Ballet Manila Moments: Marrying OPM and dance

Since 1995, Ballet Manila has been creating unforgettable performances on stage. As the acclaimed storytellers on toes, they have breathed life to an amazing range of classical and contemporary fare. The Ballet Manila Archives celebrates some of those moments from the company’s first 25 years through this series.

Love is a recurring theme in most art forms – dance and music included. It has become a common sight for singers performing Original Pilipino Music (OPM) to be accompanied by dancers using classical techniques to express the depth of love and desire.

For the final installment of Ballet Manila Moments’ celebration of Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino, we are featuring a rare OPM and ballet collaboration. For Ballet Manila’s Ballet & Ballads with Christian Bautista in 2018, Asia’s Romantic Balladeer sang his hit song, Kapit, while BM artists performed a contemporary piece choreographed by prima ballerina and BM artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde.