Top Three Philippine Ballet Companies Join Forces in Dance MNL

Top Three Philippine Ballet Companies Join Forces in Dance MNL

Celebrate the best of Philippine dance this June!

The Cultural Center of the Philippines and Ballet Philippines in cooperation with Philippine Ballet Theatre and Ballet Manila present the first-ever Dance MNL: The Philippine Dance Festival from June 14 to 26, 2016.

A new biennial festival focused on uniting and celebrating the Filipino dance community, Dance MNL will bring the Filipino classical, modern, and contemporary creations to the stages of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Aliw Theater, and Star Theater.

(WATCH: Beautiful Excerpts from Dance MNL Press Conference)

Supported by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Manila Broadcasting Company, this inaugural festival will feature 11 performances, a 10-day Dance Intensive, and a two-day Conference, gathering more than 500 dance professionals in the metropolis.

Dance MNL is led by Festival Directors Paul Alexander Morales, Ron Jaynario, and Lisa Macuja Elizalde, artistic directors of Ballet Philippines, Philippine Ballet Theatre, and Ballet Manila, respectively.

 

 

“It is a great joy for all three companies to be collaborating for a cause again, the first time being the fundraising concert for Edna Vida Froilan back in 2011,” says Morales. “This time, the cause is Philippine dance itself, and we are very grateful for the generosity of all the participating companies in contributing their time and talents in this effort to further professionalize and industrialize dance in this country.”

“The Festival will generate much enthusiasm and great joy to all dance lovers and enthusiasts,” muses Jaynario. “It will also bring a lot of excitement to all the companies’ dancers for it is very rare that these three ballet companies come and work together in one theater.”

Macuja Elizalde adds, “This is what Dance MNL and all dance festivals are about – collaborating in order to present something unique and festive. I think that not only will there be an exchange of knowledge, talent and resources that will result in learning for all – but also we are able to offer our audiences performances that you will not be able to see during our respective seasons.”

Dance MNL’s week of performances kick off on June 21 – 8 pm at the CCP Main Theater with “The Winners Circle,” a gala celebrating the numerous Filipino dance artists who have made their marks on the local and global stage, namely Candice Adea (Ballet MET), Christine Rocas (Joffrey Ballet), Jared Tan (Atlanta Ballet), and the winners of local and international dance competitions. “The Winners’ Circle” will also feature the world premiere of Martin Lawrance’s ‘Amid Shadows’, a work made especially for Christine Rocas and the Ballet Manila principals.

In celebration of their 30th anniversary season, Philippine Ballet Theatre will hold an invitational Open Rehearsal entitled “PBT@30” at the CCP Main Theater stage on June 22 – 6:00 pm. This intimate show is set to give audiences a sneak peek into the repertoire lined up for PBT’s landmark season.

 

The UP Dance Company shall present “A Wanderer in the Night’s World” on June 22, 8:00 pm at the Aliw Theater.

On June 23 – 6 pm, Ballet Philippines will bring its highly celebrated touring repertoire, “Master Pieces” back to its home stage, the CCP Main Theater. This has been performed in the United States of America, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, China, and most recently, Korea and Indonesia.

 

Eisa Jocson, independent artist and internationally acclaimed contemporary dancer will present “Host” on June 23, 6:00 pm at the CCP Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino.

On June 24, contemporary dance artists will take center stage with two productions: Airdance shall unveil “Body of Work” 6:00 pm at the CCP Little Theater), and Daloy Dance Company shall present “Unearthing” 9:00 pm at the CCP Rehearsal Hall.

 

Ballet Manila will stage the timeless classic “Giselle” on June 25 (2 pm and 8 pm) at the CCP Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo. One of the most beloved ballets of all time, “Giselle” tells the story of a love so strong that it transcends even death. The artists of Ballet Manila will take the stage on the matinee, while the gala features a special tribute cast put together in honor of the Philippine dance icon and co-founder of Philippine Ballet Theatre Felicitas “Tita” Radaic, featuring the special participation of Philippine Ballet Theatre and Ballet Philippines.

“Dance Diaspora”- a celebration of the diversity of Filipino dance talents who have flourished in their chosen genres and venues will be staged on June 25 – 6 pm at Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino.

“Generation Next” – the future of Philippine dance takes center stage on June 26 – 2:00 pm at the Aliw Theater. Audiences will be treated to the performances of select dance schools from around the metro, as well as the junior dancers of Ballet Philippines, Philippine Ballet Theatre, and Ballet Manila.

On June 26 at 8 pm, Dance MNL closes with “Ballet Filipino”, a program featuring Ballet Philippines, Philippine Ballet Theatre, and Ballet Manila in a program celebrating the best of Filipino choreography. This gala will be held at Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo.

Throughout the Festival’s two-week duration, there will also be a Dance Intensive featuring classical, modern, and contemporary dance classes taught by top Philippine dance professionals such as Lisa Macuja Elizalde, Nonoy Froilan, Toni Lopez Gonzalez, Ronilo Jaynario, Regina Magbitang, Anatoly Panasiukov, Perry Sevidal, and Victor Ursabia, among many others.

 

The Dance Intensive offers courses for Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced levels, as well as Crash Courses for adult beginners and Master Classes for pre-professional dancers. Packages are available ranging from Php 2000 to Php 5000.

Audiences can take full advantage of Dance MNL’s activities with Festival Passes available through the CCP Box Office. The Festival Pass A offers reserved seats to a choice of 3 showcases and 2 galas for Php 3,500, while the Festival Pass B grants seats to all showcases and galas. Single tickets range from Php 200 to Php 1000.

The Dance MNL Dance Intensive runs from June 14 to 26, and the performances from June 21 to 26.

For more information, visit www.dancemnl.com, email info@ballet.ph, call (02) 551-1003, or check out our official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DanceMNL.

To join in the social media conversation, use our official hashtag: #dancemnl

For more details about what’s happening in the Manila theater scene, please view our Theater Calendar.