Ballet Philippines' Tales of the Manuvu: relevant tales 40 years after

Alice Reyes and the cast of Tales of the Manuvu

Despite a busy schedule, I managed to squeeze in some time to catch Ballet Philippines wrap up its 49th season with the closing performance of the Tales of the Manuvu. The ballet not only had me humming the tunes and songs from the show but also left me with a renewed sense of awareness of the work's message that has remained relevant even after 40 years since its premiere.

Choreographed by Alice Reyes, BP's Artistic Director and National Artist for Dance, Tales is a dance retelling of the folk tales of the Manobo Tribe of Mindanao, with libretto by National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera and a rock soundtrack by Dero Pedero.

Tales of the Manuvu cast takes a bow

The dancing was energetic, full of life and vitality with more emphasis on the company as a whole. While the choreography was corps heavy, there were still a handful of dancers who had the spotlight on them like AL Abraham as Manama, Earl John Arisola as Ogassi, Ronelson Yadao as First Man, and Stephanie Santiago as First Woman.

Lighting design by Katsch Catoy and production design by Loy Arcenas made me feel bad that dance productions are no longer part of the PhilStage Gawad Buhay! Awards since I believe that their works here are actually frontrunners for 2019.

The cast at the meet and greet

As for the vocalists, Reuben Laurente, with the dual singing role of Manama and First Man, was pristine and effortless. Nar Cabico is always a character, so the mischievous and scheming Ogassi was a natural fit. And Aicelle Santos' all too brief part singing First Woman just made me want to see her more in the future. The UP Concert Chorus added more vocals to the mix but I felt that they could've used a better mic setup for a more rousing choral feel. Providing live accompaniment was The Radioactive Sago Project, with their ranks fortified by other musicians who dubbed themselves as The Manuvers. Musoc director Francis de Veyra gave updated arrangements to Pedero's music complete with a cheeky and sneaky Astro riff insertion at an early interlude which is very much a Radioactive Sago Project thing to do. 

At times, especially during the uptempo parts, the music sounded dated and the band could only do so much in making it sound current and/or timeless. This only made wonder how radical Tales of the Manuvu was, with the folk tales combined with the contemporary rock music of its time, when it first premiered more than 40 years ago. Noong Unang Panahon, on the other hand, gave me goosebumps upon realizing how timely and more pressing the lyrics of that song has become four decades since.

Chichester Psalms

Preceding the Tales were a trio of short, intimate pieces choreographed by BP’s own company members and another Alice Reyes opus. In Gia Gequinto's  Sun Down, Katrene San Miguel had a commanding presence on stage even by her lonesome. A quartet of males, including two en pointe, were featured in Erl Sorilla's The Weight on Our Toes that explored gender fluidity set to one of Chopin's Nocturnes. A touching tribute to mothers and the sacrifices they make was showcased in Ronelson Yadao's Mama. Live music by pianist Kyle Ledamo, flutist Agustina Alcantara, and mezzo soprano Jai Sabas accompanied these dances.

Capping the first half was Alice Reyes' choreography to Chichester Psalms. Set to Leonard Bernstein’s music, this work had an attracting/repelling magnetic effect on me as the dancers featured clean lines and very symmetrical formations juxtaposed with 20th century dissonances of the music.

With the ending of its 49th season, the countdown begins for Ballet Philippines milestone golden anniversary season featuring more restagings of Alice Reyes' works and more.