In celebration of National Heritage Month, we take a look at choreographies based on facets of Filipino culture that are part of the Ballet Manila repertoire. Since its creation in 1995, the company has sought to feature such pieces in its programs, offering a unique mix as Philippine inspirations are interpreted in ballet form. Ballet Manila has brought these vignettes on numerous performance tours in the provinces and in other countries as a way of reinforcing cultural identity and of introducing the country’s rich heritage to the world. The black and white photographs seen in this series, from the Ballet Manila Archives collection, were taken during the company’s early years.

Mosquerade

Music: Edru Abraham and KontraGapi

Choreography: Ianne Damian

Mosquerade is a stylized interpretation of the colorful and exotic traditional wedding dance from the Muslim land of Mindanao. The celebration starts with the fan dance and builds up into the exciting singkil dance led by the royal bride and groom.