Bonifacio in ballet: Exploring two facets of a hero through dance
Andres Bonifacio has been a source of fascination for Ballet Manila co-artistic associate and resident choreographer Gerardo Francisco Jr. So much so that he has explored facets of the Filipino hero – revered as the “Father of the Philippine Revolution” for his resistance against Spanish colonial rule in the 1890s – in two of his dance pieces.
Niño Guevarra embodies fearlessness as the hero Andres Bonifacio in Gerardo Francisco Jr.’s Bayani (Hero). Photo by Ocs Alvarez
In 2006, Francisco created Bayani (Hero) as a competition piece for Niño Guevarra in the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA). It was a traditional interpretation of Bonifacio as a revolutionary leader and rebel.
Francisco underscored his courageous nature in bold and aggressive movements, befitting the so-called Supremo or supreme leader of the Katipunan who didn’t back down from a fight.
“Na-inspire ako sa katapangan niya. He would do anything for his country kahit buhay pa ang kapalit,” Francisco noted. (I was inspired by his courage. He would do anything for his country even if it would cost him his life.)
In 2018, Francisco made another competition piece called Ka Andres, performed by Rafael Perez in the junior division of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Ballet Competition. This time, he delved on another aspect of the hero – that of being a writer.
Rafael Perez portrays the gentler side of the revolutionary leader in Ka Andres, another choreography by Gerardo Francisco Jr. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Admiring Bonifacio’s talent for penning poems, the choreographer was particularly struck by this line from Pag-Ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa: “Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila gaya ng pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa?” (What love can compare in purity and greatness to the love for one’s native land?)
“Bilib ako sa katapangan niya, tapos ang galing din palang magsulat (I admire his bravery, and then it turns out he was so talented because he could also write well),” cited Francisco who included scribbling as part of the movements comprising his choreography.
If Bayani portrayed the “hardcore Bonifacio,” Ka Andres was the opposite as it depicted what Francisco described as the gentler, artistic side of the hero. Both depictions turned out to be winners for the dancers who took on the contrasting natures of the same figure. Guevarra took home the silver from NAMCYA. Perez also got the silver in the CCP Ballet Competition.
