Ballet Manila Moments: A fusion of literature and ballet
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.
Literature has always been an important source of material for ballet productions. At Ballet Manila, Severino Reyes’ Mga Kuwento Ni Lola Basyang has become a gold mine of Filipino stories to be retold through dance.
Ang Kapatid ng Tatlong Marya, choreographed by BM artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde in collaboration with principal dancer and resident choreographer Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Ernest Mandap, is an adventure-filled story from this series that premiered in 2008.
An old couple decides to cut down a magical tree and sells the leaves with healing powers. This angers the serpent living in the tree and, as punishment, it takes away the three daughters of the couple. Years later, they bear another child – a son named Pedro. Upon learning about his sisters, he decides to embark on a journey to find them. But even if he does, will his siblings recognize a brother that they have never met?
Ang Kapatid ng Tatlong Marya is rich in the values and moral lessons that parents would want their children to learn. Presented in dance that combined ballet techniques with traditional Filipino movements made the story easier to understand and appreciate. And with the colorful sets and beautiful costumes, the audience had a truly memorable experience of a uniquely Filipino ballet.
In this clip, BM ballet mistress Eileen Lopez partners with Harold Salgado as the old couple, with Anna Kateri Gelvoria, Zaira Cosico and Mylene Aggabao as the three sisters, and Alvin Santos as Pedro. This video features the joyful moment of reunification with no less than Lisa Macuja-Elizalde herself dancing as one of the grandchildren of the esteemed storyteller, weaving the three tales of Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang into an enchanting fusion of literature and ballet.
