FIESTA-rific: Ballet Manila’s Halo Halo Supreme (Dance / Theater)

Have you ever imagined Philippine folk dances, Tinikling as an example, turned into a pas de deux? How about popular ballroom exhibitions and modern street dances for Pinoys such as Samba and Hiphop transformed as a jete? What if Filipino games like sipa, luksong tinik, tumbang preso or taguan are explored using pirouet as the basic pattern? Perhaps, it is mesmerizing to visually experience seeing these Filipino cultures and traditional forms rolled into one ballet concert.


Ballet Manila, Manila Broadcasting Company and Aliw Theater collaborated to present this colorful and delightful ballet concert entitled HALO HALO SUPREME, A FIESTA OF FILIPINO BALLETS featuring Prima Ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, who also serves as the artistic director of BM together with Osias Barroso, the artistic associate; Jerome Espejo; Mylene Aggabao; Gerardo Francisco; Nino Guevarra; Ruby De Dios; Sofia Sangco; Yanti Marduli; Marcus Tolentino; Eileen Lopez; Francis Cascano and Alvin Santos among other company members including BM company and school scholars. Lighting designer and technical director Jaime Villanueva, live band group Makiling, noted choreographers Agnes Locsin, Tony Fabella and Albert Dimarucut successfully joined in as part of the creative team.

The first part of the show was a little bit vague and shaky in contrast with a more solid and interesting rendition of the second part called Pista. Halo Halo started out using wrong choices of music such as Allegro (Paul Hindemith) and Arachnida (Les Helcomb and Matthew Fargher). These two did not gel with the title itself to begin with. It sounded so foreign and totally out of the concept. Obviously, it was sort of a warm-up for the BM dancers although consequently, the dance Dulce choreography was closer to the theme. Then came Pista, the strongest if not the brightest part of the show. It showcased the various traditional Filipino games which went higher and higher to its peak. To see sipa, patintero, luksong tinik and taguan to name some injecting humor plus character role-play of the dancers created such theatricality and originality. Social celebrations were also used and added. Choreographers Barroso and Francisco stirred the fun and excitement for young and young at heart audiences using maglalatik, sayaw sa bangko, subli to name a few as it visually transformed as a concrete ballet form.

Indeed, Ballet Manila proves successfully this mixture of classical strict form ballet juxtaposing enjoyably with our identified Pinoy traditions in contemporary setting on stage. At the huge Aliw Theater in CCP complex last August 10, 2008, many young audience members appreciated watching an interesting rendition of such concept. Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, artistic director of Ballet Manila, undoubtedly made the right move to include in this year’s season repertoire.

Halo Halo Supreme is a unique Filipino dance-ballet concept reaching out conveniently to more audiences – teenagers and adults alike. Ballet Manila shoud never stop from creating bravura ballet dance pieces mirroring our very own Philippine traditions.