Ballet Manila breathes new life into ‘Romeo and Juliet’

Of William Shakespeare’s tragedies, none has attracted as much attention and discussion as Romeo and Juliet. This tale of star-crossed lovers from feuding families has inspired countless generations of lovers and artists since it was first performed in 17th century England. The list of adaptations of Shakespeare’s original is long, and includes dramas, operas, ballets and songs. There are also a number of movie adaptations of the original play, as well as films that were inspired by its story.

February is considered the season of love; it has also been declared by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as the "official" Dance Month. It isn’t surprising that Ballet Manila recently staged its version of Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet as choreographed by People’s Artist of Russia Sergey Vikulov and restaged by Osias Barroso to mark the twin occasion. This production also marked the 12th anniversary of the ballet company. Incidentally, this particular ballet debuted at the Star Theater at the Star City Complex in Pasay City, which has been BM’s home since 2001.

BM artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde explained in her director’s notes the reasons why this ballet continues to be a crowd drawer: "Although its main characters are supposed to be teenagers, Romeo and Juliet tells of a boy and a girl that leap into a relationship involving a love so deep that it eventually leads to their deaths. This powerful tale of William Shakespeare, combined with the masterful choreography of Sergey Vikulov and the moving music of Prokofiev, create a ballet that will move you to tears, just as it will propel you to soar to the heights of complete emotional vulnerability as displayed by these star-crossed lovers."

Macuja-Elizalde first danced the role of Juliet in 1988 with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, followed by engagements in the same role with Philippine Ballet Theater and two versions with Ballet Manila, one set to Tchaikovsky’s music and the other to Prokofiev’s, both choreographed by Vikulov. She admits that the Prokofiev ballet "is the closest to my heart because it was the Juliet that was choreographed specifically by myself and Osias Barroso in 2001. This version is the Juliet I can truly call my own."

Of all the roles Macuja-Elizalde has assumed in her years in the theater, it isn’t surprising that Juliet is her favorite. Her Juliet is second skin — she is Juliet. She literally grows into the role — from an ingénue barely into her teens in Act 1 to the tragic woman who takes her life in Act 3. All this is reflected in her dance, from the almost ethereal moment of their first meeting in the Balcony Scene in Act 1 to the their farewells in Act 3. Her solo in Act 3, more drama than dance, is testament to her genius as an actress and ballerina.

When Macuja-Elizalde first danced this Juliet, she was partnered with Barroso. This time around, she danced with BM demi-soloist Rudy de Dios, who proved to be a worthy Romeo. They were a perfect pair, matched in terms of strength. De Dios commanded the power to react to Macuja-Elizalde’s powerful performance, although he was a bit dramatically weak.

The other Romeo, Lemuel Capa, proved to be the more dramatic performer, dancing to Mylene Aggabao’s Juliet in some shows. While he was not as secure a dancer as De Dios, Capa owned a wider range of expressions that gave better life to his Romeo. Both danseurs still lack the brio to stand out in the crowd, their characters blending with the corps, but solo, Capa scores points for dramatic presence.

Mylene Aggabao played Juliet in some shows, and her performance was refreshing in its newness. You know that she is still learning the role. Yet, her performance was informed with the full range of dramatic gravitas one would expect from a Juliet, as well as the security to execute the difficult dancing required for this role.

The two casts were paired with their own sets of supporting characters. Dancing with the Macuja-Elizalde-De Dios cast were Niño Guevarra as Tybalt, Gerardo Francisco as Mercutio and Gabriella Galvez as Lady Capulet; in the Aggabao-Capa cast, Francis Cascaño as Tybalt, Roduardo Ma as Mercutio and Zaira Cosico as Lady Capulet. Common to both casts were Jerome Espejo as Benvolio, Marcus Tolentino as Lord Capulet, Nazer Salgado as Paris, Eileen Lopez as the duenna, Marvin Medina as Friar Lawrence, Reparado Marino as Lord Montague, and Harold Salgado as the Duke of Verona.

The roles of Tybalt and Mercutio are more than supporting roles because their characters affect the progress of the story. The pairing of Guevarra and Francisco was the more engaging of the movie, almost stealing the show from the Romeo of De Dios. They may not be the company’s tallest dancers, but they made their roles more prominent by their dramatic dancing and acting. Guevarra had the bearing of a really sinister Tybalt, one who is short of fuse — one slight and you would expect him to burst into anger. Francisco had the gift of comedy and timing, making his Mercutio such a delight. His protracted death scene, where he tried to belittle his injury, elicited quite a number of guffaws, before the final deathly turn.

Cascaño and Ma in the other cast were no slouches either. Cascaño made his presence felt with a more powerful bearing that caught our attention. Ma might be more precise in his leaps, proving a bit more agile than Francisco, but he lacked real comedic presence.

As third fiddle in the triumvirate with Romeo and Mercutio, Jerome Espejo as Benvolio gave complete support, agile and dramatic in his role.

Ballet Manila’s production of Romeo and Juliet closed its 2006-2007 season. This August, it opens its 12th ballet season with a lineup of dance classics ballet enthusiasts will enjoy: Halo-Halo 2, a concert of contemporary Pinoy choreographies, in August; Swan Lake in September and October; Pinocchio and The Nutcracker in December; and Le Corsaire in February 2008.