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!”

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.

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.