Ballet Manila to Stream 10 Short Dance Films
Ballet Manila is set to release 10 short dance films online as part of its Ballet Minis: Passages on Pointe series.
All 10 films are inspired by the company’s most loved performance pieces, chosen to tell Ballet Manila’s dance journey over the past 25 years, reimagined for digital media.
The first one, which was released last September 4, is called Dream. It is inspired and is loosely based on Ecole, a work choreographed by Ballet Manila’s Co-Artistic Director Osias Barroso Jr. in 1999 that highlights the hard work that every dancer who dreams of perfecting their craft needs to put in. It is choreographed for film by Gerardo Francisco, Jr. and directed for film by Jojit Lorenzo. Featured in this film are Jessica Pearl Dames as the Vendor/Aspiring Ballerina and Abigail Oliveiro as the Ballerina in Studio.
The second film, which was released last September 11, is called Passion, inspired by Eric V. Cruz’s Carmen. It is choreographed for film by the company’s CEO and Artistic Director Lisa Macuja Elizalde and directed for film by Jojit Lorenzo. Featured in this film are Abigail Oliveiro as Carmen, Mark Sumaylo as Don Jose, Joan Sia as Michaela, and Elpidio Magat as Escamillo. Cruz was the company’s first Artistic Director.
The third film, which was released last September 18, is called Vision, inspired by the Kingdom of the Shades scene from the classical ballet, La Bayadere. Macuja Elizalde, who also choreographed this for film, says, “Vision was chosen to represent a vision all dancers have of themselves. Dancers can be the hardest to please among performing artists because of the constant pursuit of the vision of perfection.” Featured in this film are Joan Sia as Nikiya/ The Shades, Elpidio Magat as Solor, Jasmine Pearl Dames, Jessica Pearl Dames, Jessa Balote, Marinette Franco, and Abigail Oliveiro as The Shades.
The fourth film, just released today, is called Practice, which underscores a virtue that is in every dancer’s toolkit. It is inspired by George Birkadze’s “Imperial”, a piece specially choreographed for Ballet Manila. It is choreographed for film by Mark Sumaylo and performed by Elpidio Magat, Joan Sia.
Each film will continue to be released on Ballet Manila’s YouTube channel every Saturday at 6pm. Passages on Pointe was born out of the challenge to innovate, a desire to create, and the passion for dance.
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