The Ballet Manila Archives is the repository of documents, print, photographic, audio and video materials and memorabilia relating to the history of Ballet Manila and the life and career of its founder, prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde. This site is powered by Ms. Elizalde and Project Art, Inc.
Veteran singer-actress-comedienne Mitch Valdes was in a quandary before receiving Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s offer to essay the iconic role of Lola Basyang in the company’s restaging of its beloved Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang trilogy.
To mark Mother’s Day, we take a quick look at these figures whose maternal instinct – or lack of it – contribute to making each story interesting.
She identifies motherhood as the main reason she refused to give up on her ballet dream.
Six of those stories have since been transformed into dance pieces through Ballet Manila's Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (2008) and Tatlo Pang Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (2013), with the first trilogy returning to the stage this month as the company's second offering for its 26th performance season dubbed "Ballet Masterpieces".
Learn the craft of knowing how to open your heart and to turn on your creativity. There’s a light inside of you.
Knowing that Ballet Manila is also interested in her progress, Margarida is determined more than ever to strengthen her technique in the Vaganova way and at the same time learn the contemporary pieces of the company.
To celebrate May, the month of flowers, we once again pluck images from the Ballet Manila Archives featuring an assortment of blooms in the company’s shows. Enjoy this year’s lovely bouquet!
Further boosting its reputation as the home of Filipino literary classics, Ballet Manila will premiere its dance adaptation of Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar’s masterpiece Florante at Laura in October.
Tony Fabella’s Dancing to Verdi will be seen tonight, April 27, at the Ballet Dance Gala, showcasing a new generation of Ballet Manila artists and the choreographer’s gift for highlighting the dancers’ artistry and technique.
In this clip, Ballet Manila co-artistic associate and principal dancer Gerardo Francisco Jr. is Rodrigo – a role that he premiered in 2008 and continues to perform to this day. Rodrigo is seen facing off with Ahab as performed by soloist John Balagot.
Ballet Manila has staged its fair share of Romeo and Juliet productions and in this feature – to observe both Shakespeare Day and World Book and Copyright Day – we present clips of the pas de deux in three versions it has performed, as choreographed by Sergey Vikulov, Paul Vasterling and Martin Lawrance.
On April 19, 2002, Ballet Manila was the featured guest in Intramuros Evenings, a performing arts series hosted by the Intramuros Administration at the Puerta Real Gardens located inside the famed Walled City of Manila.
Dancing is like breathing — missing a day doing either is very bad.
The unbreakable bond of family is the focus of Ang Kapatid Ng Tatlong Marya, the second story in Ballet Manila’s upcoming season production: Tatlong Kuwento Ni Lola Basyang.
In this clip from 2009, artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde and Rudy De Dios as the princess and the prince are seen celebrating with the people as the kingdom is saved from their enemies by the bird prince and his feathered friends.
The beginning of Judith Po’s ballet journey is similar to those of many female dancers. It was an activity to do for fun and through the years, it turned out to be the one activity they couldn’t live without.
Looking through the Ballet Manila Archives files, we found old photographs to pair with the new ones for this special “then and now” feature documenting a ballerina’s sentimental journey and celebrating a remarkable past.
