‘Stars of Philippine Ballet’ at Aliw Theater

MANILA, Philippines - Unknown to many, a new generation of Filipino ballet dancers has been making waves on various stages around the world.

At the Hong Kong Ballet, soloist Candice Adea has been showing the grace and poise that have won her awards in international competitions. In the United States, Christine Rocas has been dancing lead roles in the Chicago-based Joffrey Ballet while Jared Tan is working as part of Atlanta Ballet’s international roster of company artists. In Barcelona, Spain, Aileen Gallinera and Eduardo Espejo have starred in a fusion of contemporary and classical pieces with the Ballet David Campos. In Germany, Marcelino Libao exemplifies strength and flexibility at the Hamburg Ballet.

For prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, it is a dream come true to be able to gather these talents and join them in the one-night gala “Stars of Philippine Ballet” on June 1 at the Aliw Theater. Sharing centerstage are Philippine-based artists Rudy De Dios, principal dancer of Ballet Manila and Lisa’s perennial partner, and Ballet Philippines’ Jean Marc Cordero as Adea’s partner.

Also showcased are Ballet Manila (BM), the Philippine Ballet Theater (PBT), and international guest artists Mayo Arii of Hamburg Ballet, Jennifer Drake and Brian Williamson of Dance Theater of Tennessee and Mauro Villanueva of Joffrey Ballet.

Christopher Mohnani, former principal dancer of BM and the Nashville Ballet, is coming as artistic director of his own ballet company  Dance Theatre of Tennessee.

Lisa believes shows like “Stars of Philippine Ballet” will be a welcome treat for local audiences, especially for dancers who will be able to see their foreign-based colleagues perform.

“I think that our Filipino dancers dancing abroad need to be seen by our  countrymen. Dancers have such short careers as active performers and it is important that we watch and be inspired by each other’s success in this extremely challenging field of the performing arts,” says Lisa.

The gala was inspired by shows the ballerina herself performed in the late 1980s. The Russian-trained, former dancer of the Kirov Ballet joined galas and tours organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, featuring her alongside the likes of PBT colleague (and now BM co-artistic director Osias  Barroso), Ballet Philippines artists Nonoy Froilan, Cecile Sicangco, Conrad Dy Liacco and Nicole Gaston, Germany-based Anna Villadolid and her husband Thomas Mayr of the Munich Ballet, Rey Dizon of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Maribeth Roxas of Alvin Ailey Dance Company and Manny Molina of Ballet Caracas and Ballet Jazz de Montreal. A second tour that covered the Visayan region included Toni Lopez Gonzalez of the Washington Ballet.

For the past three years, Lisa has been organizing ballet galas, namely “Stars of Russian Ballet,” the Singapore Dance Theatre gala titled “Duo” and “World Stars of Ballet.”

This year, she decided to keep the gala close to home by inviting Filipino artists who have succeeded abroad and bringing them here to dance for  local audiences.

For Osias Barroso, after over two decades, a show like “Stars of Philippine Ballet” is long overdue. When Lisa first broached the idea to him, he relates, “My personal reaction was, it’s about time to acknowledge and honor Filipino artists who are excelling abroad now — though I still believe that we should not forget that the artists who stayed in the Philippines are heroes as well.”

The most difficult part, with the number of artists participating and their being based abroad, was synchronizing schedules. “The biggest challenge is getting all of the artists to be able to come at the same time and rehearse and perform,” notes Lisa.

“Lining up the repertoire was truly a challenge because most the repertoire that will be presented are contemporary pieces that will have their Philippine debut,” Barroso adds.

The gala includes the Philippine premiere of choreographies by John Neumeier, artistic director and chief choreographer of the Hamburg Ballet (“Spring and Fall and Nocturnes”); dance pieces from the Joffrey Ballet repertoire (“Bells and Reflections”); a new choreography by Ron Jaynario (“La Femme,” the second of a three-part work in progress for PBT, called “The Tribe”); and a new piece by Augustus “Bam” Damian III for an all-male ensemble of Ballet Manila titled “Aramica.”
Also to be performed for the first time here is George Balanchine’s “Who Cares?” set to the music of George Gershwin, featuring Dance Theatre of Tennessee’s Drake and Williamson.

Both Lisa and Barroso are particularly proud that “Stars of Philippine Ballet” will serve as a homecoming to Ballet Manila’s own former artists.

“I am very excited to see these dancers who are like our children come home to dance,” says Lisa. “Unfortunately, Elline Damian (of Ballet David Campos) fractured her foot and will not be able to dance. But Eduardo Espejo and Aileen Gallinera will be performing ballets by David Campos Cantero. Christine Rocas was last seen by Manila audiences in her debut as Odette/Odile in the full-length Swan Lake. As a soloist of Joffrey Ballet, she has danced so many new roles since and I am especially delighted that she will be dancing with her favorite partner Mauro Villanueva.”

They are also so happy to welcome Christopher Mohnani who, along with Gallinera and Espejo, was part of Ballet Manila’s pioneers. “His participation is quite important not only because he belonged to the original 12 of BM, but also because he is the first male danseur of BM who went abroad and did really well — with the Nashville Ballet as principal dancer for eight seasons and now as the head of his own company, Dance Theatre of Tennessee. As his former ballet master, I am truly proud of this,” Barroso enthuses.

“Stars of Philippine Ballet” will go on stage on June 1, 7:30 p.m., at the Aliw Theater, CCP Complex, Pasay City.

Presented by Ballet Manila, the Manila Broadcasting Company and Aliw Theater, the show is a benefit for  Ballet Manila’s scholarship program, Project Ballet Futures.

For inquiries, call Ballet Manila at 525-5967 or 400-0292 or Ticketworld at 891-9999 or ticketworld.com.ph.