‘Cinderella’ in Dumaguete, ‘Le Corsaire’ in Jakarta and more: Busy last quarter for Ballet Manila
Ballet Manila is taking on the last quarter of the year with a full-packed schedule that’s taking the company places – literally – with a slate of performances in the Philippines and abroad.
Florante at Laura, with principal dancer Joshua Enciso as Florante, will have an extended run at Areté at the Ateneo De Manila University in Quezon City on November 22, 23 and 24.
The busy season kicked off last October 12 with the world premiere of Florante at Laura at Aliw Theater. Choreographed by Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Martin Lawrance to the music and orchestration of National Artist Ryan Cayabyab and libretto by Dr. Michael Coroza, it was the first ballet adaptation of Fracisco Balagtas’ epic poem.
Shortly after the last performance of Florante at Laura, a delegation of 11 Ballet Manila dancers hied off to Taiwan for a performance of Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s Cinderella in a collaboration with Zhongli Youth at Taoyuan Performing Arts Center. It was mounted on October 26 as part of the Taoyuan Iron Rose Festival with an 80-strong cast of Taiwanese ballet students.
Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde, who headed the delegation, posted in her social media accounts that time: “Finding it very hard to sleep. Still buzzing from the Florante at Laura last show with live orchestra music and I have to get up in a few hours to fly to Taiwan.”
She then shared a list of Ballet Manila’s performances for the rest of the year.
Ballet Manila brings the magic of Cinderella to Dumaguete City, November 8 to 10. In photo is Stephanie Santiago as Fairy Godmother.
Her own choreography of Cinderella takes centerstage at the Claire McGill Luce Auditorium in Dumaguete City on November 8, 9 and 10 with five performances.
Ballet Manila then heads to Jakarta, Indonesia on November 16 and 17 to present her version of Le Corsaire which premiered at the Aliw Theater last February.
Less than a week later, the company will bring Florante at Laura to Areté at the Ateneo De Manila University in Quezon City on November 22, 23 and 24.
Together with the Manila Broadcasting Company, Ballet Manila will then stage the latest edition of its popular Ballet & Ballads series on November 29 and December 6.
Meanwhile, the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet will present its annual Christmas ballet The Nutcracker on December 15.
Ballet Manila will also collaborate with Ballet Baguio for another staging of Cinderella, this time in the City of Pines, on December 22.
Finally, the company closes 2024 with Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s Snow White as the featured presentation in its annual Holiday Cheer series, with five shows from December 25 to 29 in Aliw Theater.
Photos by Giselle P. Kasilag
Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s Le Corsaire, starring principal dancers Mark Sumaylo as the pirate Conrad and Abigail Oliveiro as Medora, is headed to Jakarta, Indonesia with two shows on November 16 and 17.
