Mariinsky Ballet stars add golden touch to Ballet Philippines' Swan Lake

Eugene Obille, Elena Evseeva, and Evgeny Ivanchenko
with Ballet Philippines' corps de ballet

Russian dancers from the Mariinsky Ballet added a golden touch to Ballet Philippines' latest production of Swan Lake, the company's opener for its milestone 50th anniversary season.

Having the Mariinsky Ballet's first soloist Elena Evseeva in the dual role of Odette/Odille and principal dancer Evgeny Ivanchenko as Siegfried for a very limited engagement meant that their two performance dates were hot ticket items with the opening gala night performance selling out two weeks before the show opened.

Those fortunate enough to secure their tickets were treated to a highly nuanced and lyrical performance of Evseeva as the White Swan Odette. And although she was not that technically daring, the attack she had as the Black Swan Odille was as fiery as her red hair. Never had I seen a ballerina remain in character while doing fouettés with her even accelerating her turns towards the latter half, raising her arms as if casting and putting the guests at the ball in Act III under her spell (and very likely commanding the orchestra to keep up with her).

She found a very capable partner in Ivanchenko considering that he was a late replacement for the injured Andrey Ermakov. The supported pirouettes in the White Swan Pas de deux felt very confident and fluid with Ivanchenko allowing Evseeva to do at most nine turns that never went off axis. There was an overall sense of security in technique while watching these two dance and it allowed me to see them in full character making me more engaged with the ballet's story.

Elena Evseeva strikes a pose
with Raoul Banzon and Rene Banzon

The tall and long limbed Russians may have literally towered over everyone else on stage but Ballet Philippines' stable of dancers raised their level to keep up with the guests' performances.
The cygnets in their popular Pas de quatre were impressive with their well matched lines that kept up with the fast tempo of the orchestra. Victor Maguad as the Jester with his explosive leaps and well centered turns proved that he is currently the technically strongest danseur in the company.

Probably the only thing that let me down with this production (aside from the happy Mariinsky ending that I never really liked) were the folk dances in the third act that lacked the punch and folk flavor that I came to expect from these.

Gigantic swans painting by set designer Eduardo Sicangco

Commendable also are the set design by Eduardo Sicangco and lighting design by Jennifer Tipton that truly worked in great tandem. The sets not only looked grand and textured but felt like it really had weight and was not really hollow. Every time the curtain went up to reveal a set was greeted by an appreciative applause from the audience. The subtle yet sublime lighting accentuated the grandeur of the sets and the intricate costumes by Salvador Bernal and James Reyes without resorting to flashy gimmicks.

The performances with Evseeva and Ivanchenko had the live music accompaniment provided by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Herminigildo Ranera. This is the second time that the PPO has accompanied Ballet Philippines' production of Swan Lake in three years and it seemed that they have taken to heart the lessons they've learned during the previous production although they still have so much to learn.

To be honest, while a live orchestra at the ballet is considered a premium, it actually makes the dancers (and myself to a degree) anxious due to the difficulty of the orchestra to cater to the specific demands of the dancers. Accompanying for dance is a whole different ballgame wherein the requirements of the dancers especially in regards to tempo takes precedence. Having more knowledge in the language of ballet and how a dancer moves will enable conductors and musicians here accompany ballet productions more effectively.

Ivanchenko still gamely signed souvenir programs bearing Ermakov's bio

It is ironic that Philippine orchestras are more adept in accompanying opera productions that occur less frequently compared to ballet productions with live music. The country has three professional ballet companies that mount at least one or two productions with live orchestra per season while there are still no equivalent opera companies in here right now.

The Russians' time with Swan Lake may have already come to pass but the run resumes and wraps up this weekend, September 7 & 8, 2019 featuring the homegrown pairs of Denise Parungao and Eugene Obille, and Jemima Reyes and Victor Maguad.

New breed of ballet stars take flight in Ballet Philippines' Swan Lake

Eugene Obille, Joseph Phillips, and Candice Adea

Ballet Philippines’ 47^th season ender Swan Lake turned out to be the coming out party of the company’s new breed of ballet stars namely principal dancer Denise Parungao and soloists Jemima Reyes, Garry Corpuz, and Victor Maguad.

This production, restaged by Nonoy Froilan from the choreography of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, saw the young quartet’s debut in a classical ballet lead role. Despite some slips owing to inexperience, each showed flashes of brilliance during their respective performances that I was able to see. One could easily imagine each of them following the footsteps of the production’s guest dancers, Candice Adea and Joseph Phillips.

Obviously, the hot ticket during the limited two weekend run was the International Gala featuring Candice Adea and Joseph Phillips. Having the most experience between the two of them compared to the other pairs, there was a sense of ease and security watching them as they embodied their respective roles. It was hard to believe that after all these years Candice Adea has never danced Odette/Odille before. But it didn’t look like it especially during Odille’s variation when she nailed the opening turns twice eliciting cheers from the audience. Joseph Phillips as Prince Siegfried provided solid support for Candice (whether she be Odette or Odille) never overshadowing his partner. His solo variations here may not have the flashy leaps and turns of his previous performances in Don Quixote or in the Flames of Paris Pas de deux during The Great Classics, but there was a sureness in it that just made me sit back, relax and enjoy watching his performance.

The young pair of Jemima Reyes and Victor Maguad were the leads during the opening night, marking a huge step up for these two. The most technically daring among the leads, Victor executed a brilliant sextuple pirouette early in Act I while Jemima completed her trick laden fouettés, throwing some doubles during the first half and then rotated spots at the second. A far cry from their lead roles in the feel good ballet Peter Pan, both had to dig deep and plunge into emotional depths to fulfill the acting demands for Swan Lake. Their superb performances in their starring role debuts in Firebird for Jemima and Crisostomo Ibarra for Victor somehow paved the way for them to be cast in here.

The other pair of Denise Parungao and Garry Corpuz looked very tall together with each possessing limbs that seem to last forever. Denise’s arms were divine especially towards the end of Act II that actually drew gasps from the audience. Garry, the tallest member of Ballet Philippines, used his extension to maximum effect. Although he played it safe with his pirouettes, his leaps were exemplary with a hang time that make it seem like he pauses for a beat while in mid-air. He also displayed abilities to do double tours in both directions which is a neat trick. Denise, after being sidelined for almost a season due to injury, blossomed as Odette/Odille. Just like a swan, she has transformed into a woman while her previous roles in Giselle and Cinderella, she felt like a girl back then.

The orchestra, under the baton of Yoshikazu Fukumura, was on top form although I couldn’t help but cringe whenever I heard the harp part which was actually an electronic keyboard simulating the sound of the instrument. This further highlights the lack of harpists that our country has which I hope could be remedied as soon as possible. I also have to mention that when I saw a show that didn’t have the orchestra and just had recorded music, the tempo was noticeably faster. No wonder that some of the dancers were a bit off and encountered some difficulties during their performances accompanied by the orchestra. Having to perform on stage at a much slower tempo than the one they’ve been rehearsing with could really throw off their timing especially when jumping and turning.

Ballet Philippines’ latest staging of Swan Lake had been ambitious and also risky considering that all but one of the leads had never danced their roles before. The company’s 47^th season was billed as Wings, and with Swan Lake, the young ones who had their baptism of fire with this production had just spread their wings and took their first real flight. And it would be interesting to see how these dancers and the rest of the company will soar as we gear towards their golden anniversary a few years from now.

Ballet Philippines’ Swan Lake caps “Surge of the Swans” ballet season

The Surge of the Swans is how I describe the 2016-2017 ballet season as all three major ballet companies featured Swan Lake in their respective seasons’ line up. First, it was the Philippine Ballet Theatre’s The Great Classics that had its first half (Act II and the Black Swan Pas de deux) devoted to the said ballet. Then, it was Ballet Manila’s turn with their take on the White Swan Pas de deux for The Swan, the Fairy, and the Princess. Finally, the final surge closes the 2016-2017 ballet season with a full length presentation of Swan Lake by Ballet Philippines happening this February 24-March 5, 2017 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

Joseph Phillips and Candice Adea

Headlining this production of Swan Lake are former Ballet Philippines’ principal dancer Candice Adea tackling the dual role of Odette/Odille and Joseph Phillips of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre as Siegfried. Swan Lake sees Joseph performing with BP for the first time after a handful of guest stints with Philippine Ballet Theatre while this marks Candice’s return to BP since her acclaimed run in Sleeping Beauty back in 2011. The two guest dancers will take to the stage at the 7:00 PM shows on February 25, 2017 and March 4, 2017. Principal dancer Denise Parungao and company member Garry Corpuz, and soloists Jemima Reyes and Victor Maguad, will be the two other pairs doing the lead roles on the other performance dates.

Garry Corpuz and Denise Parungao

What appeals to me the most about Swan Lake is without a doubt, the moving music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. His score revolutionized ballet music with such richness, depth, and complexity that has never been heard before. This has resulted in mixed reactions from both dancers and audiences when Swan Lake was first premiered. But 140 years later, the ballet and the music have stood the test of time making it the most performed ballet of them all. One can savor Tchaikovsky’s music to the fullest during the Gala Night performances February 24, February 25 and March 3, 2017 when the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of principal conductor/music director Yoshikazu Fukumura, provide live music accompaniment to the ballet.

Victor Maguad and Jemima Reyes

With 140 years’ worth of history, the Swan Lake has undergone several revisions, reductions, additions and various endings. This upcoming production, the 8^th time for Ballet Philippines and 23 years since the company’s last, will be re-staged by Nonoy Froilan, who has performed Siegfried during his days as the premier danseur of Philippine Ballet. Curiosity got me asking Sir Nonoy as to which ending his restaging will use: the cheesy happy one used by Mariinsky, the bittersweet, tragic one by the American Ballet Theatre, or possibly something else. He did give me an answer but I’m not spilling so one has to go watch the actual thing to find out how the love story of Odette and Siegfried will end.

Seated from L to R: Denise Parungao, Margie Moran-Floirendo, Candice Adea,
and Jemima Reyes
Standing from L to R: Paul Morales, Garry Corpuz, Nonoy Froilan, Joseph Phillips,
Victor Maguad, and Ohm David

Ballet Philippines’ Swan Lake

February 24-March 5, 2017 | Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo

Gala Night ticket prices:

P3000 | P1500 | P1200 | P1000 | P600 | P500 |P300

Regular show ticket prices:

P1500 | P1200 | P1000 | P600 | P500 |P300

For inquiries:

Ballet Philippines 551-1003, info@ballet.ph

TicketWorld 891-9999