Contrary to cynics and naysayers’ expectations, Ballet Manila’s artistry has endured through the decades—rising from the ashes, redefining standards and storytelling through dance in its most graceful and precise form. Now, the company is celebrating its 30th anniversary, hoping to extend its reach to a bigger audience.
“The Pearl Year” begins with three main performances: The Pearl Gala, Swan Lake, and Don Quixote, at the Aliw Theater starting next month.
With performances taking up half of 2025, Ballet Manila will kick off “The Pearl Year” with “The Pearl Gala” from March 7 to 9. The gala will feature three pieces inspired by the company’s Russian Vaganova roots.
It would soon be followed by “Swan Lake,” from May 30 to 31 and June 1, featuring guest artists Esteban Hernandez, Katherine Barkman, and Nathaniel Remez, and “Don Quixote” from August 22 to 24, featuring Renata Shakirova of Mariinsky Ballet.
Pieces That Would Last
Macuja-Elizalde mentioned that the premiere of “Pearls” was crafted specifically for Ballet Manila’s current dancers. The choreography will be featured in “The Pearl Gala,” a collection of their most exquisite performances. According to the former, they aim to make a piece that would last.
As a mentor, performer, and the company’s artistic director, Macuja-Elizalde emphasized how ballet performance roles are eventually passed down to the next generation of dancers.
“Yung mga parte nila, ipapasa nila sa next generation of dancers. It’s just like nung nag-sayaw ako ng [role nina] Odette [and] Odile, sa Swan Lake, ngayon pina-pass on ko na yung role ng Odette [and] Odile sa next generation of dancers. So ganon lang talaga ‘yon as a performing art, it’s an art that is passed down from one generation to the next,” she said.
“Minamana siya from actual ballerinas that perform the ballets before,” she continued.
Inspired by the success of their original Filipino ballets like “Ibong Adarna,” “Florante at Laura,” and “Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang,” the Ballet Manila CEO said that there’s still an array of materials that can be adapted into ballet.
“Ang daming material na pwedeng gawing ballet. In fact, lahat ng kwento, pwede siya gawing ballet basta mayroon kang magaling na composer, choreographer, at librettist. Siyempre [pati mga] magagaling na mananayaw–and you have that vision,” Macuja-Elizalde highlighted.
“We do have plans, hindi ko na i-eelaborate kasi baka mamaya ma-steal pa yung idea (laughs). But we do have plans to create more Filipino ballets for sure,” she added.
Macuja-Elizalde also stated that the company is always open for auditions, adding that aspiring dancers may also try out for a scholarship grant. In the past, Ballet Manila launched a scholarship program for male ballerinas. However, in recent years, it was renamed to “Project Ballet Futures,” which now includes female scholars.
Creating Memory Through Dance
While Macuja-Elizalde’s influence on Ballet Manila is undeniable, she is just one aspect that makes up the institution. Ballet Manila’s dancers spoke of their experiences, recalling how it helped them grow as dancers.
“Our company has such an array of talent and artists [that] it’s impossible to not learn something just from opening your eyes and watching the other dancers work. It’s very inspiring, and it makes me very happy to go to work everyday and want to hone my craft,” Swan Lake’s Odette/Odile, Abigail Oliveiro said.
Paquita’s Shaira Comeros expressed her appreciation for having good training with the institution, emphasizing how it has inspired her to learn from her fellow dancers.
Meanwhile, Mark Sumaylo said his mentors and colleagues are always there to push him and help him unleash his potential.
“We always want to move forward. There’s always more audiences to attract to the theater; there’s always more ballets to aspire to perform. There’s always more ballets that we aspire to create. There’s always the next generation of dancers coming up that aspire to dance the roles that these artists are dancing now,” Macuja-Elizalde emphasized.
In the cycle of professional dancing, there will always be new talents that emerge alongside discoveries. Despite this, Macuja-Elizalde is firm in moving forward, relishing the many possibilities ahead.
"We are able to do that if we have an audience for our art form. We can train, and we can put up shows. But if nobody comes to watch the shows. If nobody comes and buys the ticket and watches the performance, then what is all that training for?” she said.
“What do dancers create? We create a memory in the audience that comes and watches us. That memory is our art; it's our life. And that’s going to go on as long as the audience continues to bring that memory on from our performance,” Macuja-Elizalde added.
What began as a company beset with skepticism and doubts has emerged as a tour de force fueled with boundless creativity and unwavering spirit. For “The Pearl Year,” Ballet Manila is soaking in its history, “from one performance to the next, [and] one beautiful memory to the next.”
Tickets for “The Pearl Gala” can be purchased via the TicketWorld website.
