REVIEW: Ballet Manila’s ‘Florante at Laura’ transcends language and time in an exciting world premiere

REVIEW: Ballet Manila’s ‘Florante at Laura’ transcends language and time in an exciting world premiere

Ballet Manila’s world premiere of ‘Florante at Laura’ is a modern triumph of muscle and musicianship from the first downbeat until the last note.

The curtains rise on an Adonis bound to a tree in the middle of a primordial dark forest, his anguish audible from the orchestra’s strings playing in a mournful minor key. It is Florante, despairing at the loss of his beloved, Laura. 

Francisco Balagtas’ poem is a pillar of Filipino literature, studied by eighth graders nationwide. Yet the meaning of this 19th century awit has sadly become obscured with the passage of time and the ever-increasing language barrier. 

Thankfully, dance and music transcend the need for words, and Ballet Manila has brought the oft-told yet oft-forgotten subversive story to life, ensuring it will be understood by audiences regardless of whether they’re Filipino or not, for generations to come.

It took watching the ballet for this reviewer to fully understand just how revolutionary and modern the story is, and how artfully fitting its choreography and musical score matched it.

Subversive Story

What jumps out in this ballet adaptation of the literary classic is that it is strikingly apparent that the true hero is not Florante (dashingly portrayed by Joshua Rey Enciso), nor Laura (beautifully danced by Abigail Oliveiro), but the Moorish Aladin (depicted by the powerful and charismatic new company soloist Noah Esplana), and the female warrior, Flerida (whose strength and majesty came to life in Stephanie Santiago). 

The Muslim “enemy” saves the Christian, upon hearing how similar their backgrounds are in betrayal. Likewise, the Muslim slave girl flees from a life of servitude and shoots an arrow into the chest of the would-be rapist of the Christian princess. Both the Christian and Muslim couples unite in a quest for a better world. The poem may have been written in 1838, but rings true in today’s conflict-ridden era.

Dance Revolution 

The ballet feels modern, with brand new dance composition by Gerardo Francisco (Act I and III) and Martin Lawrance (Act II and III), and a brilliant score by Ryan Cayabyab.

Gerardo Francisco‘s varied dance background is seen in movements that are distinctly 21st century, yet performed with the high standard of synchronicity and skill that Ballet Manila is known for. 

When one thinks that, merely a month ago, this very same troupe just danced the iconic ballet Giselle, with a very different classic style, one is left truly agog at the versatility of this company. 

Watching the show leaves one breathless, as there is almost no let-up from the very beginning. It is one exciting ensemble scene after another, with very few (and very short) pas de deux, trois, and quatre. 

Melodious Accompaniments

The music was clearly modern, with its chromatic leaps and dissonant chord clusters, but always, always melodious, with themes that this reader found herself humming even days afterward. Cayabyab allows all the orchestra’s sections to shine, with motifs passed from strings to woodwinds, or an incredibly talented soloist. One memorable moment of sheer delight took place when the music’s pulsing and throbbing suspense resolved in a dramatic cadence, perfectly timed with a death thrust from a sword in a grand display of artistic synchronization from dancers and musicians.

It is impossible to discuss the music of this piece without praising the orchestra that brought it to life (The Orchestra of the Filipino Youth, or OFY), a youth orchestra made up of high school and college students, all underprivileged scholars hailing from the provinces.

Superbly led by their conductor, Toma Cayabyab, the orchestra’s sound is polished, the playing confident and assured; and later on, as the rest of the ballet played out, their crescendos and colors gave justice to the sweeping Cayabyab tonal landscape that alternated between Tchaikovsky-like romanticism, Stravinskian percussion in the martial themes, and the medieval-like Wagnerian stately theme of Albania. 

This is not an easy score to play, and the orchestra’s youthful energy proved an advantage in this epic ballet. Even without looking at the economical (yet strikingly aesthetic and flexible) set of Mio Infante, and projections that clearly situated time (Present or Past) and place, all the audience needed to do was listen and we clearly heard where we were (Albania/ West or Persia/East). There is much to delight both eye and ear.

Ballet for Tomorrow

For this writer, there is this distinct joy and pride felt upon leaving the Aliw Theater, that makes me glad to have borne witness to this birth of a new classic. Florante at Laura is a shining new gem in the repertoire of Ballet Manila, one that all should make time to see.

 

Tickets: P1,000 – P3,000
Show Dates: October 12, 13, and 19, 2024 (5:00 and 8:00 pm)
Venue: Aliw Theater, Pasay City
Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes (including a 15 minute intermission)
Credits: Lisa Macuja Elizalde (Artistic Director), Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Martin Lawrance (Choreography), Dr. Michael Coroza (Libretto Consultant), Ryan Cayabyab (Original Music & Orchestration), Mio Infante (Scenography and Set Design), John Batalla (Lighting Designer & Technical Director), Toma Cayabyab (Conductor of the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth), Kaya Alexa Mendoza (Concertmaster), Therese Arroyo-Hernandez, Otto Hernandez & AC Hernandez (Costume Design & Props), Joyce Garcia (Visual Design)
Cast:  Joshua Enciso (Florante), Abigail Oliveiro (Laura), Noah Esplana (Aladin), Stephanie Santiago (Flerida), Romeo Peralta (Adolfo), Anselmo Dictado (Menandro), Junmark Sumaylo (Sultan Ali-Adab/ King Linceo), John Ralp Balagot (General Osmalic/ Duke Briceo), Benedict Sabularse (King of Crotona), Juan Angelo De Leon (Young Florante), Germaine Dawal (Young Adolfo), Angelou Gamayon (Young Menandro), John Sixto Dones (Antenor), with Sean Kevin Pelegrin, Rodney Catubay, Rafael Perez, Jos David Andes, Jos Daniel Andes, Juan Angelo De Leon, Stanley Alamer, Jasmine Pia Dames, Jessica Pearl Dames, Shamira Drapete, Jessa Balote, Jamil Montibon, Alvin Dictado, John Carl Concepcion, Jefferson Balute, Germaine Dawal, Raymond Salcedo, Shaira May Comeros, Rissa May Camaclang, Elyssabeth Apilado, and Celine Astrologo, Angelika Joie Tagupa, Francesca Raypon, Cheng Yun Jung, Alene Tan E-Thong, Judith Olivia Po, Ana Katharina Andes, Ana Graciela Andes, and Ainslea Esplana
Company: Ballet Manila