Why ‘Giselle’ is special to Osias Barroso
In 1999, Ballet Manila presented the full-length Giselle for the first time, with Osias Barroso and Lisa Macuja in the lead roles. Photo by Ocs Alvarez from the Ballet Manila Archives collection
By Susan A. De Guzman
The ballet classic Giselle has a soft spot in Osias “Shaz” Barroso’s heart.
It’s not just because he regards Albrecht, the male lead, as the most important in a danseur’s list of roles. More importantly, it is what brought him together with Lisa Macuja – who would become his dancing partner for 16 years – for the very first time.
The year was 1986, and Lisa – fresh from her studies in Russia and her subsequent stint with the Kirov Ballet – was returning to the Philippines. Her first ballet teacher, Tita Radaic, organized a homecoming gala at the Metropolitan Theater, a production that would bring together various dance companies. The centerpiece was Act 2 of Giselle, with premiere danseur Nonoy Froilan as Lisa’s Albrecht.
That’s Shaz in the shadows at left, as Lisa Macuja and Nonoy Froilan make their curtain call in Lisa’s homecoming gala in 1986. He was Hilarion to their Giselle and Albrecht. Photo from the Ballet Manila Archives collection
Shaz, a student of Vella Damian with Dance Concert Company, had only recently been introduced to Giselle himself. He found the ballet to be quite dramatic. In the story, the peasant girl Giselle falls for Albrecht, only to find out that he is already betrothed to another. Upon learning of his deceit, she dies of a broken heart and is resurrected as a Wili, joining the ghosts of other girls who had been jilted by their lovers. But Giselle’s love prevails and helps free Albrecht from a curse that would have had him dancing to his death.
In a show that featured Toni Lopez-Gonzales and Rupert Acuña, Shaz was chosen as an understudy for Hilarion, the peasant boy smitten with Giselle. While he was already being primed to dance the role of Hilarion, ultimately, he did not get to do so – a turn of events that drove Shaz to tears, with his teacher consoling him that his time would come.
Never thinking he could be Albrecht, Osias “Shaz” Barroso made his debut in the role when he and Lisa Macuja performed the full-length Giselle in Ulan-Ude in 1994. Photo from the Ballet Manila Archives collection
And indeed, in that 1986 homecoming gala, the role that eluded him finally became his.
“Hilarion is actually the hero. Albrecht is the enemy because he tricks Giselle,” Shaz laughingly opines. “But seriously, Hilarion is a challenging role.”
He describes Hilarion as driven to desperation, grieving at Giselle’s tomb and suddenly becoming the object of ire of the Wilis. “Nu’ng pinapatay na si Hilarion, nagda-drama ako du’n. Kinikilabutan ako pag naaalala ko. Paglabas ko nga, sabi ni Lisa sa akin, ‘Good, Shaz!’” (That scene where Hilarion is being killed, I’m dancing so dramatically there. I get chills just recalling that. When I exited the stage, Lisa told me, ‘Good, Shaz!)
At curtain call, he was so emotional that he shed more tears than the evening’s star. While he was thrilled with the performance, Shaz was glad just to be cast in a show with THE Lisa Macuja. Lisa’s praise for him that night cemented it as one of the most memorable moments in his career.
Throwback: Shaz as he appeared in the souvenir programs of Giselle in 1986 and in 1988. From the Ballet Manila Archives collection
Over a year later, to his pleasant surprise, Shaz was cast in the full-length ballet production of Giselle staged by Dance Theater Philippines at the Meralco Theater. Lisa and Nonoy were Giselle and Albrecht once more. This time, Shaz was assigned to do the Peasant Pas de Deux in Act 1. In what would become another cherished memory, he recalls that both Lisa and Nonoy autographed his souvenir program afterwards.
Dancing Albrecht requires a combination of technique and emotions, says Shaz, seen here in Ballet Manila’s Giselle performance in 1999. Photo by Ocs Alvarez from the Ballet Manila Archives collection
“Lisa wrote, ‘Sa susunod, ikaw na ang partner ko ha.’ Tapos si Nonoy ang sinabi naman niya d’un, ‘Ang ballet, nakasalalay sa likod mo.’ I don’t know why they wrote that,” marvels Shaz, who regretfully can’t find that autographed program with those prophetic words anymore.
Back then, Shaz had a simple dream for himself – to be able to teach dance, and to do so adequately. It didn’t occur to him that he could ever step into Albrecht’s shoes. “Kasi maliit nga ako eh (It’s because I’m small),” he reasons, resigned to the fact that it was a role not meant to be.
Fate had other plans, however. Shaz and Lisa would later become colleagues in Philippine Ballet Theater. Though not originally the first option for lead roles opposite Lisa, something would happen and he would end up partnering her. “I was the third choice for Chopiniana. I was also the third choice for Coppelia,” he relates, until they had become so attuned to each other that they were paired together more and more.
Shaz shares lessons distilled from those experiences with his students: To always be prepared, so that if the opportunity suddenly presents itself, they are ready to take it.
Performing in Ulan-Ude, 1994. Photo from the Ballet Manila Archives collection
When Lisa was invited to festivals in Russia, where she had remained a darling in the ballet circuit, she would bring Shaz along as her partner. In 1992, they had an unexpected debut of the full-length Don Quixote. Being able to rise to the challenge solidified their friendship and partnership.
In 1993, a return visit to Russia would bring more shows for the pair as they performed full-length shows of Giselle, Swan Lake and Don Quixote. On that trip, Shaz reached the seemingly unattainable. He became Albrecht.
What’s more remarkable is that he did so with the help of his Giselle. “Si Lisa ang nagturo sa akin ha. Tinuturo niya ‘yung steps, tapos ginagawa namin, at nagagawa ko naman. (It was Lisa who taught me. She would teach me the steps, then we would do it, and I would be able to do it. That was my very first Albrecht. Sabi ko, This is it. This is mine. Binigay sa akin eh. I always look at it that way – all the roles I’ve had, when I get them, I own it. Ako naman kasi when I was still studying, the mere fact na understudy ako, it already meant a lot. It doesn’t matter if I go onstage. As long as I was an understudy, I was happy.”
That same year, and in subsequent trips to Russia, Shaz would continue dancing Albrecht. In 1995, Lisa and Shaz would lead ten other dancers in forming Ballet Manila with Eric V. Cruz as their artistic director. The touring group would perform excerpts from Giselle until, in 1999, they deemed it fit to stage its full-length version in Manila, with
People’s Artist of Russia Sergey Vikulov and Special Merited Artist of Russia Tatiana Udalenkova, Lisa’s mentors, at the helm.
Ironically, reflects Shaz, it was only then that he got male coaching for Albrecht even as he had already performed it many times before.
In 2002, Lisa and Shaz headline another staging of Giselle by Ballet Manila. Photo by Octs Alvarez from the Ballet Manila Archives collection
For any male dancer, he says Albrecht would be the ultimate role to perform in classical ballet. He regards Basilio in Don Quixote as relying on tricks, while Siegfried in Swan Lake is more about partnering. “For me, Albrecht is the best in the male repertoire because it’s a combination of technique and emotions. It’s very dramatic, so you have to give more onstage, in acting and dancing. Giselle is like Chopiniana, ang pure niya talaga. It takes a certain kind of dancer to learn and perform it.”
Shaz has good words for principal dancer Elpidio Magat who is dancing as Albrecht in Ballet Manila’s one-night-only performance of Giselle at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on October 17. “He has matured and blossomed. Elpidio responds so much in acting. He portrays it really well, in technique and in the emotions.”
Two other principals have been rehearsing the role. Of Romeo Peralta, Shaz says that while he may not be a turner or a jumper, he has a different attack which makes the role his own. He describes Mark Sumaylo as looking fit for the part, and constantly improving in his approach to Albrecht, particularly in showing his feelings.
For a male dancer, Shaz says Albrecht would be the ultimate role to perform in classical ballet. Photo by Ocs Alvarez from the Ballet Manila Archives collection
“Ang tinuturo ko sa kanila, pa’no gamitin ‘yung kamay, yung mata, as Albrecht. Subtle things make the performance big. Nuances are very important. For example, when he feels that Giselle is around, there is a certain progression in movement that elevates it. When Myrtha calls to him, then performs the pas de deux, it’s so tiring. Pero kahit pagod ka, hindi puwedeng mukha kang pagod. Dapat, andu’n pa rin ‘yung emotion at technique. (Even if you’re tired, you can’t look like you’re tired. The emotion and technique should still be there.)
Looking back, Shaz still can’t quite believe how far he has come in his career, which has become so intertwined with that of Lisa with whom he has been sharing artistic director duties of Ballet Manila. It’s a continuing partnership that is only bound to grow stronger, as they lead the company to its next phase following the loss of their performance venues and towards its 25th anniversary next year.
Restaging Giselle now makes Shaz understandably sentimental. “I never thought all this would happen – that we would dance together specially in Russia, that we would have Ballet Manila…”
Everything grew from that homecoming gala back in 1986.
And that is why Giselle will always be special to Osias Barroso.
