intermediate & advanced students, and promising males from any dance background.

The Ballet Philippines Dance School also branched out of the CCP premises, offering dance classes at the SM Aura Premiere with faculty from the Ballet Philippines network of dance artists. Aside from the usual children’s classical and modern ballet classes, the school at SM Aura Premier also offers the Ballet Philippines Fitness Program workout, a set of exercises created for women who are looking for new ways to tone and exercise their bodies; Ladies’ Ballet, which is a basic ballet class; Active Stretch, a body shaping, toning, and strengthening program; and Flamenco dance classes.

The Ballet Philippines Dance School (BPDS) is the professional training ground of the country’s most promising young talents in dance. With a unique curriculum that encompasses various dance styles and techniques, the systematized method and approach to instruction takes highly into account children’s anatomy and psyche at various ages and levels so that the training is physically safe, technically effective and artistically enriching for students of all ages.

Connect to the Ballet Philippines Dance School online through the following social media networks:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ccpdanceschool

www.facebook.com/bpdanceschoolaura

Twitter: @balletph

Instagram: @ccpdanceschool

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/balletph


See you at the studio!



March 18, 2015

Summer Workshop Treats 2015 : Hip Hop Dance Workshop with Margherita “Meg” Vasselli at Ballet Ph Dance School starting April 8

Learn New Style Hiphop with Margherita Vasselli

Looking for a way to up your hip hop game? Grab this opportunity to train under Italian choreographer and Hip Hop International Elite Judge Margherita Vasselli.

As part of the 46th annual CCP Summer Dance Workshop, Margherita “Meg” Vasselli joins in the Ballet Philippines tradition of bringing together budding dancers who are eager to learn. In this case, she will enrich advanced hip hop students’ vocabularies in New Style Hiphop.

Vasselli started her dance training at the age of 6 in ballet, contemporary, and modern dance. In 1999, she started studying hip hop with Italian and foreign choreographers. She also became a teacher in dance schools and a Hip Hop Presenter in Italy, Europe, and Brazil. In 2003 she started to work with Hip Hop International. This was the most important moment in her professional life, because she started to met the most important names of the Hip Hop movement, in USA and around the world. That same year, she became a certified international hip hop judge in Miami (Florida) and every year since then she attended the international course, focusing her attention both on the artistic side as well as on the technical side of the competition routines. She became an Elite Judge for Hip Hop International in 2014 and is currently is the judge director of Hip Hop International in Italy, Brazil and UK.
Train with HHI Elite Judge this summer at Ballet Philippines Dance School
New Style Hip Hop emerged with the rise of hip hop choreography in music videos. Dancers alternately move through and hit the music’s beats and typically utilize their flexibility and isolate specific body parts. With the fundamental hip hop techniques as guidelines, they can learn how to freestyle with musicality, at the same time stay true to the hip hop genre.
Margherita Vasselli will hold classes every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 4:00PM to 6:00PM at Ballet Philippines Studio One starting April 8 until May 2, 2015. A special master class for choreographers will be held on May 9, 2015.

The Ballet Philippines Dance School (BPDS) is the professional training ground of the country’s most promising young talents in dance. With a unique curriculum that encompasses various dance styles and techniques, the systematized method and approach to instruction takes highly into account children’s anatomy and psyche at various ages and levels so that the training is physically safe, technically effective and artistically enriching for students of all ages.

Connect to the Ballet Philippines Dance School online through the following social media networks:
Twitter: @balletph
Instagram: @ccpdanceschool

See you at the studio!

January 27, 2015

“MANHID: The Pinoy Superhero Musical” wraps up Ballet Philippines’ 45th anniversary season

YOUNG ACTORS JOIN BALLET PHILIPPINES IN 
“MANHID: The Pinoy Superhero Musical”

On February 2015, “MANHID: The Pinoy Superhero Musical” wraps up Ballet Philippines’ 45th anniversary season. Set in an alternate present day Philippines where the EDSA revolution failed, this musical features heroes and villains with superpowers, and a people sick with Kamanhiran (Apathy).

Leading the cast of superheroes as Bantugan “Tag-inip” Buenaventura is Sandino Martin, who recently won Best Actor at the Cinema One Originals Awards Night for his role in “Esprit de Corps”. Bantugan is a journalist with the power to communicate with the other superheroes through his dreams. Alternating the role is Ballet Philippines Apprentice, Mark Anthony Grantos.
Sandino Martin

Female lead Lam-Ang “Amihabagat” Panganiban, who controls the Amihan and Habagat winds, will be played by Regina de Vera and Teetin Villanueva. A resident actor of the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company, de Vera won the Gawad Buhay award for Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a Play in 2013 for “Der Kaufmann”. Villanueva is a recent Theatre Arts graduate from UP Diliman. Her thesis role performance as Hermana Augusta Beata in Floy Quintos’ COLLECTION earned her nominations for the 26th Aliw Awards and BroadwayWorld Philippines’ Awards in 2013.
 
Teetin Villanueva.
Gold Villar takes on the role of Allunsina “Mura-dugo” Albano, who has the power to draw blood through her curse words. Villar is a senior teaching artist for the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and has been part of productions Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang, Batang Rizal, Si Juan Tamad, Ang Diablo at ang Limang Milyong Boto and most recently, Rak of Aegis. Also playing Allunsina is Kim Molina, who recently was an alternate for the lead role of Aileen in the highly celebrated musical, Rak of Aegis. 

Gold Villar

Urduja, the mysterious goddess of all insects is played by recent discovery KL Dizon. A graduate of the Philippine High School for the Arts, Dizon has performed with the Philippine Opera Company on various productions. 
KL Dizon

Dilim, a nightclub singer whose tragic songs bring on darkness, is played by Jean Judith Javier, who was last seen in the premiere of Ang Huling Lagda ni Mabini with Dulaang UP, and recently appeared in Noli Me Tangere the Opera as the madwoman, Sisa.
Jean Judith Javier,

Lagrimas, whose tears can heal anything, is played by Ronah Rostata, a graduating Theatre Arts major from the University of the Philippines Diliman.

The cast of villains is led by Mayen Estanero, essaying the role of the Demonyita Mamalahima, the Minister of Humanity. In 2013, Estanero played the role of Rosario, wife of Lorenzo Ruiz in the Filipino-language rock opera “Lorenzo” and Nyai Ontosoroh in “Pramoedya”, which was part of Virgin Labfest. 

Fred Lo and Ricardo Magno alternate as Radya Indarapatra “Mata-balani” Evangelista, an actor by day who has the power to become one’s heart’s desire. A full time performer, some of Lo’s most notable roles have been Mark Cohen in 9works Theatrical’s “RENT” and “Prince Christopher” in Resorts World’s “Cinderella”. Magno, a scholar of the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors’ Company, recently performed with Ballet Philippines in August 2014 as Emilio Aguinaldo in “La Revolucion Filipina”. 

Ballet Philippines dancers also take on the challenge of portraying the roles of comic book heroes and villains. Featured are Jean Marc Cordero, Katherine Trofeo, Richardson Yadao, Earl John Arisola, Cyril Aran Fallar, Emmanuelle Guillermo, Timothy Paul Cabrera, Rita Angela Winder, Karmela Gaile Cortez, Gillianne Therese Gequinto, Kazier Policarpio, Victor Maguad, and Erl Emmanuel Sorilla. 

Eraserheads
This original Filipino dance musical is by Kanakan Balintagos, with musical collaborators Vincent de Jesus, Carina Evangelista, and the Eraserheads. This year’s production will be directed by BP Artistic Director Paul Alexander Morales and choreographed by Alden Lugnasin. The shows will feature the Radioactive Sago Project as its live band. 
Radioactive Sago Project

“MANHID: The Pinoy Superhero Musical” will have a three-weekend run at the CCP Main Theater on February 20-22, February 27-March 1, and March 6-8.

For bulk reservations, show buys, and inquiries, visit www.ballet.ph or call Ballet Philippines at 551-1003. For tickets, call the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or Ticketworld at 891-9999.

Connect to Ballet Philippines online through the following social media networks:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/balletphilippines

Twitter: @balletph

Instagram: @balletphilippines

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/balletph

The 45th Anniversary Sapphire Season. Rare scenes of power and grace. Love, valour and redemption. Under the artistic directorship of Paul Alexander Morales, this is a toast to 45 years of dance excellence! 

See you at the theater!

September 17, 2014

Ballet Philippines celebrates 45th Anniversary – The Sapphire Season with the much-awaited homecoming gala set on Sept. 28

PROMISES TO BE AN UNFORGETTABLE ONE-NIGHT ONLY TRIBUTE CONCERT LIKE NO OTHER

Ballet Philippines, the country’s flagship dance company is celebrating its 45th Anniversary – The Sapphire Season with the much-awaited HOMECOMING GALA set on Sept. 28, 2014 – 8 p.m. at the Cultural Center of the Philippines – Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo.

How will a 45-year old ballet company celebrate its ‘homecoming gala’? With the return of around 20 distinguished alumni with a whopping total of over 200 students in tow, no less!

45 years of sharing the gift of dance is a rare feat. And to mount this concert, Ballet Philippines will share the stage with the different ballet companies, dance schools and artists who have sprung from the company’s rich tradition of excellence.

In the BP Company Room in 1974

The participating artists are from Ecole De Ballet Manille, Seven Contemporary Dance Company, De La Salle Zobel Ballet Program, Portland Festival Ballet, Quezon City Performing Arts Development Foundation, Inc.; Edge N’ Pointe Dance Centre, Dance Theatre Arts, Locsin Dance Workshop, Tlg Ballet, Far Eastern University Dance Company, Maquiling Ballet, Effie Nañas Ballet, Airdance, Dancepull Project, Inc.; Garcia-Sanchez School Of Dance (Bacolod City); Perry Sevidal Ballet; Daloy Dance Company; Steps Dance Studio, Annie Divinagracia-Sartorio School Of Performing Arts (Iloilo City); and the CCP Dance School.

The biggest names in the field of Philippine dance shall present their works from various genres --- classical ballet, modern, pop and ethno-modern.

The who’s who list comprises of distinguished alumni of the company and includes: Eddie Elejar, Agnes Locsin, Effie Nañas, Perry Sevidal, Luther Perez, Eduardo Malagkit, Robert Medina, Dwight Rodrigazo, Georgette Sanchez, Annie Divinagracia-Sartorio, Annette Cruz-Mariano, Ela Rodriguez, Verna Fajilan-Brazil, Ryan Bautista, Brezhnev Larlar, Toni Lopez Gonzalez, Nina Anonas, Christine Crame, Ava Maureen Villanueva-Ong, Ea Torrado, and Sofia Zobel-Elizalde.

Annette Cruz-Mariano

Dwight Rodrigazo
Eddie Elejar

Effie Nañas

Georgette Sanchez in Alden Lugnasin's Aku
Luther Perez

The 45th Anniversary Sapphire Season. Rare scenes of power and grace. Love, valour and redemption. Under the artistic directorship of Paul Alexander Morales, this is a toast to 45 years of dance excellence!
Verna Fajilan-Brazil

Don’t miss this rare treat!

For bulk reservations, show buys, and inquiries, visit www.ballet.ph or call Ballet Philippines at 551-1003.

For tickets, call the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or Ticketworld at 891-9999.

Connect to Ballet Philippines online through the following social media networks:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/balletphilippines

Twitter: @balletph

Instagram: @balletphilippines

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/balletph

September 16, 2014

Ballet Philippines' BLUE MOON GALA set on September 26 – 27

Ballet Philippines, the country’s premier classical and contemporary dance company proudly announces the BLUE MOON GALA set on September 26 – 27, 2014 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines - Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater).



THE BLUE MOON GALA shall feature BP’s favorite masterworks and other acclaimed award-winning works in line with the company’s sapphire milestone.

The dances to be featured are as follows: 

JE TU ELLE (Choreographed by Redha Benteifour; Music by Vangelis)

The dance features five sensuously sinewy assertive women. It strikes with its sensual, bravura movements. In this dance, a contemporary view of women’s sinuous strength and arrogance underneath the exterior of gentleness, women proclaim they are the stronger sex.


FARANDOLE (Choreographed by George Birkadze; Music by Georges Bizet)

This neo-classical piece set to music of Bizet showcases the dancers’ athleticism and bravura with a slightly Spanish flair that echoes the Filipino’s hispantic history and tradition.


SALOME (Choreographed by Agnes Locsin; Music by Isaac Albeniz)

This piece features guest artist Kris-Belle Paclibar as Salome, sweetheart of Elias, is left alone in her grief and passion as Elias leaves her to join the revolutionary forces against Spain. She expresses a woman’s resigned anguish over Elias’ choice of a higher love – the duty to defend one’s country so that future generations may live and even love more freely.


COLD SONG (Choreographed by Max Luna III; Music by Klaus Nomi)

The choreographer’s tribute to Alvin Ailey, whom he danced and worked with as a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Luna is a former artistic director of Ballet Philippines. 

BUNGKOS SUITE (Choreographed by Alice Reyes; Music by Velarde- Obispo (Dahil Sa Iyo), Kasilag (Chitchiritchit), Kasilag-Velasco (Dandansoy), Paguio (Manang Biday), Obispo (Telebong)

A collection of traditional and popular folk songs reflecting various moods but especially highlighting the playfulness, amorousness and sense of humor of the Filipino.


NOCTURNE (Choreographed by Carlo Pacis, Music by Felix Mendelssohn)

The final duet from A Midsummer Night’s Dream showcases the reconciliation of Titania and Oberon as imagined by Hong Kong- based Flipino choreographer, Carlo Pacis. The production won a lion’s share of awards at the 2013 Phil¬stage’s Gawad Buhay! Awards including Outstanding Modern Dance Production and Outstanding Choreography.


R/J (Choreographed by George Birkadze; Music by Dmitri Shostakovich)

“R/J" condenses the ubiquitous Romeo and Juliet love story in a 7-minute pas de deux, which ends right before the moment Juliet awakens from her drug-induced slumber.


FOR THE GODS (Choreographed by Denisa Reyes; Music by Fabian Obispo)

Inspired by the ‘Dugso‘ folkdance from Bukidnon, this modern workTribal women celebrate the age-old rites of birth and sacrifice in this passionate affirmation of the timeless female principle of life.


DON QUIXOTE GRAND PAS DE DEUX (Music by Ludwig Minkus)

Former Ballet Philippines principal dancer Candice Adea and her partner Shen Jie, both currently soloists of Hong Kong Ballet perform one of the most challenging duets in the classical repertoire. Taken from Miguel Cervantes’ classic story about the adventures of the chivalrous Don Quixote and his sidekick Sancho Panza, the Don Quixote Grand Pas de Deux is better known as the wedding celebration of Basilio and Kitri in the ballet’s third and final act.


SONGS OF THE WAYFARER (Choreographed by Norman Walker; Music by Gustav Mahler)

This is the second major work that Norman Walker created especially for the company. He drew his inspiration from the composer's own experience as a young man, of a totally unrequited love. In his grief, he composed the bittersweet song-cycle used in the ballet. We follow the hero brooding while his love is being wed, out into the fields that bring him no comfort but only show him his love's likeness wherever he looks. The tormented hero leaves the town in the dead of night and spends it under a linden tree, where sleep makes all well again. Critical and popular acclaim has made this work a piece de resistance in the company's repertoire.


As a special treat for balletomanes, the repertoire for the matinee show will feature selected works of the Ballet Philippines show “MASTER PIECES” that will tour around the United States and Canada in October.

The works include: 

AKU (Choreographed by Alden Lugnasin; Music by Jessie Lucas)

This is a technique piece to test man’s physical limits and possibilities in body movements. This dance was heralded at the 9th Concours International De Danse de Paris in France in December 2000. Described as different and beautiful, it showcases the dancers’ unique understanding of the contemporary Filipino dance style.


HALIK (Choreographed by Paul Alexander Morales; Music by Jed Balsamo)

This dance excerpt from Ballet Philippines’ 41st Season production Crisostomo Ibarra, a dance retelling of a seminal novel Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) authored by Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. Managing to escape prison with the help of Elias, Ibarra visits Maria Clara to give his forgiveness and to say goodbye. She tells him the truth about her real father again asking Ibarra for his forgiveness. Finally he understands. They embrace each other and kiss.


AFTER WHOM (Choreographed by Augustus “Bam” Damian III; Music by Jerrold Tarog)

After Whom is a bold showcase for BP’s dynamism and bravado. It highlights the company’s prowess in the modern, contemporary and neo-classical genres.


MORIONES (Choreographed by Agnes Locsin)

Inspired by the Moriones Festival of Marinduque, Locsin’s Moriones was choreographed for Ballet Philippines II’s participation at the Recontres Festival Du Danse in La Baule, France. It was also a study for movement for the Guardias Civil dance for the modern ballet “Encantada”.


TAMBOL AT PADYAK (Choreographed by Tony Fabella; Music by Samuel Asuncion, Malek Lopez, and Pinikpikan)

Set to local beats, global beats and heartbeats, this award-winning and audience-rousing work is full of youthful energy which mirrors the Filipinos’ joy of living. This showstopper, utilizing the local “bakya” (wooden slippers) to amplify its rich rhythm, has wowed adults and children, foreigners and expatriates ever since it premiered at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.


THE BLUE MOON GALA will be performed at the CCP Main Theater on September 26 at 8 PM and September 27 at 3 PM and 8 PM. 

For bulk reservations, show buys, and inquiries, visit www.ballet.ph or call Ballet Philippines at 551-1003. For tickets, call the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or Ticketworld at 891-9999.

Connect to Ballet Philippines online through the following social media networks:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/balletphilippines
Twitter: @balletph
Instagram: @balletphilippines
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/balletph

The 45th Anniversary Sapphire Season. Rare scenes of power and grace. Love, valour and redemption. Under the artistic directorship of Paul Alexander Morales, this is a toast to 45 years of dance excellence.



 
BACKGROUNDER: FEATURED CHOREOGRAPHERS

Redha Benteifour Je Tu Elle


Often described as an “unclassifiable choreographer”, Redha distinguished himself as a personality oriented towards total liberty that draws his inspiration from everyday life from where censorship is absent. He identifies his model in choreography as Baryshnikov to which influences of Lester Wilson, Alvin Killiam or Luis Falco as added. Redha choreographed for several of the world’s leading dance companies such as Le Jeune Ballet de France, The National Ballet of the Netherlands, San Francisco Ballet, Ballet Philippines and Nomads of Switzerland.

George Birkadze Farandole, R/J


Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Birkadze began his dance training at National Academy of Dance of Tbilisi with Wahtang Chabukiany. He was then invited to attend the School of the Bolshoi Ballet in 1991, where he graduated with Honours in Classical Ballet, Pas de Deux, and Traditional Dance. He has since choreographed and danced in numerous countries including Russia, Portugal, France, Spain, and the U.S.. He has choreographed the likes of Angel Corella, Carmen Corella, Herman Cornejo, Cory Stearns, Ashley Ellis, and Misa Kuranaga, among others, and molded the careers of many dancers around the world.


Augustus “Bam” Damian III After Whom


Hailing from a family of dancers, Bam had a twenty-year long career in Europe that took him through six differ­ent theaters all as soloist or as principal dancer. For four consecutive years, he was awarded “Best Dancer” by the public of the United State Theaters of Mönchengladbach and Krefeld. Moreover, he has had the chance to dance with Europe’s great stars as well as work with world famous choreographers including Maurice Bejart, Hans van Mannen, and Christopher Bruce. He has toured extensively and performed in many of the world’s most prestigious theatres.


Tony Fabella Tambol at Padyak


Called a “master craftsman,” Tony Fabella choreographed in all the dance styles but is best known for original works using Filipino themes set to music by Filipino composers. Dance critics have described his works as “witty, humorous, clever, refreshingly novel, rich, exquisite, lyrical, exhilarating, captivating.” Fabella was an Artistic Council member of Philippine Ballet Theater, and former lead member of the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company and was the company’s Artistic Consultant before his demise in 2009.


Agnes Locsin Salome, Moriones


Recognized as the pioneer of neo-ethnic dance, Agnes Locsin is a force in the Philippine dance scene. Drawing inspira­tion from Philippine tribal dances, practices, beliefs, and stories, Locsin reworked and reinterpreted these into the frame­work of existing classical ballet and modern dance technique, resulting in a unique dance form suited for the Filipino’s physical frame, temperament, and culture.


Alden Lugnasin Aku

Exposed to world class ballet masters and choreographers, Alden is strongly motivated and has created some of the most stirring dance works such as Impasse, Life Is A Rope, Fire, Water, Woman, and Buhay. He is currently the Artistic Director of BP 2, Ballet Philippines’ junior performing company.


Max Luna III Cold Song


A former artistic director of Ballet Philippines, Max Luna III’s dance career spanned almost four decades and six continents as an internationally acclaimed performer, teacher, and choreographer. As a teacher, he has been praised for a keen movement sense complemented by an in-depth knowledge of dance techniques.


Paul Alexander Morales Halik


Paul unites his varied interests and experience in the arts in the service of dance. He is a director, choreographer and independent filmmaker. Artistic Director of Ballet Philippines since 2009, Paul’s works typically involve multi-media collaborations. Leading BP in its Main Theater season was his childhood dream that was made a reality by the skills and talents he strengthened by the mentoring, sharing, exploration and celebration of his fellow artists.


Carlo Pacis Nocturne

Carlo is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer. A former soloist of the Hong Kong ballet, he currently works freelance and is based in Hong Kong. Aside from his award winning A Midusmmer Night’s Dream in 2013, his work for Ballet Philippines, Shifting Wait, received a GAWAD BUHAY 2010 from PhilStage for Outstanding Choreography for a Dance Production.


Alice Reyes Bungkos Suite

Alice Reyes, the woman who professionalized dance in the Philippines and founded Ballet Philippines, the country’s flagship company in classical ballet and contemporary dance, has been bestowed with the Order of National Artist for Dance. As founder and Artistic Director Emeritus of Ballet Philippines, Alice Reyes paved the way for dance to be recognized in the Philippines not only as an art form, but as a viable profession.


Denisa Reyes For the Gods

Denisa is a former Artistic Director of Ballet Philippines (1990-1994 and in 2000-2004) and introduced the NEO-FILIPINO Dance Series, her most significant contribution to the Philippine dance scene. It served as a platform for inter-disciplinary collaborations between local and international artists. A recipient of the Philstage Gawad Buhay! Award for Outstanding Choreography for a Musical, Philstage Lifetime Achievement Award, , Denisa is now currently very much involved in arts education.


Norman Walker Songs of a Wayfarer

Norman Walker is best described by critic Walter Terry as “a choreographic talent of towering proportions.” One of America’s multi-talented director-choreographers, Walker is known by those who have worked with him for his high energy level. A disciplinarian, perfectionist, and a demanding choreographer, Walker makes certain that the dancers’ potentials surface to the fullest. He created a number of original works for Ballet Philippines, namely Season of Flight (1972), Songs of a Wayfarer (1973), Wanderings of a Wayfarer (1980), and Summer’s End (1980).

September 5, 2014

“Giselle” to Celebrate Ballet Philippines’ Sapphire Year on Sept. 19-21

In a special repeat performance, Ballet Philippines’ highly celebrated restaging of “Giselle” returns this September 19-21 to the CCP Main Theater. The beloved romantic ballet is once again being restaged by the Philippines’ premier danseur, Nonoy Froilan to start off the Blue Moon Series, a two-week fundraising series celebrating the company’s sapphire milestone.

Stella Abrera and James Whiteside from the American Ballet Theatre will perform as Giselle and Albrecht on the fundraising gala on September 19. That evening’s performance will also feature live accompaniment by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Olivier Ochanine.

Stella Abrera
Ballet Philippines principal dancers Katherine Trofeo and Jean Marc Cordero, as well as newly promoted soloist Denise Parungao and junior principal dancer Earl John Arisola will reprise their roles of Giselle and Albrecht for the other 4 shows in the production’s one-weekend run.

The 2013 restaging of “Giselle” earned recognition at the Philstage Gawad Buhay awards, winning the trophies for Outstanding Ensemble Performance for Classical Dance, Male Lead Performance in Classical Dance for Jean Marc Cordero, and Female Featured Performance in Classical Dance for Rita Winder.

Touted as one of ballet’s greatest, “Giselle” is a classical romantic tragedy of loss, forgiveness, and love beyond death. Her story is a familiar one – two men are in love with her, but she chooses to surrender her heart to Albrecht, the suave newcomer who, as Giselle later finds out, is engaged to be married. 

Ignoring her own suspicions and the well-meaning advice of Hilarion, her other suitor, Giselle eventually discovers the truth and ultimately, her heartbreak results in her demise. Yet she chooses to forgive her lover and save his life.

James Whiteside
In a medium like ballet where spectacle often takes the spotlight, such drama and conflict are seldom found. But everyone has a story to tell in “Giselle”. The choreography and the music, not to mention the dancers, all help to create well-rounded and relatable characters.


What lies at the very heart of this ballet is its story. Its message and the emotion it conveys have the power to move an audience to tears. While other ballets may be remembered for a particularly fantastic movement, “Giselle” will be remembered by how it made people feel.

The production also features Mailes Kanapi as Berthe, Giselle’s mother, with Nonoy Froilan and Butch Esperanza alternating as the Duke of Courland, as well as Carissa Adea, Richardson Yadao, Rita Angela Winder, Ma. Celina Dofitas, with Ballet Philippines’ company members, apprentices, and scholars.

“Giselle” will be performed at the CCP Main Theater on September 19 at 3 PM and 8 PM, September 20 at 2 PM and 6 PM, and on September 21 at 2 PM. 

For bulk reservations, show buys, and inquiries, visit www.ballet.ph or call Ballet Philippines at 551-1003. For tickets, call the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or Ticketworld at 891-9999.

Connect to Ballet Philippines online through the following social media networks:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/balletphilippines

Twitter: @balletph

Instagram: @balletphilippines

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/balletph

Ballet Philippines - The 45th Anniversary Sapphire Season. Rare scenes of power and grace. Love, valour and redemption. A toast to 45 years of dance excellence!

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