This Month in BM History: April 1999
Dubbed as “the most successful ballet roadshow ever,” Ballet & Ballads came to Pangasinan on April 15, 1999 with a performance at the 4,000-seater Dagupan City People’s Astrodome.
Ballet & Ballads was presented at the 4,000-seater Dagupan City People’s Astrodome. Souvenir program from the Ballet Manila Archives collection
Ballet & Ballads was a concept of Manila Broadcasting Company chairman and Ballet Manila patron Fred J. Elizalde who thought of putting together ballet and pop music in shows that would be brought to different parts of the country. The series was to be presented by MBC and its partner-stations nationwide, sometimes together with the provincial government, as was the case in Pangasinan.
It was in keeping with Ballet Manila’s mission to bring ballet to the people, with Ballet & Ballads introducing the uninitiated to the art of ballet and making it accessible to them. Adding mass appeal was the “Ballads” portion which, on this leg, featured Jeanine Desiderio and Blakdyak.
In keeping with the series “formula,” Ballet Manila had spot numbers, as did the singers, but there were also moments when they would all perform together in a showcase of dance and music.
Ballet Manila’s Dagupan repertoire consisted of Sleeping Beauty pas de deux, Paquita pas de trois, Sana Maulit Muli, Fairy Doll, Romance, Le Corsaire pas de deux and Dancing to Verdi.
