Ballet Manila in Full Color: Purple reign

Ballet Manila has showcased a rich palette of hues in its productions over the years. Now, the company’s true colors are revealed! Gathering photographs from the Ballet Manila Archives, we present the vibrant and the somber, the heavenly to the earthy, in a series of virtual exhibitions – one shade at a time. 

Ricardo Mallari and Marian Faustino make a purple pair in August Bournonville’s Kermesse in Bruges pas de deux. The duo performed the piece in OPM at OPB (2003) shortly after dancing it as participants in the New York International Ballet Competition. Photo by Ocs Alvarez 

Osias Barroso’s Pinocchio (2004) is a jumble of colors as exemplified by this scene showing the lead character, the puppet Pinocchio (Alvin Santos) and the Fox (Francis Cascaño), the latter wearing a deep purple coat, a violet scarf and pink pants. Photo by Ocs Alvarez 

Lisa Macuja-Elizalde is a vision in violet as the perennially-in-peril Medora while Rudy De Dios is the dashing pirate Conrad always ready to save her in Le Corsaire (2013). Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Portraying the king in Ang Prinsipe ng mga Ibon (from Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, 2008), Marvin Medina wears an Oriental-inspired robe anchored on purple brocade as he greets his daughter Prinsesa Singsing (Yanti Marduli). Photo by Ocs Alvarez

The Plaza del Torro girls literally kick up a storm in a scene from Eric V. Cruz’s Carmen, staged as part of BM 21 (2016), Rissa May Camaclang in violet and Abigail Oliveiro in red. Photo by Kurt Alvarez

As the Jester in Swan Lake (2017), Gerardo Francisco draws attention not just with his antics but his get-up which is in a combination of attractive colors, including wine-colored tights and a pair of purple shoes. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Kong Ke Xin as Fairy Godmother makes magic with a wave of her wand and a twirl of her tutu in shades of lavender and lilac in Lisa Macuja’s Cinderella (2018). Photo by MarBi Photography

Pretty-in-purple Jisoo Yang is one of twelve sisters who secretly leave the palace for a night out, confounding their father the king, who find their muddy shoes the morning after. The story is one of three showcased in Tatlo Pang Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (2013). Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Rudy De Dios as Prince Sigfried wears finery in eggplant color, a stark contrast to the white worn by Giselle (Lisa Macuja-Elizalde) and the rest of the wilis – jilted women turned spirits – in the classic Giselle (2010). Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Purple-colored harem pants and sashes, worn by Mark Sumaylo (left) and Francis Cascaño, draw the eye in this scene from La Bayadere (2013) as they escort Gamzatti (Mylene Aggabao) in white, with the row of Parrot girls behind in red. Photo by Ocs Alvarez