Lisa’s Swan Song Series to enthrall balletomanes/ Phl Ballet Theater’s Sats

Balletomanes are expected to flock to Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s Swan Song Series, her three-year retirement plan wherein she will dance for the last time her favorite ballet classics in their full version: La Bayadere and The Nutcracker.

In 2011, earlier in the series, Lisa danced the principal roles in Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet, in 2012, she starred in Giselle, Don Quixote and Carmen. Four performances of La Bayadere will be on Nov. 14 and 16, 7:30 p.m. with Lisa partnered by Mikhail Martynyuk of the Kremlin Ballet, and on Nov. 15 and 17, 7:30 p.m. with Lisa partnered by Ballet Manila’s principal dancer Rudy de Dios. Venue will be the Aliw Theater. Expressly flying to Manila will be Russian guest conductor Alexander Vikulov to wield the baton over the Manila Symphony Orchestra.

The Nutcracker gala is on Nov. 29, 7:30 p.m. regular shows are on Dec. 1 and 7, 3 p.m., also at Aliw.

Asked how she feels about her retirement, Lisa candidly replies: “I think all ballerinas prepare for, and dread, their ‘swan song’ series. But not all ballerinas can plan and schedule their final performances in their beloved roles, so I consider myself truly blessed.”

Lisa continues to describe the ballets. La Bayadere, set in India, has love and sacrifice for its theme. The bayadere or temple dancer Nikiya falls in love with the warrior Solor, as he does with her. However, he is bethrothed to Ganzatti, daughter of the Majarajah. In the end, true love triumphs.

The ballet is to music by Ludwig Minkus. The original choreography by Marius Petipa and V. Chabuliani is restaged by Osias Barroso Jr., co-artistic director and ballet master, and Eileen Lopez.

In the perennial Christmas favorite, The Nutcracker, the little girl Natasha is transported on Christmas eve to a kingdom of dancing dolls, giant mice, a nutcracker turning into a prince, and a supremely beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy. The choreography by Vassily Vainonen to the music of Tchaikovsky is restaged by Barroso and Natalia Raldugina.

With Ballet Manila’s widely recognized presentations of the highest standards, and Lisa’s unmatched technical and interpretive gifts, the Swan Song Series promises to enthrall dance lovers.

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Philippine Ballet Theater headed by Cha-Cha Camacho as president will collaborate with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra under Gerard Salonga in its new ballet “Serye at Sayaw” on Nov. 15 and 16, 8 p.m. at the CCP main theater.  Featured will be The Voice of the Philippines winner Mitoy and finalists, and Martin Nievera who will interpret popular OPM teleserye theme songs.

The new ballet’s libretto by Concepcion Camacho is based on the popular theme songs of ABS-CBN’s teleseryes rearranged by Salonga. A multi-media work of total theater, the choreography of artistic director Ronil Jaynario translates various elements of mass culture for wider audience appeal.

Ballet and teleserye, two vastly differing forms of entertainment, will be fused, with Jaynario “transforming — what has always been my favorite teleserye songs with themes and values that continue to resonate with all of us.”

“Sayaw at Serye” features Bianca Trocino as Marguerita, an elderly woman reminiscing on her youth, recalling her days as an aspiring ballerina who, falling in love for the first time, is inevitably led to choose between love and career. Her dilemma is recounted through a series of pas de deux with complex and challenging partnering performed to lyrical orchestral arrangements of well-loved pop songs; e.g., Basil Valdez’s Ngayon at Kailanman, Gary Valenciano’s Sana Maulit Muli and Nievera’s Ikaw.

Ballet to pop songs was done previously by PBT in Tony Fabella’s Limang Dipa and Kundiman: Noon at Ngayon and Gener Caringal’s Isang Bagong Bituin.

An added enticement will be the use of video film as another dimension of the dancing onstage.

Jaynario aims at “pyrotechnical  flashy yet still lyrical and emotive dances that pull at the heartstrings.” He concludes: “This is what makes teleserye ballet still a ballet.”

According to him, Trocino as Marguerite captures the character’s real beauty and intelligence with selfless abandon. The author Joelle Jacinto, PBT guest artist, has danced as soloist in ballets by Fabella, Caringal and Eli Jacinto.