Ballet Manila Moments: A ballerina’s homecoming
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.
Joffrey Ballet company artist Christine Rocas donned her first professional pair of pointe shoes with Ballet Manila. She counts BM's artistic directors Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and Osias Barroso among her mentors. The bond between BM and Christine has remained strong despite the distance. Lisa would often refer to her as a BM baby — one who has made the company truly proud with her success on the international stage.
While she spends most of her time in Chicago, where The Joffrey is based, Christine has made it a point to visit BM whenever she comes home to Manila for a vacation. One such occasion was in 2016 when she accepted an invitation to dance with the company, taking the lead in British choreographer Martin Lawrance's new piece entitled Amid Shadows. A take on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, it premiered in Dance MNL's Winners' Circle concert. Dance MNL featured the country's three professional ballet companies in a grand celebration of the Philippines' achievements in dance.
In this clip, Christine is joined by Ballet Manila principal dancers Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Mark Sumaylo, as well as former BM artists Rudy De Dios and Tiffany Chiang-Janolo.
