Three of a Kind: Bottoms up!

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.

Drinking scenes in ballet may seem inconsequential but these actually move the story along, serving as take-off points for memorable encounters, dramatic conflicts and surprising turns of events. In these examples, see how a simple toast leads the characters to differing unforgettable moments. Cheers!

Prince Siegfried (Mark Sumaylo, right) is turning 21 and is in a jovial mood in Swan Lake (2017). His friend and confidant Benno (Neil John Mag-aso) joins him for a celebratory swig, as the ladies and gentlemen of the royal court and the jester gather around them for the festivities. Benno later urges Siegfried to hunt in the forest where the prince unexpectedly comes upon the Swan Queen Odette. Photo by Ocs Alvarez

In Rudy De Dios’ Carmina Burana (2020), the evil being Atheos (John Ralp Balagot) descends on the city of Tezra which has been plagued by drought. By telling people that their god Agape has abandoned them, he hopes to destroy their faith and win them over to his side for sinister purposes. He also tries to corrupt their leader, Solom, by inviting him to drink their worries away, eventually resulting in a classic good versus evil confrontation. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag

Francis Cascaño as Tybalt acts as the ringleader in this scene from Sergey Vikulov’s Romeo and Juliet (2007) set in the house of the Capulets. On this night of feasting, he marshals his cohorts into downing goblets of wine, unknowing that Romeo – a member of the enemy clan, the Montagues – will sneak in on the party and see Juliet for the first time. Photo by Ocs Alvarez