For producers, this also means increased competition, and with the present economic environment, impresarios have to work doubly hard to attract paying audiences.
Setting the stage
For ballet productions, this reality is not lost on Lisa Macuja-Elizalde. Her company, Ballet Manila (BM) is staging the return of “Florante at Laura” at the Aliw Theater, with performances scheduled on Oct. 3 at 8:00 p.m., and Oct. 4 and 5 at 5:00 p.m.
“We have four ballet companies when even a huge city like New York has [only] two ballet companies,” says Macuja-Elizalde, BM’s founder, CEO, and artistic director. “And sometimes nagkakasabay-sabay pa the performances.”
While all local ballet companies are friends—”the ballet world is so tight and so small”—what sets 30-year-old Ballet Manila apart, Macuja-Elizalde explains, is that theirs is the only company that can do the big classics, such as “Florante at Laura,” with both the numbers and the classical ballet expertise to back them up.
It certainly helps, too, that Ballet Manila has its own permanent home, the 1,275-seat Aliw Theater in Pasay City —especially now that the Cultural Center of the Philippines next door is under renovation.
“We've a stable home where there's no confusion where Ballet Manila is performing,” she says. “We can have a whole season in Aliw Theatre—so, again, we have a bit of an advantage there.”
This also allows Ballet Manila to keep ticket prices accessible, with student and group packages available—plus an orchestra performance and a two-act ballet featuring 44 cast members.
Florante at Laura, a Filipino classic returns
As for the return of Florante at Laura, Macuja-Elizalde, long a champion of Filipino storytelling through classical ballet, points out that it is not a mere rerun but a reckoning with our collective appreciation of our Filipino heritage.
For Ballet Manila, it is a rare opportunity to experience once again Francisco Balagtas’ timeless epic reimagined through myth, music and dance.
“Bringing Florante at Laura back to the stage feels like coming full circle,” she says. “The first run was a dream realized; the second at Areté in Ateneo affirmed that Filipino stories, when told with care and conviction, truly resonate.”
Macuja-Elizalde recalls last year’s staging at Ateneo High School. Expecting ballet to fall flat with an all-male, teenage audience, they were pleasantly surprised when the performance ended with cheers and a standing ovation.
“They were so into it.” she exclaims.
Creativity in full force
Now, with this third staging —featuring live music by the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth under the baton of Toma Cayabyab, interpreting the original score by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab — Macuja-Elizalde says it feels less like a return and more like a reckoning.
And, once more, audiences can expect the full force of Ballet Manila’s creative ensemble, where choreographers Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Martin Lawrance collaborate anew to shape the ballet’s emotional terrain, drawing out the tension and tenderness within Balagtas’ verse. The libretto, adapted by Dr. Michael Coroza, anchors the production in language that bridges tradition and movement.
Meanwhile, transporting the audiences back to the kingdom of Berbania, set designer Mio Infante and costume designer Therese Arroyo are back to define the ballet’s visual language.
Drawing from Persian motifs and Filipino sensibilities, their work complements the choreography and narrative, shaping a world that moves in step with the story.
“I’m proud, but more than that, I’m moved. This ballet continues to teach us how timeless our heritage can be,” says Lisa.
All performances will be staged at Aliw Theater, Pasay City. For tickets, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.To learn more about Ballet Manila and its shows, visit www.balletmanila.com.ph
Features Reporter
