Art and dance give birth to Opera, Ballet Philippines’ 46th season ender

 

February 13 & 14, 2016, 6:00 PM

February 16, 2016, 8:00 PM Fund Raising Gala

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

Cultural Center of the Philippines

CCP Complex
Pasay, Metro Manila

The dancers initially move slowly across the rehearsal hall, each scantily dressed in flesh-colored tights implying nudity. Their movements, soft and tender one moment, and then agitated, tense, deliberate, and even violent the next. The music, mostly atmospheric but with an underlying thumping rhythm like a heartbeat coming from underground. The dancers then occasionally group into multiple tableaus at different areas, each vying for one’s attention yet composing a complex, bigger picture. Yet through it all, a lone female dancer, the only one fully clothed among them, walks casually, weaving her way in a slow, fluid and controlled fashion as if she belongs to different plane than the rest of the dancers.

This was my first glimpse of Opera, Ballet Philippines’ closing production of their 46^th Dance Spring season. Combining Gabriel Barredo’s groundbreaking installation with Redha's choreography, Opera will have its world premiere on February 13, 2016, 6:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Main Theater.

After the watching an excerpt from the ballet, it was off to a sneak peek of some of Barredo’s sculptures to be used on stage and also for the exhibit at the Main Theater lobbies happening concurrent to the ballet’s limited run. What greeted me and other members of the press were hundreds of mannequins, each bearing distinct alterations making them look like mutant specimens, grotesque cadavers, or at times, intricate machines. I couldn’t help but be drawn to a couple of huge eyeballs and the recurring eye motif. This made me feel as if I’m being continually watched. There I learned that the exhibit Opera was originally presented at Silverlens Galleries in January last year and was toured in Singapore for the opening celebrations of the National Gallery Singapore just last November. And the pieces that I saw were a new set of sculptures specifically made for the ballet.

Having the tour of the sculptures and other set pieces gave me a better understanding of what’s to come. My initial reaction was that they are a physical manifestation of the body focused more on the musculature and machinery. And they are given life by the dancers. Speaking of dancers, Victor Maguad and Erl Sorilla lead the cast as the Twins, joined by Jean Marc Cordero as the Watcher and Earl John Arisola as the Creation. After an injury sidelined her during most of the season, Denise Parungao makes her first appearance this season dancing the role of Death. And after a residency in New York through an Asian Cultural Council grant, former principal dancer Carissa Adea returns to Ballet Philippines as the Mother.

The rest of the creative team includes librettists Yvette Tan and Erwin Romulo, composer Malek Lopez, lighting designer John Batalla, costume designer James Reyes, associate choreographer Ronelson Yadao, and Film Pabrika Inc. for the video production.

Gabriel Barredo’s Opera will have its limited run on February 13 & 14, 2016, 6:00 PM and a Fundraising Gala on February 16, 2016, 8:00 PM all happening at the CCP Main Theater. Opera is presented by Ballet Philippines with Silverlens in cooperation with the Embassy of France.