After conquering unthinkable adversities and rising like a victorious phoenix from it all, Ballet Manila, the country’s leading classical dance company, is back with its live performance season – now on its 25th edition – on its 27th year as a dance company, looking ahead with hope for better days while coming back to the core of Ballet Manila: dancing classical ballet at its highest standards
“The challenges that Ballet Manila has been through these past years have only proven our grit and resilience in the face of adversity. That is why we feel that it’s only right to open our 25th season with performances that showcase Ballet Manila’s enduring artistry and excellence,” said Macuja-Elizalde.
The season will open with a cutting-edge work of British choreographer Martin Lawrance’s iteration of Romeo and Juliet uniquely done in the modern Filipino setting. Lawrance’s reimagining of this iconic ballet classic pushes the envelope in many ways. The performance is set in a quaint Philippine town with dancers dressed in cool, hip costumes, performing to a mash-up of the original Prokofiev score along with popular OPM tunes. The show will run on February 18, 2023 at 8 PM and February 19, 2023 at 5 PM.
From the modern rendition of the romantic classic, the season will move on to the radical adventures of Don Quixote which will see the homecoming of Katherine Barkman as she plays Kitri. Currently, a soloist at the San Francisco Ballet, Barkman was mentored by Macuja-Elizalde from 2015 to 2018 to become a principal dancer at Ballet Manila before moving back to her home country, the USA, in 2018.
Back in the Philippines for Don Quixote, she will dance alongside Esteban Hernandez, a principal danseur at San Francisco Ballet, who will play Basilio. The shows will be on May 27, 2023 at 8 PM and May 28, 2023 at 5 PM.
Finally, the 25th performance season will close with an original Filipino work, Ibong Adarna by Gerardo Francisco for which he received multiple accolades including Gawad Buhay awards for Outstanding Male Lead for Modern Dance, Outstanding Modern Dance Production, and Outstanding Choreography for Modern Dance, among others. Ibong Adarna goes on stage August 19, 2023 at 8 PM and August 20, 2023 at 5 PM.
“This is truly an auspicious time for us, as we begin the new year with a new performance season, in a better and more modern Aliw Theater; and working with some of the best creative minds in the industry. We hope that audiences will once again flock to Aliw Theater to watch these shows we worked so hard to mount, in the hopes that they will leave the theater feeling moved and inspired,” concluded Macuja-Elizalde.
All performances will be staged at Aliw Theater, Pasay City. For tickets, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph or call 8891 9999. To know more about Ballet Manila and its shows, visit www.balletmanila.com.ph
