More Than Delighted by Giselle

Last Saturday, my dearest and I watched the ballet Giselle, performed at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) by Ballet Philippines (BP). This is the third BP performance that I've seen--the first two are Encantanda and Inamorata in 2011. Both are contemporary pieces.

My dearest and I were seated at the front row, and little did I know that I would be seated next to the lead dancer's family. Yep, that's right. I was seated next to the family of Katherine Trofeo, who played Giselle. Beside her father-in-law to be exact. He was recording the whole performance. At first, I thought he was tasked by the CCP to do that. Only during the 15-minute intermission did I learn that the group beside my was Katherine's family.

Her father-in-law might have noticed me clapping enthusiastically (along with the other members of the audience) at jaw-dropping moments during Act I. When the lights were turned on during the break, he asked me:

Father-in-law: How did you find it?
Me: The dancers were all so great and beautiful. And the last part was so.... awwww.... (gesturing to mean "heartbreaking". I was so stunned by the performance that I couldn't find the right words to describe how I felt at that moment!)
Father-in-law: This one is starred by my daughter-in-law.
Me (didn't quite understand at first but then, it dawned on me): Oooohhhh...

In Act II, Giselle was already dead and she was already with the Wilis, the spirits of women who have died with broken hearts. And boy, how they portrayed being the Wilis so well! They were really like spirits floating on stage; they freaked the audience out! My dearest kept whispering to me, "Nakakatakot..." (scary). How they danced on their toes, the graceful movement of their arms, and the flutter of their white dresses all worked to create a ghost-like effect on stage.

Giselle is all about love and forgiveness, and at the end of the show, I was able to see those. I was able to feel those, and I think that's the most important part. I felt every emotion that was felt by the characters, especially because I was seated in front and I could see all their expressions (but perhaps even if I was seated at the back, I would still be as moved as I was sitting in front). Despite the rainy weather last Saturday, Giselle was worth going to the CCP for.

After the show, I congratulated Katherine Trofeo's father-in-law. He and the rest of the family must be so proud of her. When the dancers went out to the lobby, I approached some of them (Katherine included!) and personally congratulated them. And of course, I turned my fangirl mode on, and had my dearest take photos of me together with some of the dancers.

     With Monica, one of those who
     played the Wilis                           

     With Emmanuel, one of those who         With Earl John, who played Hilarion, 

       played the peasants                               the peasant who is in love with Giselle

    And of course, with Katherine Trofeo, 

    who played Giselle, and her son

I just wasn't able to get hold of Jean Marc Cordero, who played Albrecht, the lead male role. Maybe next time, because I'll definitely watch BP's next show in September, and for sure, I'll approach them again to personally congratulate them for a fantastic performance. 

Beautiful Ballet and Some Thoughts on Art

Last night, I watched a ballet performance in a theater for the first time. My dearest and I watched Encantada, Ballet Philippines' season opener. It depicted man's relationship with nature in the context of our colonial history. During the pre-colonial times, the Filipinos were in harmony with nature, worshiping the deities who reside in the different elements, like earth and water. When the Spaniards came, they used religion to colonize the Filipinos. They submitted to this religion, but they were abused by the colonizers. A man sought refuge in the arms of nature and was cradled by the diwatas (deities). He was healed of all his wounds, and had a good life with them. But the Spaniards found him, killed him, and destroyed nature. They thought they had won, but nature got back at them in the form of calamities. In the end, the diwatas won; Mother Earth prevailed, and harmony was restored between man and nature.

It is a simple story but it holds so much truth and meaning. Destruction of nature has begun centuries ago, and now until the years to come, we will be reaping the consequences. The calamities aren't nature's way of being vengeful; calamities are our own doing. They are the results of raping Mother Earth. But I believe, a tinge of hope, no matter how tiny, still remains. If we change our ways, it won't be impossible to restore our own harmony with the environment.

I was really excited to watch Encantada, not just because it was the first ballet performance I would be watching in a theater, but I was looking forward to the beauty and talent I would be seeing on stage. I wasn't disappointed. Even before the curtains were up for the first act, the music already sent shivers down my spine. When the curtains were lifted, I was in awe with the set on stage and dancers' formations. When they started dancing and depicting nature, I was completely blown away. When you look at how they move, their steps seemed easy, or maybe, they made it look so easy and simple even if they really weren't, but they were so graceful and powerful. Their arm movements symbolized tree branches, the wind, water, and the healing hand of nature. I particularly couldn't forget the scene when the man who fled from the Spaniards came to the diwatas' lair. He was unconscious, and seven ballerinas rolled side by side, with him on top of them, and made it look like he was floating on the river. Amazing!

There were quite a lot of scenes when I didn't know where to focus my gaze on the stage, because they were all so good. Sure, there was a principal dancer, who danced the main part, but those playing the supporting roles were also grabbing my attention. Everything was well-choreographed, especially the fighting scenes. The dancers were all so beautiful and they were all so good.

The diwatas after the show

When the performance was over and they were all bowing for the curtain call, I felt like giving them a standing ovation. I wish I could've stood up, but no one else was standing up, so I kinda felt awkward. But maybe they were just waiting for someone to start it, so now, I regret not giving them a standing ovation. They deserved it.

I was also happy because my dearest enjoyed the show, too. It was also his first time to watch such a performance. He said he was inspired to draw and paint more diwatas, and he will now paint them dancing, just like what he saw on stage. During the 15-minute intermission and after the show, we were discussing the show, talking about the message, the story, and the way the cast danced. It was a lovely experience.

I look forward to watching other ballet performances. I look forward to seeing more of the Filipinos' artistic talent. And I hope, more people will get to appreciate it. Art isn't only for the rich, the elite, or those who can afford it. It's supposed to be for everyone. It represents our culture. It's a tool to raise consciousness. More than a form of expression, art speaks of what we are and what we can offer to the world. So let's go see how talented we are.

Image from Creative Manila

Live to Dance Finals

I was watching the finals of Live to Dance this afternoon on Star World. And boy, the acts nailed my eyes on television. I didn't want to miss a number. They were all amazing and so deserving of a spot in the finals.

Here are my three favorite acts. I chose them because I found them inspiring and moving. These acts made me want to get up and dance as well. Here they are.

1. White Tree Fine Art



White Tree Fine Art's performance was simply awwwwwww. This husband-and-wife tandem made ballet look like it's so easy to do. The way they moved - so light and graceful yet so precise - was captivating. As one of the judges said, they built a world of their own, and they're inviting people in through their dancing.

2. Kendall Grover



When I watched Kendall at her audition, she instantly became my favorite. She reminded me of my favorite finalist in Got to Dance UK, Emily. They both dance contemporary, and I love how they show mastery and precision in each of their moves and being fluid at the same time. Emily's performances include a lot of gymnastic stunts though, while Kendall's always show her personality. I want Kendall to win.

3. D'Angelo and Amanda



OMG! I don't know how to describe them! To say they're amazing is an understatement. Their performance just blew me away. Love it love it love it! Now I'm torn between them and Kendall. I want them to win, too! They're young but they soooooooo dance like professionals, probably even better than the contestants I've seen in So You Think You Can Dance. And they got a standing ovation in their performance in the auditions and in the finals. So well deserved. Their tango was so strong and intense, and yet they didn't look like their trying hard to be adults. They still maintained their youth and freshness. And I love how Amanda wasn't wearing heels, not even low ones. I hate seeing young girls wearing heels. I don't think it's appropriate for their age and for their still developing muscles.

So who won? It's.... D'Angelo and Amanda! OMG! Congratulations to the two of them. I wish to see more dances from this duo. If they dance like that now, how would they dance when they're, say, 20? They're so wonderful, and I hope their talent would inspire and touch more people.

Palladio by Escala

I'm currently drawn to this instrumental music, Palladio by Escala. It's played by a string ensemble, and I must say the music evokes so much power as if it's pushing you to do something great.



I first heard it here, in Emily's performance in Got to Dance UK. She's my favorite finalist, but she didn't win as champion. Still, for me, she's a real winner.



And she's just 11! (or maybe she's now 12 because this was last year). Anyway, I love how fluid her movements are. I love how graceful she moves, and my favorite part is when she turns on stage. So beautiful.

If I were a dancer, I'd love to perform the kind of dance that Emily does. It's so expressive. Although I would probably tone down a bit on the gymnastic stunts incorporated in the dance and perform more jumps and turns on stage. Haha. Well, I'm not a dancer so I can't say much about technique. I simply love to see strong yet graceful moves.

Here's Emily's performance in the Got to Dance UK Semifinals. Despite the flaws in her technique that Kimberly Wyatt, one of the judges, pointed out, I like this dance better than her performance in the finals because I think this has more emotions in it. Maybe it's because of her choice of music. Not that I'm saying that her performance in the finals was bad. As Kimberly Wyatt had said, it was a "powerhouse performance."



Now, there's Live to Dance in the U.S., which is their version of Got to Dance UK. I wonder if I will see another Emily in that show. :)