Giselle – a tale of love, heartbreak and forgiveness – holds a special place in the history of Ballet Manila. It was the season production in October 2019 that the company was scheduled to perform when a massive fire broke out in Star City, damaging the complex including BM’s home theater, Aliw.  

The tragedy left Ballet Manila devastated but the dance community rallied behind the company. With the support of friends and colleagues, Giselle was staged at the neighboring Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) three times: once at the Main Theater and twice at the Little Theater. At the end of the first run, BM artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde made a pledge: “Babangon tayo!” (We will rise up!)

True to her promise, Ballet Manila has since returned, and is mounting Giselle again in three shows – back in its home, the Aliw Theater. Taking on the lead roles are Mariinsky Ballet principal dancer Renata Shakirova as Giselle and soloist Aleksei Timofeyev as Albrecht on August 31, 8 p.m., and on September 1, 5 p.m.

In this video, we revisit Ballet Manila’s last performance of Giselle at the CCP in 2019 with principal dancers Abigail Oliveiro and Mark Sumaylo debuting as Giselle and Albrecht. The couple will reprise their roles in a matinee performance of Giselle on August 31.

Tickets to Giselle are now available through TicketWorld. Click on this direct link to buy tickets: https://bit.ly/PresaleBMGiselle2024