Ballet Manila Moments: History in motion

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 2016, Ballet Manila joined the nation in celebrating the 30th anniversary of the People Power Revolution with a full-length ballet interpretation of the historical event. Rebel: EDSA 30 was the concept of artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde. While inspired by the Spartacus ballet, Rebel was based on the events of the 1986 EDSA Revolution. British choreographer Martin Lawrance took the helm in realizing the project.

The piece pulled Lisa out of retirement to perform as the dancing persona of Inang Bayan with Joanna Ampil as the character’s voice. The cast included Rudy de Dios and Mark Sumaylo (Benigno), Gerardo Francisco and Brian Williamson (Ferdinand), Katherine Barkman and Dawna Reign Mangahas (Corazon), Tiffany Chiang-Janolo and Abigail Oliveiro (Imelda), and Michael Divinagracia and Rudolph Capongcol (Jose).

This clip shows one of the most memorable scenes in Rebel with the entire company on stage dancing to the protest anthem, Bayan Ko.