Death on the dance floor

At the ballet where steps, movements, gestures and facial expressions take the place of words in telling a narrative, the most intense scenes that can occur on stage are those dealing with death. In thirty years, Ballet Manila – as the acclaimed storyteller on toes – has taken on the challenge multiple times of showing those dramatic moments.

As the nation observes All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2), the Ballet Manila Archives shares examples of the company finding that delicate combination of strength, grace and emotion in depicting the loss of life through dance.

Rather than face a life without Romeo (Rudy De Dios) who has taken his life after thinking she is dead, Juliet (Lisa Macuja Elizalde) follows his lead. In the tragic Shakespearean tale, Romeo and Juliet (2007), the inconsolable heroine – whose family is opposed to marrying a Montague just as Romeo’s own family rejects a Capulet like her – plunges a dagger into her heart. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Myrtha (Stephanie Santiago, right) summons her wilis – the spirits of women deceived or jilted by their lovers – in welcoming a newcomer to their ranks, Giselle (Mariinsky Ballet principal dancer Renata Shakirova, left). In the classic tale, Giselle (2024), the simple country girl dies of a broken heart when she discovers that the man she loves, the peasant Albrecht, is actually a count who has already promised marriage to Bathilde. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag

Abigail Oliveiro takes on the challenge of dancing Dying Swan, Mikhail Fokine’s three-minute piece simulating the final moments of the titular subject. In this performance as part of Ballet Manila’s Silver Gala (2023) in Baguio City, the principal dancer must appear weak yet be strong enough to go on pointes and move gracefully to do justice to the haunting portrayal. Photo by MarBi Photography

In the People Power and Spartacus mash-up that is Rebel (2016), choreographed by Martin Lawrance, the death of opposition leader Benigno (Rudy De Dios) awakens the nation symbolized by Inang Bayan (Lisa Macuja Elizalde, back to camera) and inspires the people to stand up and fight for democracy. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Escaping the clutches of Von Rothbart, Odette (Katherine Barkman) and Prince Siegfried (Esteban Hernandez) choose to leap to their deaths and fulfill the promise of eternal love together in Swan Lake (2025), leaving behind maidens who have broken free from the spell of the malevolent magician. The San Francisco Ballet soloist and principal dancer, respectively, were guest artists in Ballet Manila’s first restaging of the classical warhorse after the pandemic. Photo by Larry Salgado

In Florante at Laura (2024), the sly and cunning Adolfo (Romeo Peralta Jr.) wrestles the kingdom of Albania from Haring Linceo while its defender, the warrior Florante, is away. He also attempts to assault Florante’s beloved Laura. Fortunately, the brave Flerida witnesses the incident and fires an arrow into Adolfo’s heart, thus rescuing Laura from his evil clutches. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag

The cowardly Huwan (Michael Divinagracia) is advised to go to a cemetery so he can obtain an amulet that will ward off evil spirits. In this scene from Anting-Anting, a story from Tatlo Pang Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (2013), Huwan encounters a group of young ladies whom he is friendly with at first – until they bare their fangs at him and more of the undead soon start to join them. Photo by Ocs Alvarez