Three of a Kind: Dancing to the end
They say that good things come in threes and the Ballet Manila Archives wholeheartedly agrees! In this series, we feature three photos or videos with the same theme that celebrate the history of ballet, the company, and its dancers.
Death scenes at the ballet come across as more dramatic and fully charged, with dancers having to convey their emotions through a range of expressions, gestures and movements rather than words and lines. With the observance of All Saints Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2), we once again focus on those moments when characters meet a tragic end and the dancing stops.
Solor (Noah Esplana) weeps in anguish before the lifeless body of Nikiya (Abigail Oliveiro) in La Bayadere (2026). Nikiya has been bitten by a poisonous snake but refuses to accept an antidote from the Brahmin. The temple dancer chooses death over a life without the warrior Solor who – while swearing eternal love to her – agrees with the Rajah to marry his daughter Gamzatti. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Birbanto (Joshua Enciso) turns against Conrad (Romeo Peralta Jr.) in Le Corsaire (2024) when the lead pirate decides to free the enslaved women out of his love for Medora. After wounding the loyal servant Ali (Gerardo Francisco Jr.), the treacherous Birbanto meets his end when Conrad fires back at him. Video from the Ballet Manila Archives
Slain by Tybalt, Mercutio (Anselmo Dictado) is mourned by friends including the inconsolable Romeo (Joshua Enciso, in white) who is driven into a frenzy of despair and vengeance. The scene is from Martin Lawrance’s Romeo & Juliet (2023), an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragic tale given a gritty Filipino urban twist. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
