“We are a team, a family. As one, we
will continue to fight and work hard and overcome this together.” That was the
statement of Ballet Manila CEO and artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde as
her dance company continues to show strength and resilience after the fire that
razed its home venue, Aliw Theater, and temporarily set askew the company’s
planned 24th performance season lineup.
It
has been more than two months since the tragedy; and the dance company is
slowly getting back on its feet, rising from the ashes like the proverbial
phoenix to carry on with its goals and mission.“We went back to the original
motto of Ballet Manila – ‘have floor, will dance.’ That was what we did before
the existence of Aliw Theater and Star Theater. And that is what we will do,”
she said.
Now, Ballet Manila is all set to captivate its audience with
the world premiere of Sleeping Beauty,
an apt offering for the new year, as the company ‘awakens’ from the brief
slumber caused by the tragic fire.
The
third show in its 24th performance season “On Pointe,” Sleeping Beauty is Macuja Elizalde’s
homage to this ballet classic and fairy tale.
Against the background of the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Macuja
Elizalde’s choreography adapted bits and pieces from the original staging by
Marius Petipa and Konstantin Sergeyev while creating stunningly new portions. It
will be staged on January 18 at 6:00 PM and January 19 at 3:00 PM
Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila, Pasay City.
“Sleeping
Beauty is considered a masterwork in the world of classical ballet because
it stretches everyone to the fullest of their abilities. Everything about this
show is very academic, very old school. Ballet Manila is here to preserve that
tradition and, at the same time, create something entirely new.” she said.
Sleeping Beauty has been around for over one and a quarter
century and has been performed in different corners of the world. Despite the
show’s perennial eminence, Macuja Elizalde, who choreographed the entire show,
assures everyone that her version of Sleeping
Beauty is different from the well-loved classic. With the help of Ballet
Manila co-artistic director Osias Barroso, who was also the show’s choreography
assistant and rehearsal master, the country’s foremost and well-loved prima
ballerina guarantees a spectacular show – an unforgettable retelling of the
famous fairy tale.
Moving to the new venue meant
adapting to necessary changes. Macuja Elizalde, her dancers, and the rest of
her production team had to adjust to new plans, choreography, stage setup, and
casting. Producing the show was more challenging due to limited time for setting up and technical
rehearsals.
Nevertheless, Macuja Elizalde said
that they have certainly saved the best for last and Sleeping Beauty will be the fitting ending to her Princess Trilogy. An enthralling story on
its own, Sleeping Beauty will surely
capture the hearts of viewers even if they did not see the first two
installments, namely Snow White and Cinderella. The
show will be supported by a powerhouse cast led by principal dancer Jasmine Pia
Dames who will take on the role of Aurora, while her fellow principal dancer
Romeo Peralta will be her love interest, Prince Phillip. Other cast members
include Mark Sumaylo, Rissa May Camaclang, Joan Sia, Gerardo Francisco, Rafael
Perez, Alvin Dictado, Shaira Comeros, and Emma Harris.
A month or so ago, Macuja Elizalde
admitted that she didn’t even dream of staging Sleeping Beauty. “I did not
have the courage to make a decision about proceeding with the show. I was still
in shock and denial for weeks after the fire,” she shares. However, the
overwhelming outpouring of love and support they’ve received when they
performed Giselle in October gave her
the strength to overcome the obstacles. And with Sleeping Beauty, Ballet Manila will continue to dance, beautifully,
majestically in a way that will undoubtedly wow the audience.
