‘Snow White’ goes to Malaysia
Abigail Oliveiro and Mark Sumaylo reprise their roles as Snow White and the Prince which they first danced at the Iron Rose Festival in Taoyuan, Taiwan in 2024. Photo courtesy of Zhongli Youth Ballet
Ballet Manila will bring “the fairest of them all” to Malaysia as it partners anew with the Kuala Lumpur-based DanceLink Performing Arts to present another fairy-tale ballet.
Principal dancer Abigail Oliveiro (left) and company artist Nanami Hasegawa alternate in the title role as Ballet Manila brings Snow White to Malaysia. Photos by MarBi Photography and Larry Salgado
Snow White, Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s adaptation of the popular children’s story, is set to enthrall audiences at Stage 1 of the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Center (PJPAC) on the following dates: September 25, 7:30 p.m.; September 26, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and September 27, 3 p.m.
This follows last year’s successful collaboration between Ballet Manila and DanceLink, Cinderella, which also had four shows at the same venue and enthralled viewers with its mix of romance, magic and humor.
Snow White continues with the same elements, as told through classical ballet and vibrant storytelling, promising an unforgettable theater experience for children and adults alike.
Nanami Hasegawa as Snow White dances with principal dancer Romeo Peralta Jr. as the Prince. Photo by MarBi Photography
Ballet Manila gives life to the tale of Snow White who flees to the forest after the vain and envious stepmother queen attempts to get rid of her. There, the princess befriends not just the animals, but the Seven Dwarfs who make her laugh and dote on her. The queen, however, is not done with her evil ways. Disguising herself as an old woman, she tricks Snow White into eating a poisoned apple. Everyone grieves, thinking she is dead, but is awakened by the kiss of the Prince.
Principal dancer Abigail Oliveiro and company artist Nanami Hasegawa alternate as Snow White while they are partnered respectively by principal dancer Mark Sumaylo and principal dancer Romeo Peralta. Oliveiro takes on a second role as the Evil Queen, alternating with principal dancer Stephanie Santiago. Sumaylo and Peralta will dance as the Huntsman for each other’s cast.
Company artist Marinette Franco will be the Witch in the Mirror. Portraying the Seven Dwarfs are: soloists Rafael Perez (Bashful) and Sean Pelegrin (Doc), and company artists Juan Angelo De Leon (Happy), John Carl Concepcion (Dopey), Jefferson Balute (Sneezy), Raymond Salcedo (Grumpy), and Jamil Montibon (Sleepy).
Principal dancer Stephanie Santiago performs as the Evil Queen. Photo by MarBi Photography
Like in Cinderella, Snow White will feature Ballet Manila with local Malaysian talents who auditioned for the production through DanceLink. The young dancers will take on such roles as the Huntsman’s children and the children’s playmates, the Mirror Girls and Fairies, Ladies’ Group Dance, as well as Emeralds, Opals, Sapphires and Rubies representing the precious stones found by the Seven Dwarfs in the mines.
DanceLink Performing Arts artistic director Alfren Salgado expressed gratitude to the Embassy of the Philippines in Kuala Lumpur, led by Ambassador Angela Abrera Ponce and Deputy Head of Mission Roussel Reyes for their “generous support and continued encouragement of the performing arts and Filipino artists in Malaysia.”
Salgado is a former Ballet Manila dancer, a link that paved the way for the Manila-based company to be able to perform in Malaysia through the auspices of DanceLink. Together, the two entities have collaborated on Tour de Force (2019), Ballet Manila’s Greatest Hits (2024) and Cinderella (2025).
Snow White made its international debut at the Iron Rose Festival in Taoyuan, Taiwan in November 2024. It was also Ballet Manila’s Holiday Cheer offering in December 2025.
