PHILIPPINE BALLET THEATER capped its 23rd season with a laudable restaging of “Mir-I-Nisa,” the first Filipino three-act ballet, at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City.
Based on an award-winning short story by National Artist for Literature José Garcia Villa, the ballet was originally commissioned by CCP for its inaugural season in 1969 using choreography and artistic direction by company founders Julie Borromeo, Felicitas Radaic and Eddie Elejar, plus music by composer Dr. Eliseo Pajaro.
“Mir-I-Nisa” is a classical production about a princess in Mindanao who gets ready for her betrothal according to Muslim traditions. To win her hand, Mir-I-Nisa’s two suitors, noble Tasmi and boastful Achmed, race to retrieve the black pearl her datu father has thrown into the sea. Amid an underwater adventure, it turns out to be a mere ball of salt and the princess realizes that Tasmi is the one she wants to marry.
Forty years after its premiere and 20 years from the time it was performed in its entirety, PBT artistic director Ronilo Jaynario gave “Mir-I-Nisa” a fresher perspective, aided by shimmery costumes by Borromeo and contemporary (read: minimalist) sets by Lucas Jacinto, who returns to PBT to dance as Tasmi.
One springy and graceful Lobreza Pimentel, 17, became an (accidental) overnight sensation as Mir-I-Nisa after original lead cast Jay-Ann Tensuan suffered a knee injury one week before the show.
Pimentel was completely dwarfed by Jacinto in terms of sheer size and movement, and there were times when she lacked facial expression, but skill-wise, Pimentel was able to measure up to her senior.
Other notable performances included Peter San Juan as the sneery show-off Achmed; Tiffany Mangulabnan’s elegant White Pearl; and Bianca Trocino’s sexy and sharp Black Pearl.
Trocino, as the sassy Flordeliza, led PBT in the comical staging of “Ang Pasaway and Other Ballets,” a local adaptation of the classical ballet “La Fille Mal Gardee.”
Guest performer PJ Rebullida was at his hilarious best as the simpleton Alfonso, Flordeliza’s betrothed.
Quezon City Ballet’s well-coordinated “Valse Brillante” and powerful “Spring Water Pas de Deux” also earned applause during the production.
Modern tribute
Ballet Philippines paid tribute to company founder Alice Reyes through a reworked version of her “Tales of the Manuvu,” a 1977 rock opera ballet in five parts.
“Manuvu” retells a Manobo myth about the origin of the earth and sky and a depiction of how the good god, Manama, created the First Man and First Woman, and how the evil god Ogassi contradicts him at every turn.
The funny script and libretto by National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera is freely based on E. Arsenio Manuel’s retelling of certain myths in an article published in Philippine Heritage.
Completely new choreography and direction by Paul Morales, BP artistic director, elicited mixed reactions as he attempted to please a younger and more contemporary audience while trying to maintain a fan base among those who had seen the ballet in its original form 32 years ago.
Morales brought in his signature videos, a more compact program, a smaller choral group (quartet led by Robert Seña, instead of an entire chorus) and the signature head-nodding “world music” of the band, Makiling (formerly Makiling Ensemble), to give the ballet a modernistic and edgy feel.
Costume design by Ciege Cagalawan bordered on absurdly futuristic, but the barefooted dancers and singers were able to wear it well.
Earlier in the evening, all eyes were glued to the stage during Vicente Nebrada’s “Our Waltzes,” a neo-classical piece on romance and love that has been performed by more than 30 companies worldwide.
Dubbed the “one-ton ballet” because of the number of lifts done by the male consorts, the piece by the Venezuelan dancer-choreographer can be compared to ballroom dancing with Latin influences.
Coached by guest teachers Bonnie Pickard, and Manny Molina in ballet master Victor Ursabia’s restaging, the BP women in chiffon dresses looked as delightful as their partners and they all seemed like children playing gracefully on the stage they shared with a grand piano.
Marianne Faustino, especially, made this writer smile with her as she joyfully—and very lightly—jumped and jeté’d across the stage during her very brief solo.
Living dream
Ballet Manila celebrated artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s 25 years in dance with “Lisa @ 25” and “Don Quixote” at the Aliw Theater.
BM’s artistic director is one of the few local dancers who have lasted long as a professional dancer.
Besides the usual dancing of excerpts from Macuja’s classical and contemporary roles, the audience was treated to a slideshow of pictures, video and audio narrations of her since she started training in 1984.
Soprano Gia Macuja-Atchison and her violinist husband Robert Atchison were brought in for the production. Macuja was even able to coax former dance partners—artistic associate and resident choreographer Osias Barroso and videographer Nonoy Froilan—from retirement to dance with her once more.
The “ballerina of the people” claimed it was her last time to dance as the fiery Kitri in “Don Quixote” because the technical demands of her signature role (countless jumps and turns) would eventually catch up with her aging body.
She also hinted to this writer that she might be retiring “in a few years’ time,” but who knows? Dame Margot Fonteyn, British prima ballerina assoluta, was still able to perform at the CCP when she was almost 60.
Ballet Manila presents “Alamat: Si Sibol at si Gunaw” until Dec. 13, and “Ballet & Ballads” on Feb. 12-21. Ballet Philippines performs “The Nutcracker” until Dec. 13, followed by “Neo Filipino” on March 5-7.
By Elka Krystle R. Requinta
Philippine Daily Inquirer
DateFirst Posted 21:45:00 12/07/2009
E-mail the author at elkarequinta@gmail.com
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