This Month in BM History: September 1995
Souvenir program of two shows mounted in Davao. From the Ballet Manila Archives collection
Living up to its foundation as a touring company, Ballet Manila managed to hold two performance tours to Mindanao in its first year. The second one, held in September, took the pioneering group of twelve dancers to stops in Davao, South Cotabato and General Santos.
As a nod to the South, the shows started off with Mosquerade, a stylized interpretation of the colorful and exotic traditional wedding dance from the Muslim land of Mindanao. With music by Edru Abraham and Kontra-Gapi and choreography by Ianne Damian, the celebration would start with the Fan Dance and build up into the exciting Singkil Dance by the bride and groom.
The program was rounded out by the Melody Adagio, Le Corsaire Pas de Deux, Sari’t Bahag, The Fairy Doll and Paquita, appropriately showcasing the range of Ballet Manila as a classically trained ensemble also adept in neo-classical works.
