This Month in BM History: January 2020
Uninvited to Aurora’s christening, Maleficent (principal dancer Abigail Oliveiro) exacts revenge by cursing the princess to eternal sleep upon turning sixteen. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Despite the loss of their performance home to a fire almost three months before, Ballet Manila proved true to its frequently uttered slogan to “Just dance!”
Principal dancers Romeo Peralta and Jasmine Pia Dames are paired as Prince Philip and Princess Aurora in Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
The venue may have changed and the dates postponed, but still, the curtains rose on Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s Sleeping Beauty. From December 7 and 8 the previous year, it was staged on January 18 and 19, 2020; and instead of the Aliw Theater, it was seen at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila.
Sleeping Beauty capped Macuja-Elizalde’s Princess Trilogy, consisting of her choreographic adaptations of well-loved fairytales that also included Cinderella and Snow White. For this finale, there was a twist – Cinderella and Snow White are Aurora’s best friends, while her betrothed Prince Philip is childhood pals with the respective partners of the two princesses, Prince Charming and Prince Ferdinand.
But while there were changes in the main plot and some sub-plots were introduced, Sleeping Beauty still bore familiar elements of the old classic such as the Rose Adagio and the Wedding Pas de Deux.
A subscriber’s ticket indicates one of the original show dates of Sleeping Beauty which was instead staged the following month. Ticket from the Ballet Manila Archives collection
In her director’s notes, Macuja-Elizalde particularly thanked co-artistic director Osias Barroso “for all his genius and generosity in rehearsing and adding his own choreography into the mix. Truly a partner for more than 30 years now.”
Jasmine Pia Dames was Princess Aurora, doomed to slumber by the vengeful Maleficent (Abigail Oliveiro) but awakened by Prince Philip (Romeo Peralta), eventually leading to a grand celebration in the kingdom.
Because of a fire that hit Aliw Theater, Sleeping Beauty was staged at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila.
