Ballet Manila’s love affair with Philippine literature
Principal dancer Abigail Oliveiro portrayed the mythical titular character in Ibong Adarna, Gerardo’s full-length ballet based on the 16th century Filipino epic poem. Photo by MarBi Photography
Acclaimed as the “storytellers on toes,” Ballet Manila has enjoyed a love affair with Philippine literature – transforming tales familiar to Filipino readers into dance and making beloved characters leap off, as it were, from the page to the stage.
One of its most successful adaptations is Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang which premiered in 2008 and has since been restaged in whole or as separate stories. The trilogy features three stories of Severino Reyes, the celebrated Filipino author best known for his literary alter ego, Lola Basyang, as retold by Christine Bellen.
Luz Fernandez was the storytelling grandmother in Ballet Manila’s Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, with artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde as “Ate Lisa” who helped unfold the stories on stage. Photo by Ocs Alvarez
Because of the effusive reaction to the show in its December premiere, the run was extended throughout the Christmas season. Veteran actress Luz Fernandez, who recently passed away, played the grandmother Lola Basyang who regaled her apos (grandchildren) with stories she reads from a book. Assisting her in unfolding the stories was Ate Lisa, Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, who would dance across the stage as each story began and even “interact” with the characters.
Audiences were in for a thrilling journey, as Prinsipe ng mga Ibon followed the romance of a human princess and a bird prince and as Ang Kapatid ng Tatlong Maria took them to distant kingdoms as a brother searched for his missing sisters. The viewers couldn’t help but laugh at the antics of the villain, Ahab, and his comeuppance at the hands of Rodrigo as the latter forces him to dance using a magic violin in Ang Mahiwagang Biyulin.
Macuja-Elizalde says turning children’s books into ballets is especially appealing because there is already a built-in look and mood to them. “The beautiful illustrations in children’s books already give you the feel and look of the ballet performance. I also visualize what will bring people to the ballet, and what stories would families enjoy watching.”
In 2013, Ballet Manila decided to select new stories to feature in a follow-up trilogy titled Tatlo Pang Kuwento ni Lola Basyang. This time, a romance, an adventure and a comedy-thriller were combined for a merry mix that would once again make viewers fall in love, root for the hero and laugh along – pure entertainment showcased in dance.
Labingdalawang Masasayang Prinsesa is about twelve princesses who leave the palace at night and mysteriously come back with muddy shoes. Where could they be going to? Ang Palasyo ng Mga Duwende is about a girl, maltreated by her stepmother and stepsister, who eventually befriends a community of dwarves and finds true love because of them. Anting-Anting focuses on the coward Huwan whose attempts to attain an amulet to gain courage only ends in humorous mishaps.
Again, the trilogy became a showcase not only for Ballet Manila’s inhouse choreographers, but for a long list of artists as it made use of music by veteran composers and even National Artists, and designers who dreamed up the costumes, backdrops and props. Naturally, the dancers were in the spotlight as they conveyed the stories in steps, movements and mime.
Ballet Manila came up with a follow-up Lola Basyang trilogy in 2013 featuring three more stories by Severino Reyes as retold by Christine Bellen.
In 2009, Ballet Manila turned another children’s book into a ballet, Ed Maranan’s story with an environmental theme about the twins Sibol (Bloom), the nurturer, and Gunaw (Doom), the destroyer. Their mother Luningning must find a way for the two to reconcile to ensure that nature thrives.
Just as with the two Lola Basyang trilogies, the production drew on the talents of a creative team that resulted in a spectacle of giant flowers, a battle between good and evil, and the fascinating fusion of music and dance with ethnic flavors.
“We always want to surprise our audiences. Si Sibol at Si Gunaw is not only highly entertaining, but very timely in theme as well. Creating a ballet that teaches our children to preserve the environment was, simply put, a good thing to do,” Macuja-Elizalde said at the time.
Another ambitious page-to-stage performance became a reality for Ballet Manila when it premiered Gerardo Francisco’s Ibong Adarna in 2017. It was the first retelling of the 16th century Filipino epic poem in dance, a groundbreaking full-length production that – like the Basyang ballets – has been restaged multiple times since. It was even brought to Israel on a performance tour as part of the renowned Karmiel Dance Festival in 2018.
Ibong Adarna follows the search of three princes – Pedro, Diego and Juan – for the mythical bird with a healing voice that would cure their ailing father. The journey of each prince leads to encounters with intriguing characters and creatures such as a hermit, a band of hunters, a tribe of warrior women, twinkling fireflies, playful monkeys and finally, the magical Adarna.
While a rift later ensues among the brothers, even leading to an intense and intricately choreographed fight scene, the story ends in reconciliation and forgiveness. Again, as in the Lola Basyang shows, there is an emphasis on values and lessons learned that could be imparted to the audience.
Alamat: Si Sibol at Si Gunaw was based on Ed Maranan’s environmental fable about twins, the girl Sibol who is a nurturer of nature and the boy Gunaw who becomes its destroyer. Photo by Ocs Alvarez
For Macuja-Elizalde, mining Philippine literature has always proven to be a good choice, lifting Ballet Manila to new heights. Its benefits have been manifold, she believes, not only for the company but for the viewers.
“It’s important to always have something new to present to your audiences, to keep them interested, to keep the performances updated, and to keep the interest and passion of your dancers. When you perform the classics, your ballet technique will develop and get stronger. But you grow so much as a company when you tackle original works that are choreographed by your company, and the company expands its audience reach as well.
