This Month in BM History: January 1998

In the three years it had been around, Ballet Manila had already proven it could dance anywhere and everywhere. Having already performed in “A to Z” – Abra to Zamboanga, that is – it had also showed that ballet could be performed beyond the traditional theater setting, with engagements in a cockpit arena, town plazas and gymnasiums. 

In 1998, it would find another unusual venue in Star City, an amusement park more used to hosting pop music or dance fare. It was actually more like a homecoming since the company performed Ballet & Ballads, a roadshow conceptualized by Fred J. Elizalde, husband of then Ballet Manila principal dancer and artistic associate Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and owner of Star City.

Ballet & Ballads – a combination of classical ballet and pop music featuring a guest celebrity singer – was a collaborative effort between Elizalde’s Manila Broadcasting Company, through its stations across the country, and Ballet Manila. Now, it was going in front of audiences in Star City.

The show featured excerpts from the Christmas classic The Nutcracker, with principal danseur Osias Barroso performing opposite Ballet Manila pioneer Pamela Asprer, substituting for Macuja-Elizalde who was pregnant at the time.

Also featured was Tony Fabella’s OPM Suite that had Ballet Manila dancing to pop songs such as Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko, Nais Ko and Butsikik. 

Guest balladeer Nelson del Castillo performed his hit song, You’re My Best Friend, to which the ensemble danced. 

Newspaper item shares details about Ballet Manila’s appearance in Star City. Clipping from the Ballet Manila Archives collection