Star Powerhouse

  It was fortunate last February 18, 2024 Sunday to be able to watch "Rama, Hari" (Rama, King) a Filipino rock musical led by Alice Reyes Dance Company' visionary founder and National Artist for Dance, Alice Reyes, now 80+ years old of age. My appreciation for ballet has been developed over the last few years especially last year through the generous invitation of a long-time friend, Axl, who is a fan of Philippine ballet. This time has once again elevated my appreciation for the art of ballet to a great extent. I watched with a fresh perspective without expectations and found myself smiling to learn what the standard of a National Artist for Dance is with ballet.  My innocence on what to expect goes with how I had nothing planned for that Sunday and just allowed my friend to lead the way. We met earlier at SM Mall of Asia that afternoon 2 PM to watch a 20-minute flashmob surprise Valentine's Month concert by the Ramon Obusan Folklore group, Philippine Philharmonic Or...

Catch the country’s preeminent ballet and contemporary dance company this August in “A Gala Celebration”. Ballet Philippines revives choreographic gems in a gala featuring Filipino stars from various international dance companies. Among the guest artists are Candice Adea (formerly of BalletMet and Hong Kong Ballet), Marcelino Libao (Hamburg Ballet), Kris-Belle Paclibar (formerly of Cirque du Soleil), Ronelson Yadao (formerly of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre), Paul Ocampo & Chien-Ying Wang (OcampoWang Dance), and Jean Marc Cordero & Rita Angela Winder (Ballett Kiel).

The quintessential rags to riches fairy tale as retold by National Artist Alice Reyes will be staged anew by Ballet Philippines from November 28 to December 7 at Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). This lively and humorous production will bring much laughter and romance to the holiday season. First staged in 1981, Alice Reyes' “Cinderella” is a joyful mixture of kings, princes, fairies, and animals set to a collage of music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who composed some of the world's greatest ballet music. Although intended as a ballet for children, both young and young-at-heart audiences are sure to be enthralled by this lighthearted production. This will be Cinderella’s fifth re-staging and 33rd anniversary. "What we, at Ballet Philippines, would hope for is that our re-telling of the treasured children's story of ‘Cinderella’ will fill the hearts of all in the audience with child-like joy and wonder and an early sprinkling of holiday cheer for the com...