Ballet Philippines Bagong Sayaw, Flying High At The CCP

For a limited engagement only, Ballet Philippines now serve its 2^nd offering for this season entitled, “Bagong Sayaw”.  Should you wish to translate the title, it is New Dance or in this case new ideas coming from six (6) budding choreographers under the Ballet Philippines wing.

Featured are John Ababon (And There I Was), Danilo Dayo Jr. (Malamanyika), Bonifacio Guerrero Jr (Templum Velum), Gia Gequinto (Caged Cycle), Al Bernard Garcia (Tau-luwa) and Erl Emmanuel Sorilla (Langit/Lupa).  Except for Al Bernard Garcia, who was invited to share his piece for this event, majority of the featured choreographers are under BP.  All the pieces featured have its strong point and story.  From something truly heart wrenching to something with humor, from something theoretic to something we see in reality, from something  of the past to something in the present; all presented pieces are relatable and true to heart.

Of all the featured pieces, there were two pieces that truly caught my attention because of some element (s) that is there in the piece.  Caged Cycle by Gia Gequinto has that humor that is not easily captured in dance.  When you get to see this pax de deux, it is like watching an old silent film in color!  It is like watching Charlie Chaplin in color and up close!  The story and dance is clear that the humor in the piece is also clearly transposed to the audience.   The height difference between the two male dancers helped in making the dance/story more vibrant and alive.  You will not laugh out loud but you will smile!  A nice first half ender.

Caged Cycle by Gia Gequinto

Tau-luwa by Al Bernard Garcia

The other piece that got my attention is the creation of Al Bernard Garcia Tau-luwa.  His local elements coming from the South truly got my attention because it showed promise; a promise that the local dance shall not disappear in time.  According to him it is about the life of people: courting and creation of new life and the balancing factor of life itself.  For me, I saw it as a relationship with the human and the divine.  When the divine mates with human, a call for balance comes to play thus the giving up of immortality for new mortal life to live.

In terms of storyline full of queries, Templum Velum takes the hat.  The transition was clear, the story arc as a whole is filled with scattered why’s.  Why the red markings to those who has found piece?  Why women in red and not a mix of sexes? I saw the peace but then what?  It was a beautiful dance piece but peppered with answered questions.

 Ballet Philippines and Ballet Philippines 2 have truly made a beautiful showcase with this offering - new ideas, new blood, new dreams, but same old root – dance and being Filipino.  Bagong Sayaw is a piece truly fit to fly, as the season’s theme say – WINGS!

Congratulations Ballet Philippines!