Under Construction: Florante and the tree
Ask any Filipino what they remember most about Francisco Baltazar’s masterpiece, Florante at Laura, and the answer is most likely Florante being tied to a tree. The epic song, written in 1838, opened with this scene with the hero recounting the events that led to his ambush, capture and exile.
When Ballet Manila artistic associate and resident choreographer Gerardo Francisco Jr. and British choreographer Martin Lawrance began working on a ballet retelling of Florante at Laura, poet and project consultant Michael Coroza immediately voiced out his concern on how that opening scene could be depicted. How can Florante dance while tied to a tree, he wondered. To that, Geri smiled and reassured him. There are many ways to make it happen, he replied with a smile, adding that he would take care of it.
Take care of it, he did! Here’s a sneak peek into the rehearsals of principal dancer Joshua Enciso as Florante expressing his despair and desperation through dance while tied to a makeshift tree, his movements timed to the music of National Artist Ryan Cayabyab.
