The COVID-19 pandemic has presented immense challenges to industries around the world. With mobility restrictions in place, business owners had to rethink their operations and adjust to navigate the uncertainties in the new normal. Although some companies were able to adapt and seamlessly shift to the new norm, the process was not easy with many struggling with financial losses and temporary business closures. A survey from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) released September last year reported that the Philippine economy experienced the worst impacts of the pandemic. The Philippines logged the highest number of business closures and layoffs among its peers in Southeast Asia. Despite that, Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP and Head of PLDT & Smart Enterprise and International Business Groups, said that resilience is one of the core values that helped businesses conquer the challenges of the pandemic. This ‘unbreakable spirit’ of enterprises allowed them to embr
Ballet Manila Dancers perform an excerpt from La Traviata (Photo by Erickson Dela Cruz)
Two Princess, one classic and two collaborative opera, are
the show offering of Ballet Manila on its 24th season with a theme “On
Pointe” that represent the shoes of all ballerina which make them stand and
dance daintily on her shoes.
Excerpt from Giselle by Ballet Manila (Erickson Dela Cruz)
The line-up of shows according to Ballet Manila CEO and
Artistic Director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde is related to the company’s Russian
Vaganova style of training and dancing, which is being able to dance on pointe.
This season will also mark the 24 years of Ballet Manila.
Excerpt from Carmina Burana (Erickson Dela Cruz)
“No we're not expecting anybody from abroad this season, we have 5 principles dancers in the company
and so many capable soloists to dance the classic Giselle, the sleeping beauty,
we are doing an original Filipino ballet on the 25th season,” Macuja
said during its media launch last July 15 at S Maison Hall of Conrad Hotel.
The season will start with Snow White on September 7 and 8,
followed by the romantic ballet Giselle on October 19 and 20, and the yearend
show Sleeping Beauty on December 7 and 8 all this 2019, and two opera ballet
Carmina Burana and La Traviata are set on Feb 29 and March 1, 2020.
Carmina Burana (Erickson Dela Cruz)
“The most challenging ballet in On Pointe for me as a choreographer is not sleeping beauty, but La Traviata because for the first time I’m tackling tragedy, gone are the times I want to be funny now it’s like
super serious, there she dies, there is betrayal, there is a passion, there’s
lust, greed all the different human emotions,” Macuja explains.
BM Dancers with Osias Barroso and Lisa Macuja-Elizalde
This is the first time that Ballet Manila is doing the full length
of Sleeping Beauty, the piece is a three hour and half-hour long, but Macuja
did some adjustments, cut and update it to cater for the millennial crowd, and
of course, she wants a Dragon on stage.
All of On Pointe performances are staged at the Aliw Theater,
to buy tickets visit Ticketworld outlet or call 891-9999 or go to the Ballet Manila site or at the BM Facebook page.
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