Manila honors MBC’s Fred J. Elizalde, BM’s Rudy De Dios
Seated onstage, Rudy De Dios (second from right) waits for his turn to receive his award. Manila Broadcasting Company’s Freddie Elizalde (second from left) was there to accept an award on his father Fred J. Elizalde’s behalf.
Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) chairman and Ballet Manila benefactor Fred J. Elizalde and Ballet Manila principal dancer Rudy De Dios were recently honored by the City of Manila with the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Awards.
Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) chairman and Ballet Manila (BM) benefactor Fred J. Elizalde with BM artistic director and CEO Lisa Macuja-Elizalde. Photo by Ocs Alvarez
The award is presented to individuals for their contributions to Philippine art and culture and handed out as part of the city’s annual Araw ng Maynila celebration in June.
“I feel very good about the award as it fits directly into my line, my field of travel and growth,” said Elizalde, whose son Freddie – MBC’s vice president for Property Development – accepted the award on his behalf. The older Elizalde was given the “Tanging Parangal at Pagkilala” for spearheading the Aliwan Fiesta Festival of Parades.
Aliwan Fiesta is an annual event hosted by the Manila Broadcasting Company and has three components: Cultural Street Dance Competition, Float Parade, and the Reyna ng Aliwan. Competitors come from all over the country not just to compete for the top prize but to showcase the local culture on a national stage.
Aliwan Fiesta was first staged in 2003 and has become a highly anticipated summer event not just for Filipinos but foreigners as well.
Lending support to Rudy is former Ballet Manila principal dancer and his girlfriend Dawna Reign Mangahas.
De Dios, on the other hand, was recognized for his contributions in the field of Dance. “I feel more inspired after receiving this award,” he said. “As an artist, the idea of being recognized as someone who has excelled in my chosen craft is really an honor. This is one of those things that fuels us to continue what we are doing and to share our passion to the next generation.”
De Dios joined Ballet Manila in 2004 as an apprentice. He rose through the ranks to become a principal dancer – serving as partner to prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde until her retirement. He has performed practically all the male lead roles in classical ballet, from Basilio (Don Quixote) to Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake) – the latter, he is set to reprise when Ballet Manila stages Swan Lake in October.
Also in attendance was Sylvia Lichauco, a prominent resident of Manila and currently the director of Ballet Manila’s Project Ballet Futures scholarship program. Both are wearing sampaguita crowns accorded to the night’s guests.
He has also competed in local and international competitions. He won the Best Modern Choreography in the Senior Division of the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA) in 2008 for Solo Tango. Along with fellow Ballet Manila principal dancer Gerardo Francisco, he won first place as performer at the 2009 WifiBody Independent Contemporary Dance New Choreographers' Competition for the piece Balikbayan (OFW). He was also a semi-finalist in the 2nd Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition, Choreography Division, held in China in July 2013.
The other recipients of this year’s Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Awards are singer Christian Bautista (who will be performing with Ballet Manila in the season-ender concert, Ballet & Ballads, in February 2018), actress Boots Anson-Roa, Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) founder Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, writer Sylvia Mayuga, visual artist Clarissa Marie Rodriguez, Old Manila Walks and Tours founder Ivan Man Dy, sculptor Priscillano Vicaldo Jr., and architect Angeline Chua Chiaco.
The Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Awards ceremony was held on June 21 at the Manila City Hall.
Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada presents the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Awards to the honorees.