Ballet Manila Moments: Aramica unveiled
Since 1995, Ballet Manila has been creating unforgettable performances on stage. As the acclaimed storytellers on toes, they have breathed life to an amazing range of classical and contemporary fare. The Ballet Manila Archives celebrates some of those moments from the company’s first 25 years through this series.
In an art form dominated by women, Ballet Manila holds a distinction for having a surplus of male dancers. This “quirk” is the result of the foresight of its artistic directors Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and Osias Barroso who recognized early on that it would be difficult to find classically trained danseurs to fill vacancies easily. Since Ballet Manila started in 1995, they have thus continuously offered scholarships to young boys that they train in the strict Vaganova method and who eventually grow up to become regular members of the company.
At some point, Ballet Manila counted more male dancers than females in its roster. This enabled choreographer Augustus “Bam” Damian III to create all-male pieces such as Aramica which premiered in 2014 as part of the company’s season-closing production entitled Heart2Heart. The piece -- a showcase of a male dancer’s artistry and athleticism -- has since become a part of BM’s regular repertoire.
This clip features an excerpt of the highly-applauded world premiere of the piece with principal dancer Gerardo Francisco Jr. taking on the lead role. Apart from Geri, three dancers of this original cast are still active members of the company: principal dancers Romeo Peralta and Elpidio Magat, and soloist Anselmo Dictado.
