“Atmospheric, athletic, risk-taking Ballet Philippines’ dancers delighted the crowd in Pasadena Civic Auditorium. A standing ovation no less, for they deserved every clap we gave them and shouts of bravo!!
We saw them dance the classical moves of ballet, reminiscent of Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet dancing Giselle, but the Je, Tu, Elle reminded us of the moves of Chicago, and more.
Act 2 was the stronger part of their program and audience could not restrain themselves in clapping at some risk-taking parts where the dancers were being thrown into the air and twisted while thrown and then like a baby carried down to an embrace.
Lahat ng Araw danced by guys dressed in red (the Chinese color for prosperity) and their red fans took my breath away. Wow, it took us all by surprise that their moves were unpredictable, agile and their dance reminded one of our friends of the way the peacock moves: quick, elegant and clipped in movements.
Equally moving to me was Halik, “a dance excerpt from Crisostomo Ibarra, a dance retelling of a seminal novel Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) written by Dr. Jose Rizal. Managing to escape from prison, Crisostomo Ibarra visits Maria Clara to give his forgiveness and to say goodbye.” No wonder some of us cried during this dance segment.
Masterpieces defy nature but also gravity as they contoured their bodies as if stretchable rubber bands. Imagine what you want to see in a dance pair and they are doing it with correct pacing, timing, posture and graceful moves.
But, what was so beautiful is to see them move so gracefully to the songs that are familiar to our ears, Dandansoy, and even the popularized arrangements of Master Ryan Cayabyab. It is so full of heart, soul and precise body movements that what should have been magnificent masterpieces were truly a phenomenon!
There is everything to like about Ballet Philippines and for a virgin ballet audience viewer, I must say, I am now a ballet convert. I am now going to ask my mother why I was not exposed to ballet.
Oops, I better do that for myself now, as I am quite grown now to figure out Ballet Philippines deserves an encore and for those who have not yet decided to buy tickets, honestly, you will be doing your family a favor by buying them tickets!! Take the entire baranggay and neighborhood, it is truly magnificent.
Four sturdy bravos!! We could not stop deconstructing the show until midnight over desserts and coffee, and appreciate what a beautiful cultural experience it was. You cannot, you should not and you would not want to miss this show.
Like any show, Hollywood’s glamorous folks came to fully support: Apl.de.ap, Lou Diamond Phillips with his family, Fritz Friedman, The Oriel Family and more.
Thank you Becca Godinez Ted Benito Margie Moran Floirendo, Chona Reyes you made us proud of our kababayans who can dance, who can do yoga, who can do acrobatics, who can do flips like figure skating, who can stand on palms of dancers, who can balance themselves on stomachs of other dancers and at times, resembled frogs, butterflies and more in their agility and precise moves of jumping, leaping and walking on fours! You reminded me of the Bolshoi Ballet and more!! It was that potent and endearing to one’s heart and one’s soul. We all came raving non-stop!!
Photo by Jush Andowitt via Becca Godinez