After its successful staging of the one-night-only concert American Stars Gala, Ballet Manila unleashes its 23rd performance season on a high note starting September.

Aptly billed as Tour De Force, the season bares a potent combination of classical and contemporary fare that has made Ballet Manila a name to be reckoned with in the field of dance.

The Tour De Force line-up consists of the shows Iconic 1.0 and Iconic 2.0, Le Corsaire, Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s Cinderella and Deux. All performances will be held at Aliw Theater, CCP Complex, Pasay City.

Those who avail of a season subscription are in for a treat, as there is a bonus on top of the fifty percent discount being offered via TicketWorld.

A Gold subscription to Tour De Force at regular price costs P6,000, but the pre-season opening discount slashes that down immediately to half.

“You actually get tickets to five different performances for the price of two! I don’t think you can get a better deal than that,” BM artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde enthused in a recent post she shared via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

The prima ballerina said this offer is in line with Ballet Manila’s long-standing commitment to make ballet accessible to as many people as possible.

There are also Silver and Bronze subscriptions which are pegged at even lower rates.

Tour de Force unveils a two-weekend opener dubbed as Iconic, with each weekend’s show offering a different program. Iconic is a collection of choice picks from Ballet Manila’s collaborations with local and international choreographers, including in-house talents.

Iconic 1.0 (September 1, 6 p.m.; September 2, 3 p.m.) presents: Bloom by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa; Sotto Voce and Reconfigured by Augustus “Bam” Damian IIIl; Kinabuhing Mananagat by Rudy de Dios; Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Vikulov; Reve by Ernest Mandap; Musika’t Pag-ibig by Jonathan Janolo; and Mahiwagang Biyulin by Tony Fabella.

The line-up also showcases the Philippine premiere of Fuga by BM resident choreographer and principal dancer Gerardo Francisco. The piece, specially created for junior artists Nicole Barroso and Joshua Enciso, was reported to have “brought the house down” when the pair performed it at the recent USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.

Iconic 2.0 (September 8, 6 p.m.; September 9, 3 p.m.) features: an excerpt from the acclaimed Ibong Adarna by Gerardo Francisco; Mirror, Romance and Fame by Manuel Molina; Ecole by Osias Barroso; El Adwa by Augustus “Bam” Damian III; Fur Elise by Lisa Macuja-Elizalde; an excerpt from Aria by Martin Lawrance; and Carmen by Eric V. Cruz.

Tour De Force continues in October as Ballet Manila brings back Le Corsaire / The Pirate (October 20, 6 p.m.; October 21; 3 p.m.), featuring resident guest principal Katherine Barkman in her debut in the full-length classic. Le Corsaire is a swashbuckling tale of pirates and maidens, love and betrayal, and action and romance.

The magical tale of Cinderella, as interpreted by Macuja-Elizalde, also makes a much-awaited comeback (November 24 and December 1, 6 p.m.; November 25 and December 2, 3 p.m.). Putting a lighter spin on the well-loved fairy tale, the production combines comedic elements, live special effects and romantic musical scores as Cinderella and her Prince Charming find their happy-ever-after.

Finally, Tour De Force closes with a powerful twin bill dubbed Deux (March 2 and March 9, 2019; 6 p.m.; March 3 and 10, 2019, 3 p.m.), a dance mash-up paired with classical and rock and roll music. It showcases Les Sylphides, a romantic ballet using the music of Frederic Chopin, and a new, original ballet by Martin Lawrance set to Beatles tunes.

Tickets to Tour De Force, Ballet Manila’s 23rd Performance Season, are now available at all TicketWorld outlets; visit www.ticketworld.com.ph, or call 891-9999.