Ballet Manila makes long-awaited return to ‘Swan Lake’
Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde (fifth from left) leads the media briefing for Swan Lake on Tuesday. With her, from left, are soloist Noah Esplana, principal dancers Jessica Pearl Dames, Mark Sumaylo, Abigail Oliveiro, Shaira Comeros and Joshua Enciso, and company artist Rodney Catubay. On screen are guest artists from San Francisco Ballet – soloist Nathaniel Remez, first soloist Katherine Barkman and principal dancer Esteban Hernandez – who joined in via Zoom. Photo by Erickson Dela Cruz
By Susan A. De Guzman
Ballet Manila is set to return to Swan Lake – the much-heralded classical warhorse it last staged in 2017 – with five performances that will kick off on May 30 at Aliw Theater.
Swan Lake, last performed by Ballet Manila in 2017, is a showcase for a strong corps de ballet and the measure by which a classical company is tested. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
For artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde, it’s a comeback whose time has finally arrived. She expresses excitement and pride, especially since Swan Lake will showcase a corps de ballet that is back in fighting form after its ranks shrank due to the pandemic.
“This corps is even better,” enthuses Lisa. “Being able to perform a great Swan Lake is a sign that a ballet company is formidable and a true classical ballet company in every sense of the title. This is because Swan Lake demands a good strong corps de ballet. At least 20 strong girls who have the stamina, technique and artistry to dance all four acts, switching from court maidens to swans to court maidens and back to swans. A good Swan Lake is a company’s triumph.”
The artistic director bided her time before bringing back Swan Lake so that the corps could grow in strength and number and move again as one. In 2023, as theaters reopened and the performing arts started getting back on its feet, she had to contend with fewer dancers and a leaner company.
San Francisco Ballet’s Katherine Barkman is returning to the dual role of Odette (above) and Odile which she first performed in Ballet Manila’s Swan Lake in 2017. Photo by G-nie Arambulo
But even so, she had her eye fixed on a main goal. As she shared in an interview back then, “Primarily, we want to build a solid corps de ballet again. I can’t do all these classics that I used to be able to do at the drop of a hat; now it’s gone. I’m not saying it’s building from the ground up; it’s not. But I’m not going to rush, I’m not going to hurry.”
She indeed worked on a gradual build-up, while also still striving to present the classics that Ballet Manila has been identified with. There was Don Quixote in 2023 which was followed by Le Corsaire and Giselle in 2024. Now, it’s finally the turn of Swan Lake, and it comes at an auspicious time as the company is marking its 30th anniversary this year.
Tweaking the choreography of Swan Lake, as she did with last year’s Le Corsaire, Lisa is thrilled about the changes she has made, describing the process as a “true upgrade.” “Audiences can expect a clearer story line. Some really great corps dancing in Act 1 and 3. And a flock of swans to die for in Acts 2 and 4. Our soloists are also tackling their roles of Pas de Trois and the Jester with formidable technique and artistry. Over-all, this is a Swan Lake that is a fitting example of what 30 years of performances has brought Ballet Manila to achieve.”
Ballet Manila principal dancer Abigail Oliveiro, who debuted as Odette and Odile (above) in 2017, will again take on the challenge of dancing two contrasting characters. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
After watching live excerpts of Swan Lake at Ballet Manila’s press briefing last Tuesday, dance critic Marge Enriquez had this to say in a Facebook post: “What stood out most was the maturity and depth of Ballet Manila’s ensemble including the hardworking corps. The company proved that classical ballet isn’t merely about technical bravura – sky-high extensions, multiple turns, or explosive jumps – but about the artistry and clean technique that underpins movement. From our vantage point on stage, we saw how each dancer had begun to truly embody their characters.”
She also took note of how Lisa, as artistic director, has drawn out the best from the dancers. “(She) coached with an eye for nuance and classical refinement. Under her guidance, the dancers were pushed toward precision, elegance, and expressive clarity. Small but telling details made a strong impression…”
Principal dancer Jessica Pearl Dames, the vulnerable Odette at the Swan Lake press briefing, will be among the headliners for the Dumaguete run of the ballet classic in July. Photo by MarBi Photography
Lisa – who herself made the remarkable transformation from sweet Odette to cunning Odile many times during her dancing years – counts Swan Lake, with music by Peter Tchaikovsky and choreography by Marius Petita and Lev Ivanov, as one of her favorite ballets. As she noted in her memoirs, Ballerina of the People: “The tragic tale of the beautiful Princess Odette who is turned into a swan by the magician Rothbart, whose only consolation is turning back into human form for a few hours after midnight. On one such occasion, she meets Prince Siegfried, who falls in love with the Swan Princess but is deceived by Rothbart into getting engaged to his own daughter, Odile. In some versions, the ill-fated lovers die together; in others, they break the spell and live happily ever after.”
The forthcoming Swan Lake is headlined by guest artists from the San Francisco Ballet, with principal dancer Esteban Hernandez and first soloist Katherine Barkman paired as Prince Siegfried and Odette/Odile in three shows and soloist Nathaniel Remez and Ballet Manila principal dancer Abigail Oliveiro teaming up for two shows. Katherine made her debut in the full-length Swan Lake in 2017 as Ballet Manila principal dancer then.
This staging features a number of debuts for Ballet Manila artists, including principal dancer Mark Sumaylo as the sorcerer Rothbart and soloist Rafael Perez and company artist Benedict alternating as the Jester.
As Prince Siegfried, Joshua Enciso falls for the wiles of the Black Swan, Odile, as portrayed by fellow principal dancer Shaira Comeros at the Swan Lake press briefing. The pair will be seen in the lead roles when Ballet Manila brings the show to Dumaguete. Photo by MarBi Photography
The Cygnets (Little Swans) will be portrayed by principal dancers Jessica Pearl Dames and Shaira Comeros, soloist Jessa Balote and company artist Nanami Hasegawa. The Big Swans, meanwhile, will be performed by soloists Rissa May Camaclang and Stephanie Santiago, company artist Francesca Raypon and apprentice Shamira Drapete.
With just a little over a week before the curtain rises on the second offering of its Pearl Anniversary season, Lisa is already counting Swan Lake as a win for the company. “Basically, what I can say with our new Swan Lake is, Ballet Manila has conquered and remains victorious over the pandemic, the fire and everything else that has happened to us. We are going super strong at 30!”
Ballet Manila’s Swan Lake at Aliw Theater will feature Katherine Barkman and Esteban Hernandez on May 30, 8 p.m.; May 31, 5 p.m.; and June 1, 5 p.m; and Abigail Oliveiro and Nathaniel Remez on May 31, 1 p.m. and June 1, 1 p.m.
