The year 2020 began with so much promise for Ballet Manila. In the first quarter, it premiered three new choreographies: Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s Sleeping Beauty and La Traviata, and Rudy De Dios’ Carmina Burana. Everything was set for the company’s 25th anniversary — a full season, a national tour, and many more. Then COVID-19 happened.

Lockdown, quarantine, social-distancing and virtual were among the many new terms added to the global vocabulary because of the pandemic. There was fear and frustration, but there was also creativity, resilience, and hope.

This video looks back on Ballet Manila’s 2020 — the trials, the triumphs, the lessons learned and the firm resolve to dance into the future.