By Susan A. De Guzman

In ballet lore, the wilis of the classic Giselle are in an exalted spot when it comes to otherworldly beings. The spirits of women jilted by their lovers, they exact revenge on disloyal men by forcing them to dance until they die of exhaustion. Wearing their delicate white tutus, they seem to float as they traverse the stage, exuding an air of mystery and simultaneously inspiring awe and dread.

Myrtha is the most terrifying of them all. As their queen, she commands the wilis to do their terrible task with relentless abandon. With a harsh stare and a dismissive wave of her hand, Myrtha shows how ruthless and unforgiving she can be. She condemns Hilarion to his end, unheeding of his pleas, and she is ready to do the same with the erring Albrecht if not for the intercession of the wili-in-training Giselle.

The drama and passion driving Act 2 of Giselle – anchored on the vision of the ethereal wilis – make it the most celebrated in ballet. “Hauntingly beautiful” and “eerily compelling” are just two of the descriptions that perfectly capture those moments when the ballerinas of the corps dance in perfect symmetry and with keen accuracy.

This is precisely what Ballet Manila showcased in its recent staging of Giselle at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, cementing its reputation as a company with a strong corps de ballet. But performing with such unified grace is not easily attainable; it is the result of long hours of daily classes and sustained rehearsals, and the persistent corrections of their teachers.

The challenge is twofold for the ballerinas. “We have to look as if it’s easy and effortless even though it’s physically demanding and exhausting,” stresses Ballet Manila company artist Shaira Comeros, who notes that getting cramps in Act 2 is but to be expected. “It will seem a bit ironic but the most difficult part for me would be the simple standing on the sides when Giselle and Albrecht are doing their variations.

Asked what it takes to be a wili, Shaira sums it up this way: “Good technique, excellent musicality, precision of steps – and a great amount of teamwork.”

Soloist Jessica Pearl Dames concurs it takes group effort to create that impact on stage. “We have to keep in mind that we all have to dance together as one. This ballet is so strict. Everything is seen, so even if you make the smallest mistake, Sir Shaz and Ma’am Lisa [Ballet Manila co-artistic director Osias Barroso and artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde] will see it. That’s why we all need to know the timing, we need to know the music, we need to know the epaulements, we need to stay in line for us to dance as one.” (Epaulement is a position in which the shoulders are at right angles to the direction of the supporting leg, with one shoulder thrust forward and one back.)

Principal dancer Jasmine Pia Dames says the reminder of their mentors constantly played in her mind. “Sir Shaz and Ma'am Lisa told us to just dance together and learn how to feel each other on stage all the time. Ballet Manila is known for its very synchronized corps. The most difficult part is dancing together because you can't just do whatever count you want especially when you dance with the corps. You have to be together all the time and that’s how the magic will happen.”

For Pia, who has always loved Giselle for the story and music, it was special to have been part of the production. “Being a part of this beautiful ballet was such a great experience. I loved each step and every day I would always find ways of how to make it as graceful as possible. I also love that I got to dance with my twin sister as the other lead wili. Of course, dancing with the corps of Ballet Manila made it more challenging but very exciting.”

What helped Shaira to gel with the group is listening to the music intently, which is a frequent reminder from Shaz. “There’s a precise or an exact movement to every beat of the music. Listening to the music is the most effective way for the corps to move as one. So if the orchestra plays the music slow, we go slow. If they play it fast, we move fast. And of course, it takes months of practice and rehearsals in the studio and collective hard work of the teachers and dancers.”

Pearl says she made sure she was coordinated with the corps using musical and visual cues. “Aside from knowing the timing or music, I always use my peripheral vision to stay in line and to check if I am dancing together with the others.”

Pia’s preparations for the role included watching videos and “never skipping strength and conditioning workouts after class and rehearsals”.

Pearl – who was part of the corps in Ballet Manila’s Giselle during the Dance MNL festival in 2016 – says she felt slightly more relaxed this time around. As lead wilis, it was supposedly easier as she and Pia didn’t have to pose and stay on the sides while Giselle and Albrecht danced their pas de deux. “I did that part before and being in front of the line is such a pressure,” she laughs. “But I love that the lead wilis have solo parts. We just have to nail those solo parts and dance as if we’re telling the story of how we died.”

Company artist Emma Harris, who danced as a wili for the first time, says preparation for the corps was very rigorous. “The corps is instrumental in this ballet. We are the ones who set the scene for the second act. And so it is crucial for us to come together and dance as one. Sir Shaz was very particular and attentive to every detail. Whether it be the position of the head to the height of the leg, if but one person is off, it shifts the impact we have as a group.”

For her, the most challenging part about being a wili is having to stand stoic and still for the whole pas de deux of Giselle and Albrecht. “That’s definitely when the cramps hit for me, and the time that I didn’t want to stand still!” she recalls.

“Fierce” is a word that both Pia and Pearl use to describe how they must look as wilis, so that was their goal once they were on stage, each building on the feelings of a wronged woman. “Fierce, but the movements have to be graceful and it has to feel like you’re floating,” Pearl points out.

Shaira shares that she imagined herself being jilted at the altar to feel the intensity of her emotions. Being part of the corps of Giselle as well in 2016, she feels that she has improved technique-wise. “Years of taking BM classes almost every day helped me a lot in executing the steps better.”

Emma internalized the role by channeling the energy of who a wili is. “She is a young woman who has died because her love has been betrayed. I thought of what it would be like to be betrayed in this way and took that energy and put it into my movement and facial expressions. The wilis are women who show no mercy, and their character is portrayed through the help of the powerful yet simple choreography of this ballet.”

After the act ends, there’s a huge sense of relief among the ballerinas. “The most rewarding thing is seeing our teachers very happy because we all did it,” enthuses Pia.

First-timer Emma adds, “There’s nothing like being on stage and being so in sync with your fellow dancers, breathing and dancing as one. It’s truly special and a one of a kind empowering feeling. It’s definitely an experience that I’ll cherish forever considering the significance of this performance for Ballet Manila. We all came together and danced our hearts out. It was truly an unforgettable night!”

Meantime, for Akari Ida, who portrayed Myrtha for the first time, the challenge was to turn from nice to nasty in Giselle. Shy and quiet in real life, she had to let go of her inhibitions to transform into one of the most notorious villains in ballet.

But she came to understand where the queen of the wilis is coming from. “Myrtha is wicked but, on the other hand, she had already experienced what Giselle felt when she got betrayed by Albrecht. So I think she knows how it feels like to be heartbroken and she understands Giselle’s feelings. But that she cannot forgive the love between the two of them was the most difficult thing for me to approach in this role.”

Akari researched about wilis and Myrtha on the internet and watched videos of ballerinas who had danced this iconic part. “The process to prepare for this role was very meaningful. I really enjoyed getting into the character because I had never done this type of role before so that was such a special moment for me. I think the deeper you look into her, the harder you would think she is to act but I think I got closer and closer to what she is as I rehearsed more and searched more about her.”

The Japanese ballerina is thankful to her artistic directors for the lessons they imparted and the encouragement they gave her. “Ma’am Lisa and Sir Shaz taught me not only technique but also how you express her with the choreography that’s provided. For example, if you make the step sharper, it would look more powerful.” 

Akari revealed what a skillful dancer she is, as she executed the steps with confidence and all the while maintaining a menacing front that made her believable as ballet’s “queen of mean”.

Though she is hard put to pick what her favorite moments were in Giselle, Akari cites two that she really enjoyed: “I love Myrtha’s first entrance because I got really excited when I came on the stage where there is almost no sound but the quiet music with bourrée (short skipping steps). I also like the scene where she kills Hilarion because I really got to get into the character and felt ‘I am Myrtha’ from the bottom of my heart.”