A sprinkling of fairy dust at the ballet

Fairies may just be the stuff of fiction, but who wouldn’t want to believe in such beings that possess magical powers and grant the wishes of those who are kind but downtrodden? With a wave of their magic wand and a sprinkling of fairy dust, they make dreams come true and pave the way for happy-ever-after endings. We join the celebration of International Fairy Day, June 24, with a look at the fairies who have enchanted their way into our hearts through Ballet Manila’s stories.

In this scene from Osias Barroso’s Pinocchio (2015), the Blue Fairy (Abigail Oliveiro) is about to change the life of woodcarver Geppetto as she intends to turn his toy creation, Pinocchio, into a living being. She appears before the mischievous puppet throughout his adventures to repeatedly caution him to behave if he wants to become a real boy. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Fairy Godmother (Lisa Macuja-Elizalde) works her magic to make Cinderella’s dream of attending the palace ball come true. After transforming the young girl’s scruffy dress into a glamorous gown, the fairy presents her with a pair of glass slippers to complete the night’s outfit – coupled with a reminder to be back home by midnight. Macuja-Elizalde choreographed this ballet adaptation of Cinderella which premiered in 2016. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

The Lilac Fairy (Joan Emery Sia, center) leads other fairies as they join festivities at the palace marking the christening of Princess Aurora in Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s Sleeping Beauty (2020). Little do they know that the vengeful Maleficent, after not being invited to the event, would soon disrupt the celebration and put a curse the child upon turning sixteen. Photo by Giselle Kasilag

In the fabled Land of Sweets in The Nutcracker, the Sugar Plum Fairy (Katherine Barkman) reigns supreme. True to her name, she symbolizes everything that is sweet, delightful and enchanting. All these traits, along with her exquisite dancing, easily makes her a beloved character in the popular Christmas ballet. Photo by Kurt Alvarez

In Hazal Sabas-Gower’s Sinderela (2012), a modern adaptation of the Cinderella tale, the fairy godmother is known as Tita Nia (Hana Oh, right). Instead of a ball, Sinderela (Sofia Sangco-Peralta) hopes to join an audition to become the leading lady of matinee idol Al Principe and is thankful when Tita Nia shows up to help. Photo by Ocs Alvarez