We should have guessed that the enthusiastic accolades would follow us everywhere.
From the spirited get-go in Los Angeles to the last dimming of the stage lights in British Columbia, Ballet Philippines (BP) was met with acclaim and applause by Filipinos brimming with pride.
No eyes were dry or arms without goose-bumps when a thoroughly captivated audience at the Pasadena Civic Center erupted in a standing ovation at the end of our first show. They even extended the applause a couple of times more.
And we are sure that they are still talking about “Master Pieces” in California, Portland, Oregon, Olympia and Burien in Washington, and in Richmond, British Columbia, where again and again we were applauded heartwarmingly. It was, after all, a most meaningful way for many to end October which was Fil-Am History Month.
The last time BP performed in North America was 15 years ago when it toured the United States and capped the roadshow with an unforgettable performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. This time around, Canada was belatedly included in the tour, to accommodate numerous requests from expatriated Filipinos who—like their counterparts in the US West Coast—ended up overwhelmed by the extraordinary Filipino talents that glided, soared and glowed onstage and straight into their homesick hearts.
The experience left me overwhelmed, too. I met Filipino Americans who had never visited our country and knew nothing about Filipino artistry, except for commercial entertainment like “ASAP” which had its own spectacular extravaganza in the US the weekend after us. My first debt of gratitude is with The Filipino Channel (TFC), our official media partner, for giving us media space to air our commercial for a month. The station gave Ballet Philippines as much attention as they did for “ASAP.” GMA News International also publicized our events online.
It was quite touching to recognize how media rivals stayed above competition issues in order to promote the arts.
Repertoire
For 45 years, Ballet Philippines has richly showcased classical, neoclassical, contemporary, modern and ethnic dance in the country. Our repertoire for our audiences abroad, entitled “Master Pieces,” was a carefully hand-picked collection of some of the most highly acclaimed and award-winning choreographic works. Included in the lineup were: National Artist for Dance Alice Reyes’ “Bungkos Suite,” a series of dances set to Filipino folk songs; Augustus “Bam” Damian III’s “After Whom,” a bold showcase of the company’s talent; Alden Lugnasin’s “Lahat ng Araw” and “Aku”; Redha Benteifour’s “Je Tu Elle” and the crowd favorite, “Tambol at Padyak,” choreographed by Tony Fabella, which never failed to bring the shows to a roaring finale.
Also included were the classics “Diana and Acteon” and the “Esmeralda” Grand Pas de Deux, as well as more recent favorites like Carlo Pacis’ “Nocturne,” a pas de deux excerpted from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” George Birkadze’s “Farandole,” and Paul Alexander Morales’ “Halik” and “Lakambini,” taken from “Crisostomo Ibarra” and the rock ballet “Rock Supremo,” respectively.
Superlative reviews
The audience’s response to the first show in the Pasadena Civic Center was probably best expressed by two Hollywood celebrities who were both there that evening. Lou Diamond Phillips, immediately after the show, rushed backstage to congratulate the dancers. “Amazing!” he gushed. “Absolutely amazing!”
Apl.de.ap of Black Eyed Peas has expressed a wish to do a production with us.
Fil-Am Associations, Inc.
In a review for the Asian Journal, Prosy de la Cruz wrote about BP’s “Master Pieces”: “It is more than ethnic ballet. It is extraordinary ballet worthy of world-class audiences. It was that potent and endearing to one’s heart and one’s soul. We kept raving nonstop. It was so full of heart, soul, and precise body movements that what they called masterpieces were truly a phenomenon! Four sturdy bravos!”
BP’s performance in the California Theater, San José, was met with similar warmth. In an interview for FANTV Global Network, Becca Godinez of Godinus Music proudly stated: “Atin ’to, atin ’to talaga, nakakatindig-balahibo. It’s hair-raising, but hair-raising in a good way. Talagang nakaka-proud… and we should support our own.”
BP had its third show at the Lincoln Performance Hall, College of the Arts, Portland State University. We were reunited with the Portland Festival Ballet that generously offered to house the Ballet Philippines dancers for the duration of their stay in Portland. The previous month, Portland Festival Ballet had flown to Manila to participate in BP’s “Blue Moon Series.”
At the show in the Kenneth J. Minneart Center for the Arts in South Puget Sound Community College, Olympia, I had the privilege of meeting Minneart himself. On our last night in Olympia, the company glammed up to attend the Filipino-American Community’s Fall Ball. Before their next show at the Highline Performing Arts Center in Burien, BP attended receptions with the Filipino community and had several small performances, including one in the Microsoft campus.
The tour drew to a close as the company crossed the border into Canada to perform their last show in the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond, British Columbia on Oct. 26.
Fil-Am hospitality
Wherever they went, the Ballet Philippines dancers were feted with great hospitality, especially by the Filipino-American community.
In Los Angeles, I received a commendation in recognition of dedicated service to the affairs of the community and for the civic pride demonstrated by numerous contributions for the benefit of all the citizens of Los Angeles County, given by the Federation of Philippine American Associations Inc. (our sponsor) and signed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
Ballet Philippines also received certificates of recognition from the US House of Representatives signed by Rep. Alan Lowenthal, and from the City of Long Beach signed by Mayor Roberto Uranga. The company was also hosted by the Office of the Governor of Washington state, and attended receptions held by San Francisco Consul General Henry S. Bensurto Jr., Los Angeles Consul General Leo M. Herrera-Lim, and Vancouver, Canada Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer.
A reward for our dancers, however, was a tour of the Nike Campus in Portland, where each member was presented with a gift of the employee discount of 50 percent on all its new season products. Because we were quite pressed for time, you could imagine how we practically had to bodily pull the cast out of the premises, their huge orange Nike bags in tow.
Support
I was emboldened to bring BP to the US after DOT Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez encouraged us to showcase our art form to promote our country. It was with such conviction that I was told, that when we put our art forward for the world to see, everyone will know why it is more fun in the Philippines.
Secretary Jimenez’s and Chikoy Enerio’s patronage through the Philippine Tourism Board, Duty Free Shops and Pagcor only proved their deep faith in BP as a leading embodiment of Filipino excellence in the performing arts. And Ballet Philippines would not have been able to perform in the US without the sponsorship of San Miguel Corporation who paid for all our 23 tickets on Philippine Airlines when Ramon Ang was at the helm of the airline company.
With numerous invitations for return performances in the United States, the company came home last week and immediately started rehearsals for its holiday offering with less than a month left before opening night. “Cinderella,” choreographed by National Artist Alice Reyes, will be staged at the CCP Main Theater on Nov. 28-30 and Dec. 5-7. For this next event, I shift from being a travel escort to Cinderella’s Wicked Stepmother.
Connect to Ballet Philippines online through the following social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter, or Ballet.ph. Call tel. 5511003/5517919 and Ticketworld at 8919999.