Three of a Kind: Family matters

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.

What makes a family? For most, it means being related by blood. For some, it is a chosen connection. In both cases, the ties are nurtured and strengthened through time. We shine the spotlight on three families that Ballet Manila has portrayed, and how unconditional love, care and support fortify their relationship amid the challenges they face.

It’s a joyous family reunion for parents Teong (Romeo Peralta Jr.) and Goya (Judith Po) and their long-lost daughters Marya Loleng (Stephanie Santiago), Marya Upeng (Jessa Balote) and Marya Trining (Rissa May Camaclang). In Ang Kapatid ng Tatlong Marya, one of the stories in Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (2024), the couple’s only son Pedro (Sean Pelegrin) succeeds in his quest to find his missing sisters, traveling far and wide to track them down and bring them home. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag

Something magical happens in Osias Barroso Jr.’s Pinocchio (2007), the ballet adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s novel. Geppetto (Jonathan Janolo) carves the puppet Pinocchio (Roduardo Ma) from wood and when the toy comes to life, the carver embraces him like his own child. They form an instant bond, with Geppetto going to great lengths to provide for his adoptive son and when he goes missing, even braves the dangers of the sea to find Pinocchio. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

The Hunter (Mark Sumaylo) and the Hunter’s Wife (Nanami Hasegawa) console their son (Juan Angelo De Leon) when they receive word that his playmate, Snow White, has supposedly passed away after eating a poisoned apple. Eventually, the family’s grief turns to jubilation when the princess is awakened by true love’s kiss – the happy ending of Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s Snow White (2019), based on the popular fairy tale. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag