Flower power, ballet-style

“He loves me, he loves me not…” The peasant girl Giselle, unsure of Albrecht’s love for her, utters those words as she tears off the petals, one by one, of the daisy he has just given her. Flowers have figured prominently in ballet such as in this scene from the classic Giselle. But whether they help propel the story along or not, there is no doubt that blooms of all kinds always add cheer or a pop of color to any production. Here are just a few instances of flower power at the ballet!

“Le Jardine Animé” or The Living Garden in Le Corsaire is one of the most famous scenes in classical ballet. The spectacle of roses and garlands and ballerinas in pink tutus led by Medora (Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, 2010) always captivates audiences. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Wearing a red dress, with a red rose tucked behind her ear and another clutched in her hand, the gypsy Carmen (Abigail Oliveiro) seduces, teases and tantalizes in Eric V. Cruz’s Carmen (2018), based on the tragic opera of the same title. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag

The impending marriage of Honoree (Jasmine Pia Dames) into a respectable family is in peril in Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s La Traviata (2020), after her brother Alfredo gets involved with the courtesan Violetta. After she and her father Giorgio beg Violetta to leave Alfredo, Honoree remains thoughtful as she dances before a floral backdrop. Photo by Erickson Dela Cruz

In Hazel Sabas-Gower’s Sinderela (2012), the fairy Tiera (Dawna Reign Mangahas) and her garden spirits reflect the color and bounty of nature with their flower and leaf-accented green tutus and hair ornaments. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Medora (Abigail Oliveiro) joyfully shows Conrad (Mark Sumaylo) the bouquet of flowers she has just received in Le Corsaire (2018), unknowing of the fate that will soon befall them. The bouquet has been sprayed with a potion that puts Conrad to sleep when he smells it, giving the villains an opportunity to kidnap Medora once more. Photo by Ian Santos

In Carmen (2003), Don Jose (Osias Barroso) falls for the wiles of the temptress Carmen. Just before their bedroom tryst, he dances with the single, deep red rose that she has coyly given him. Just like the rose, Carmen is every bit as alluring and irresistible. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Though in love with Albrecht (Elpidio Magat Jr.), Giselle (Joan Emery Sia) in Giselle (2019) still has her doubts about his feelings for her. When he gives her a daisy, she subsequently tears off its petals one by one in a game of “He loves me, he loves me not…” Photo by Erickson Dela Cruz

The temple dancer Nikiya (Lisa Macuja-Elizalde) in La Bayadere (2004) performs at the engagement of her love Solor to Gamzatti, not knowing that the latter has conspired to have a poisonous snake placed in the basket of flowers she is holding. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Ballerinas led by Rissa May Camaclang wear crowns of delicate roses on their head, adding to the ethereal feel of Les Sylphides (2019). Also known as Chopiniana, the white ballet about a poet’s search for inspiration in the forest was staged as part of Deux. Photo by Ian Santos

Beauty queen Janine Tugonon, as the mother of Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake (2011) is presented a bouquet of flowers just as the birthday ball of her son is about to commence. Photo by Ocs Alvarez