BALLET AND BEYOND

BALLET AND BEYOND
Wilhelmina S. Orozco

Why do we watch cultural shows? Why do our kababayan line up to buy tickets no matter how long the queue is? Why do they smile at the mere mention of their favorite media star? I think that’s the wonder of art and culture in general. The artistic products that the media stars put out provide the audience, the viewers, their fans with respite from the daily struggles to eke out a living. The messages they give, whether it is about their life, or their latest escapades with their romantic partners provide a glimpse of a starry life, maybe reachable or unreachable but nonetheless remaining attractive, interesting and inspiring for them.

Now there is such a thing as high or low brow shows. Classical ballet is one of those high brow elite arts that the masses generally shy away from watching as they have been used to the so-called “masa entertainment fare” on luncheon TV programs with gyrating dancers dressed in skimpy attire, or the acrobatic teenagers aping the crotch-catching steps of Michael Jackson. They are enticed no end to remain glued on TV no matter how repetitive, how monotonous the music coming from these programs are, as they also contain “Manalo ng milyun-milyun” promos, making their dream of becoming instant millionaires a possibility, whether as direct or home viewer.

But Lisa Macuja-Elizalde is not one to skip her dream of bringing ballet to the masses, no matter what the odds are stacked against her high brow field. Instead, she continues to produce shows that could generate interest, not only mere viewing but also educating the audience on what is great art. Her latest show, “Ballet, Band and Ballads” attests to this.

In this program, Lisa showcases Ballet Manila, her dancing ballet group with themes that are not commonly used in our everyday cultural entertainment shows. In “Less Sylphides,”, music by Frederic Chopin ‘s Les Sylphides, and choreography by Bam Damian III, the dancers are all male, with bare chests, and wearing half petticoat tied at the back executing vigorous ballet steps in very manly yet graceful ways, not one moment exhibiting any effeminate stance. It was refreshing watching that piece as if we were watching a group of swans floating on air and stepping down on the ground in gay abandon.

One of two paired pieces was “Grand Pas Classique” with music by Daniel Auber and choreography by Alexander Gorsky performed by Elena Chernova and her partner I don’t know which of these two: Nazer Salgado or Nino Guevarra. Elena, a Caucasian danced very lightly and made pirouettes that were too dazzling to count. The audience was so mesmerized by her dancing and of course her lone white beauty among the group of kayumanggi dancers that they gave her a loud applause.

The other piece was “Summer’s End”, performed by no less than the ballet icon Lisa, together with Rudy de Dios, with music by Chopin’s Concerto in E minor Opus 10 and choreography by Norman Walker. The story is the ill fate of two lovers whose feelings for each other are so passionate that they explored the heights and depths of romance, but in the end have to be separated from each other. The ending shows spotlights focused on the two and the rest of the stage in dark background thereby hinting at that great divide separating them. This was visual expression of romantic break-up at its best. Of course, the dance elicited great applause from the audience, a sincere appreciation especially at this time when Lisa would be rarely dancing on stage given her busy schedule of being the artistic director of the company.

“Alla Luce del Sole” with music by Josh Groban, choreography, concept, costume and light design and concept by Manuel Molina. has 31 male and female dancers, dressed in gray and black long robes, covered faces and heads dancing together, winding their way through the stage, molding themselves as humans, and later on as natural shapes as a mountain. “Alla” carries the theme of again, another kind of unfulfilled love, with the woman, rising up above this “human-made” mountain and then dropping down to her death. The man dances to retrieve her body covered by the group of dancers, lifeless, and then carries it on his shoulders, only to kill himself in the end also.

In between the various ballet pieces are the pop tunes sang by Side A band like “Hold On,” and “Got to Believe in Magic,” among others. This group was formed in 1985 and continues to produce albums, that carry songs popularized over the radio and in live performances by the band members who exhibit confident stage presence, at the end, making the audience stand for their last piece. Unfortunately, the audience is so tame that only a few swayed to the beat of the song which carries a message about a romantic person, waiting for love to fall his or her way.

Somehow, the repertoire that night of 17th February 2011 at Aliw Theatre shows an inclination towards heartbreaking love affairs, unrequited love, love abandoned, and all the ramifications of romantic attachments which are hot stuff among the majority of our cultural audiences. I guess, Lisa has captured the mindset of the Filipino viewers so that she prepared this program just to be able to make them appreciate ballet as well, an artform that usually appeals only to the highly educated and culturatti. Having been schooled in Russia with its educational program emphasizing not only expertise in the artform but also in social processes, Lisa has read the minds and hearts of the Filipino people and must be accorded our salute for her unending energy to bring culture to the masses.

Catch the program tonight and tomorrow night at Aliw Theatre again. Soprano Fides Cuyugan, our very own cultural music gem will be there tonight.

PS A legislative move exists to make another company the National Ballet Company of the country which is rather destructive and divisive of the current state of our culture. I think this move should not prosper because making a company lay claim to being THE company worthwhile being labeled as such is opening the cultural discourse to political wranglings. The arts should be politics-free – free from the manipulation of individuals, groups and government officials into nurturing only their chosen artists instead of making the arts reachable to everyone, especially the masses regardless of political color.