WATCH: ‘Peter Pan’ Soars in Ballet Philippines’ New Full-Length Adaptation

WATCH: ‘Peter Pan’ Soars in Ballet Philippines’ New Full-Length Adaptation

Ballet Philippines is set to stage an entirely new, full-length version of Peter Pan, choreographed by the company’s Artistic Director, Mikhail “Misha” Martynyuk. Performances will take place on December 6 at 8 PM, and on December 7 and 8 at 2 PM and 7 PM, at The Theatre at Solaire.

Spanning around two hours, Martynyuk reveals that he intentionally did not watch any prior versions of the story. “This is my interpretation. This is absolutely a new version,” he emphasizes, noting that while the ballet will have a classical structure, it is designed to be appealing to children, ensuring families can enjoy the show together.

Ballet Philippines President Kathleen Liechtenstein adds, “The positivity of the story relates to the celebration of Christmas and family, because this is the time that the family must come together, celebrate the joy, the happiness of Christmas, kahit na medyo alanganin iyung sa paligid natin.”

Regarding the music, Martynyuk shares that he will incorporate works from five different composers, all from the same time period as J.M. Barrie’s original book.

Martynyuk’s wife, Eleanora Martynyuk, who is also the company’s emerging costume designer, has designed the costumes for the production. As a dancer herself, she combines creativity with practicality, ensuring the costumes are both durable and comfortable for the performers.

Five Casts, One Show

Another surprising aspect of this staging is that there will be five sets of casts, meaning a different principal cast will perform for each show of the run.

Ballet Philippines Principal Dancer Ian Ocampo, one of the dancers portraying Peter Pan, highlights Martynyuk’s generosity in providing opportunities for various performers. “He always finds a way to give chances to other people. At the same time, it is earned, not literally given. When he knows that you’re working hard, he will give you a chance.”

Ocampo explains that audiences will experience different dynamics with each cast. “I took the character study to a different route, because if I portray a very young boy, it will not suit my character as a whole,” he says. “So I studied Robin Williams’ take on Peter Pan, which gives me more leverage and more knowledge in what Peter should look like from my perspective, because I cannot portray him as how Eduardson can portray him because he literally looks like Peter Pan.”

He continues, “Like other [Captain] Hooks, they look different from each other. Like for my cast, I am taller than my Hook, so it’s a different type of humor, or a different type of approach on how Hook should look like or how Hook should dominate.”

Eduardson Evangelio, who will play both Michael and Peter Pan in separate performances, expresses his excitement and nerves about taking on his biggest role to date. “When I knew about it, I was more excited about doing it. I was up to the challenge. I know it’s not gonna be the easiest thing to do, but I know if I pull it off, I’ll be proud of myself. I’m just so excited to perform as Peter Pan.”

He continues by reflecting on the nature of the character: “For me, it’s not really a challenge to act like Peter Pan—free-spirited, always happy, joyful,” characteristics that he also embodies as a person.

However, he acknowledges the complexity of the role, explaining that the real challenge lies in how to look young while still appearing more mature when performing Martynyuk’s intricate choreography, especially now that he’s taking on a principal role with a pas de deux for the first time. “That’s really what I’ve been working on now, building my muscle and memorizing how to partner a girl properly with the proper stamina, and master it and not be so scared on stage.”

He praises Martynyuk’s mentorship: “Misha is very generous, and that’s why it’s exciting for me to work with him all the time, in every production. He gives you a chance. You just have to do it and prove yourself that you can do it.”

Ballet Philippines’ Principal Dancer Jemima Reyes, one of the dancers portraying Wendy, shares her perspective on originating roles in an original ballet. “I think the challenging and fun part of it is, of course you have to know the character, but there’s really no exact choreography to follow, and from that, you take off the pressure of literally following what was ahead of you.”

“The fun part is getting the freedom to really put your own understanding to a role, and that’s completely yours, with the guidance of your choreographer.”

Ocampo adds, “More than just a challenge, it’s incredibly rewarding to create an original ballet. It’s very rewarding to have that kind of leverage that, ‘Oh, this ballet is created for me; this ballet is created for us.’ We have the capability to express what we understood in the story itself.”

You can watch Ian Ocampo (Peter Pan), Jemima Reyes (Wendy), Eduardson Evangelio (Michael), and Emmerson Evangelio (John) perform excerpts from the show below.