Tangled may have been inspired by a popular game enjoyed by Filipino youngsters. But as a choreography dreamed up by the prolific Gerardo “Geri” Francisco Jr., it proved it was no child’s play when it won the gold medal in the Contemporary Ballet Duo/Trio Junior Division of the Asian Ballet Competition in August 2021.

It was performed in a video entry for the competition by Project Ballet Futures scholars Juan Angelo De Leon, Germaine Dawal and John Stanley Alamer who showed dexterity, quick-footedness and agility through the fast-paced piece.

Constrained in the choice of music, Geri settled on one that tickled his imagination. He remembered an old game that he used to play with friends which he thought would fit the music and would be an appropriate theme for the three teenaged dancers.

“Doctor Quack Quack,” as the game is known, involves a group of players forming a circle and, while holding hands, must tangle themselves up. A designated “it” called “Doctor Quack Quack” is then called upon to solve the puzzle and unravel the human knot.

The Tangled choreography thus has the three boys holding one another’s hands most of the time, as they go through a flurry of movements – lifting their interlocked arms, swinging feet above the head, and twisting their bodies in keeping with the frenzied music.

The “challenge” for the dancers, says Geri, is for the dancers to untangle themselves. But in the end, only two are able to leave the knot and the third one is left confounded, with crossed arms.

The tricky part about the choreography is ensuring that the dancers don’t get in each other’s way. Their steps, while hurried, must be assured and decisive for a smooth flow. The brisk music can even add pressure as it pushes the dancers to move in precision all the way to the end.

Geri recalls that while working on Tangled last year, studio rehearsals were still limited because of pandemic restrictions. Then two of the boys got sick two weeks before the submission of the video. But thankfully, they recovered just in time and managed to master the knotty choreography and be attuned to one another.

The team effort paid off, with Tangled securing a gold medal.