Ballet Manila in Full Color: Orange zest

Ballet Manila has showcased a rich palette of hues in its productions over the years. Now, the company’s true colors are revealed! Gathering photographs from the Ballet Manila Archives, we present the vibrant and the somber, the heavenly to the earthy, in a series of virtual exhibitions – one shade at a time.

Ballerinas in eye-catching orange led by Missy Elizalde form part of the cast of Dancing to Verdi. Choreographed by Tony Fabella as a gift for Ballet Manila and a tribute to the strength and stamina of its dancers, the rigorous neoclassical piece was staged as part of Two (2014). Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Pretty ballerinas all in a row – dressed in orange tutus with distinctive black details on the skirt and on the bodice. They’re performing an excerpt of the Spanish-themed Paquita for the Pearl Gala, Ballet Manila’s 30th anniversary production (2025). Photo by Erica Marquez-Jacinto

The Chinese Dance is easily one of the crowd-pleasers in the Christmas ballet staple The Nutcracker. Representing tea in the land of sweets, Pamela Asprer and Jeffrey Espejo are paired up in orange tunics adorned with red floral appliqués in this promotional photo dating back to Ballet Manila’s early years. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

As the goddess of the hunt in Diane and Acteon, Tiffany Chiang-Janolo wears a tutu using two shades of orange. Personifying beauty, grace and strength, Diane wanders through the forest and encounters the hunter Acteon who is instantly smitten with her. The pas de deux comes from the ballet La Esmeralda and was performed in the holiday production Maligayang Christmas (2011). Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Jenny Olayvar kicks things into high gear – literally – in the opening sequence of Romeo and Juliet (2007). She wears three varying hues of orange, spanning from bright and light in her tutu, to a darker shade in her headband and finally a deep vermillion in her overskirt. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

This fanciful orange frock with layers of lace and an oversized flower on its top is just the apt outfit for the Christmas extravaganza dubbed Nutkraker: Pasko na Naman Muli (2014). Holding a hula hoop, this ballerina makes a joyful leap so fitting for the spirited carol Sa Paskong Darating. Photo by Daniel Trinidad

Clad in frilly orange numbers worn over gray bodysuits, Mylene Aggabao and Francis Cascaño interpret Josh Groban’s Alejate (Just Walk Away) in Manuel Molina’s Love Beyond Goodbye. An exploration of the different phases of a relationship as portrayed by several couples, the emotion-filled choreography was staged in Masterpieces in Motion (2011). Photo by Ocs Alvarez