Ballet Manila Moments: From one generation to the next
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.
Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, a collection of choreographies based on the stories written by Severino Reyes, is one of the most successful ballets produced by Ballet Manila. It achieved both critical and commercial success and merited a sequel, Tatlo Pang Kuwento ni Lola Basyang.
The productions, however, have a special place in the heart of Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde. In the first production, one of her roles was that of “Ate Lisa” -- one of the children that Lola Basyang (veteran actress Luz Fernandez) was telling stories to. Ate Lisa also performed solos within the show during transitions between scenes.
By the time the second installment of the Lola Basyang ballet had a re-staging, Lisa’s daughter Missy had joined the company and earned the role that her mother used to perform. In these clips, we see the mother and daughter performing their respective solos for a sentimental Ballet Manila Moment.
