Ballet Manila in Full Color: Red-letter days

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.

Prinsesa Singsing (Lisa Macuja Elizalde) spends a day as vibrant as the red in her playful royal garb, interacting with loyal subjects of the kingdom. In Ang Prinsipe ng Mga Ibon, one of the stories showcased in  Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (2008), she would find even more joy as she falls for an unlikely suitor – the bird prince. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Radiant in red, Kitri (Jasmine Pia Dames) is held aloft by Basilio (Noah Esplana) with just one hand. The iconic move is a favorite in Don Quixote, the pas de deux from which was performed by this pair in Ballet Manila’s Greatest Hits in Malaysia (2024). Photo by Larry Salgado

In the Land of Sweets in The Nutcracker (2001), the Arabian dancers (Marcus Tolentino and Elline Damian) perform a special number at the kingdom where the Sugarplum Fairy reigns supreme. Wearing matching finery in red, the couple represents coffee in a program showcasing treats that also features Spanish dancers and Chinese dancers, symbolizing chocolate and tea, respectively. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

Lankadem (Noah Esplana) makes his presence known in a red ensemble, launching into powerful leaps that reflect his boldness and audacity. He is a feared character in Le Corsaire (2024) as he sells off women as slaves to bidders in the pirate adventure. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag

Clad in red dresses accentuated by sparkling beads, the “parrot girls” in La Bayadere (2004) engaged in the light-hearted Waltz of the Parrots. The festive colors they wear and the plumed creatures they hold in their hands signify the luxuriousness of the Rajah’s palace in this Indian-inspired tale. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

The sultry Carmen (Dawna Reign Mangahas) sure knows how to make an entrance. In her red fringed dress, she instantly catches attention – and the arched eyebrows of the women in the crowd. The scene is from Eric V. Cruz’s Carmen, featured in BM 21 (2016), an adaptation of Georges Bizet’s opera about a free-spirited woman whose seductive ways lead to tragic consequences. Photo by Kurt Alvarez

Complementing outfits in two shades of red are worn by Sandralynn Huang and Mylene Aggabao as they dance to the lilting melody of Magandang Gabi. The number is part of Mga Awit at Sayaw, a suite choreographed to familiar OPM songs which was part of the Manila preview of Ballet Manila Goes International (2005). Photo by Ocs Alvarez