alice reyes biography and works

Alice Reyes Sets The Stage Ablaze With Her Fellow National Artists

By Ria de Borja

Photography By Artu Nepomuceno

JAMES REYES top, VICTORIA BECKHAM underskirt, TAO lace skirt, and HANS BRUMANN personalized earrings. Photographed by Artu Nepomuceno.

“My moral compass was always about integrity,” says the dancer and National Artist.

“I had one colleague in the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company who never looked at me. During our whole year, she never looked at me during the tour,” Alice Reyes recounts. “When I became National Artist, she joined a dinner the Bayanihan gave and wanted to have a photo with me. It depends on each person, how they look at you.”

Nobody, however, can doubt Reyes’ talent. She studied ballet at a young age and joined the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company. She founded Ballet Philippines . She created the Alice Reyes Dance Company . The list goes on. She has been dancing for over half a century after all. “I had parents who were both musicians and artists,” she says. “I grew up in that, so I took for granted that this is what everybody did. I didn’t have to have earth-shattering discussions with myself. I just went. That was an advantage in a sense. I didn’t have any deep turmoil about it.”

She says that the way she has shaped her life and achieved to get where she is today is mainly due to persistence. “It’s been about knocking on doors, forever and ever. It’s about putting many ideas down, sharing them, and asking people to come with me. ‘Let’s do this.’ I keep plugging away. If I have an idea, I will go for it. And because I’m persistent, sooner or later, it will happen. Some don’t, but you just take that in stride. That’s part of the learning, growing experience,” Reyes says. “And I share that with all the members of Alice Reyes Dance. I’m mentoring them, pointing out this didn’t happen, and why, what’s the lesson we can learn to become our best selves and go on.”

There are many places where Alice finds beauty. “I live in a six-bedroom home, but I keep it because I wake up to birds singing,” she says. “Then there’s a dancer who has come up from a bad knee surgery and can work and work and work and finally do something amazing. I say wow.”

There have been many challenges in 80 years of life, she shares. “The lack of government financial support for the arts is one. It’s not just for me. It’s for all the arts. Because of Congressman Toff de Venecia and Congressman Kiko Benitez, we now have this creative law , which is amazing. It has to be funded,” she says. 

This September, a rare collaborative work, the rock opera ballet, Rama, Hari by five National Artists namely, composer Ryan Cayabyab, librettist Bienvenido Lumbera, production designer Salvador Bernal, translator Rolando Tinio, and, Reyes herself  as the director and choreographer will be restaged.

When asked if she was a “national compass,” National Artist for Dance, Reyes says that she “would never claim that. That’s major and massive. I feel that each individual has his or her own compass. Some get to it earlier, some get to it later, but we all have our north star. At some point, we know what we want for ourselves. For our world, for our families.” 

She continues: “Thinking back, that my moral compass was always about integrity. You need to live with yourself, you need to be able to sleep, you need to be able to look at yourself in the mirror, see yourself. Integrity to me is, because I’m in the arts, excellence. There’s no middle ground. Either it is good or not good.”

Meet The Ladies Who Launch

In thoroughly exploring their passions, honing their skills, and continuing to be beacons who inspire a whole nation, these five women show a life well-crafted and well-lived..

According to the World Economic Forum Report Global Gender Gap  Report  from June 2023, the Philippines, New Zealand, and Australia have the highest gender parity among East Asian and Pacific countries. If young Filipinas today have an edge, no doubt that this was carved out by the many trailblazing women who came before. Heroines in their own right, these revolutionaries are educators, scholars, writers, and artists. 

Here, we pay tribute to five pioneering women who have paved the way and showed us how to live a meaningful life. They are our national treasures. Literally, too, as Alice Reyes is a National Artist for Dance and Dolores Ramirez is a National Scientist.

These women traversed challenging waters and anchored themselves on the world stage. They achieved tremendous milestones over 250 years combined, in the fields of Culture, the Arts, and the Sciences, helping shape Philippine society and influencing future leaders for generations to come. 

Marian Pastor Roces

Critical thinker, curator, author, and historian.

Glenda Barretto

Chef, restaurateur, and author.

Felice Prudente Sta. Maria

Author, heritage advocate, and culinary historian.

Dr. Dolores Ramirez

National Scientist.

Vogue Philippines: August 2023 Issue

By Ria De Borja. Photographs by Artu Nepomuceno. Beauty Editor: Joyce Oreña. Fashion Director: Pam Quiñones. Makeup: Gery Peñaso of M.A.C Cosmetics, Ting Duque. Hair: JA Feliciano, Mong Amado. Art Director: Jann Pascua. Production Design: Justine Arcega-Bumanlag. Producer: Bianca Zaragoza, Anz Hizon. Multimedia Artists: Gabbi Constantino, Tinkerbell Poblete. Production Assistant: Zofia Agama. Photographer’s Assistants: Choi Narciso, Jordon Estrada. Stylist’s Assistant: Ticia Almazan. Production Design Assistants: Gabrielle Mantala, Geber Cunanan, Jan Abal, Olderico Bondoc. Makeup Assistants: Charisma Contaoi, Leilani Samson, Lorrine Villamayor. Interns: Jean-Jacques Girod- Roux, Sophia Lanawan.

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Alice Reyes on 50 years — and counting — of Ballet Philippines

TRAVELING AROUND the world and representing the Philippines as a diplomat was the plan. However, fate decided that Alice Reyes would spend her professional life dedicated to the art of movement. “I was going to be in foreign service,” the 2014 National Artist for Dance told BusinessWorld in an interview in November. After all, she had a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Foreign Services from Maryknoll College and completed post-graduate studies in Ateneo De Manila University.

The arts, however, had always been part of her life. “I come from a musical family,” she explained.

Her mother, Adoracion Garcia-Reyes, was a coloratura soprano and voice teacher, while her father, Ricardo Reyes. He was known as “Mr. Philippine Folk Dancer.” Her younger sisters, Denisa and Edna Vida, are also dancer-choreographers, while Cecille is a pianist.

“I was dancing all the time with my father,” Ms. Reyes said. At a young age, she and father joined the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company (now the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company). “I was exposed to the theater on Broadway, in London, and Paris.”

It was after completing her post-graduate studies in international relations that she deepened her education in dance at a workshop at the Center of Dance in Colorado Springs.

“I was very fortunate to study with [American choreographer] Hanya Holm,” she said. “And that was the opening to my realization that I should probably just accept the fact that my life is going to be in dance.”

Instead of pursuing a career as a diplomat, Ms. Reyes dedicated her life to rehearsing and working with choreographers, performing classical ballet and Filipino dances.

In 1969, Ms. Reyes, with the support of Eddie Elejar, founded the professional classical and contemporary dance company Ballet Philippines (BP) where she served as artistic director for 20 years from 1969 to 1989. BP was also the first resident company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

THE CREATIVE PROJECT On Nov. 27, the newly opened CCP Black Box Theater was dim and quiet after Ms. Reyes had finished having her picture taken signing copies of her new book.

Edited by Elizabeth V. Reyes, and designed by Dopy Doplon, the cover of the coffeetable book — titled Alice Reyes & Ballet Philippines: A 50-Year Legacy in Dance — shows a black and white photograph from a scene in one of the company’s early shows, Seasons of Light . BusinessWorld sat with the National Artist at the front row of the theater, while the guests had cocktails at the lobby after the program.

“When I became National Artist, NCCA (National Commission for Culture and the Arts) has this program where they give [you] funds for a creative work,” she said. She decided to work on a book in 2017, the same year she returned to Ballet Philippines as artistic director again.

According to Ms. Reyes, since she “was not, at that time, in a position to do a new choreography,” she took inspiration from Nic Tiongson’s coffeetable book about National Artist for Theater and Design Salvador Bernal.

Published under ABS-CBN Books, Ms. Reyes’ book is divided into two sections — Legacy and Repertoire.

The “Legacy” section features seven essays about Ms. Reyes’ personal history, the early years of the dance company, and the company’s trajectory for dance in the country, young choreographers, and dance education.

The essays are written by Beatrice Homann, Nestor Jardin, Elizabeth V. Reyes, Doreen G. Yu, Edna Vida, Richard Upton, and Gina Katigbak-Garcia.

The “Repertoire” section features 45 of BP’s best dance works over the last 50 years. Two-hundred-and-fifty black and white photos were chosen from over 2,500 photos and digital files from the BP dance archives. The photos are taken by renowned dance photographers including Rudy Vidad, Jaime Zobel, Victor Ursabia, and Jojo Mamangun.

“[The book] is basically the story of how important it is for Filipinos to stay and work here, create, perform, develop things, because we are such a talented group of people,” Ms. Reyes said. “We were very fortunate to be able to collaborate. And with that, we, through all the 50 years, have developed pieces, works, dances, that speak of the Filipino soul, and Filipino stories.

“It also shows the range of what we can do as artists,” she added, citing classical works by Bach and Tchaikovsky. “[It shows that] we can do all these styles and that dance can be a career,” she added.

Since its founding, Ballet Philippines has staged over 500 choreographic works such as Amada (1969), Tales of the Manuvu (1977), and Rama Hari (1980). The dance company has also performed internationally in countries such as Canada, the USA, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, China, Greece, Germany, Portugal, and Switzerland.

TAKING IT FURTHER Since her comeback as artistic director, Ms. Reyes has stepped away from creating new choreography to give way to younger choreographers.

“Instead of making new works, I encourage the younger people to choreograph, and to make their statements, to make their contributions to the world of dance,” she said.

BP’s upcoming projects include a commissioned work choreographed by award-winning, Hong Kong-based Filipino choreographer and BP alumni Carlo Pacis in celebration of the 500 th anniversary of the world’s first circumnavigation, as well as a US tour in October 2020. “We’re continuing to make new dances from the younger choreographers, and planning the 52 nd [season]. And so, it goes on,” she said.

Alice Reyes & Ballet Philippines: A 50-Year Legacy in Dance will be available soon in leading bookstores. For updates, follow @abscbnpr on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit www.abs-cbn.com/newsroom . — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

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A well-deserved tribute to Alice Reyes

• BY Tats Rejante Manahan
• March 1, 2020

Despite an ominous cloud of uncertainty regarding the future of Ballet Philippines (BP), the lobby of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) began to fill up on the evening of Feb. 21, as early as two hours or more before the scheduled performance of what would be the 50th anniversary of the very first concert presented by the Alice Reyes Dance Co., as it was known in 1970.

The controversial internal skirmish between BP—a CCP resident dance company—and its board of trustees fueled support for its embattled artists and Reyes, BP founder and National Artist for Dance. There were no signs of gloom permeating the CCP lobby gathering, but instead, there was a palpable enthusiastic, celebratory vibe. Succeeding in the petition for a venue grant after the threatened cancellation of the show, the presentation was retitled “Alice and Friends: A Tapestry of Dances, Featuring Itim Asu,” in reference to one of Reyes’ early works.

For the opening piece, Adam Sage’s “Glinka’s Valse” set the spirit of the evening with its sparkling, breathless neoclassical choreography carried forward by an almost pause-less waltz by Mikhail Glinka, considered the father of Russian classical music, whose work directly influenced other composers like Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky.

As the music steadily flowed from phrase to phrase, the seven bright-eyed female dancers and lone male dancer floated in and out, in consonance with the melody. At the end of the piece, there was no recourse for the audience but to burst into thunderous applause.

On the rise

All eight dancers are definitely on the rise: Katrene San Miguel, Al Abraham, Jemima Reyes, Monica Gana, Sarah Alejandro, Stephanie Santiago, Jessa Tangalin and Gia Gequinto. Their well-defined technique only lent itself to the sharp emphasis on musical accents in the seamless, melodious score. Katrene San Miguel and Al Abraham partnered with such ease, San Miguel light in her lifts, and Abraham strong in his catches and transitions.

“Man Pointe” and “We” are two works by two company members, Erl Sorilla and Lester Reguindin, respectively. Both pieces deal with gender issues, but unlike other choreographies that tended to underscore the obvious with the use of shock value like nudity or physical suggestiveness, “Man Pointe” and “We” delivered the message with elegance, quiet drama and an eloquent richness in terpsichorean language.

Sorilla’s angular and sharply accentuated movements either in unison, suspended or offbeat syncopation did well to add an edgy texture to Chopin’s otherwise sympathetic etude. Victor Maguad’s impeccable rendition of the steps contrasted the sentimentality of this well-loved and familiar piece with his defined angst. With every season, Maguad has consistently delivered dance excellence that doesn’t seem to stop improving.

“We,” while a bit more histrionic, still did not dwell on the high pitch, but rather made use of a progressive narrative to bring home the issue of gender acceptance in a judgmental society, using gender-identifying clothes as the tool to close the narrative with amusing wit.

The atmosphere shifted as the a cappella blending of “Dahil sa Iyo” by the Madrigal Singers introduced “Bungkos Suite,” bringing back memories of the dance company’s early days, with Reyes’ signature modern choreography. Completing the medley were “Chitchiritchit,” “Dandansoy,” “Telebong” and “Dabada,” each song depicting various moods typical of Filipino sentiments.

“Ne Neh Ledej” was first presented in 2016, staged by well-known Spanish choreographer David Campos, who is no stranger to BP. He is married to former company member Irene Sabas, and had staged two full-length ballets at the CCP in March 2012 (“Giselle” and “Sleeping Beauty”) with his own company based is Barcelona. “Ne Neh Ledej,” with music by Czech composer Iva Bittova, is a witty mix of the neoclassical, modern and classical dance genres. It centers on influences of colonizers on conquered lands, producing a cross-cultural shared heritage, interpreted by this hybrid of dance styles. As Campos blends classicism and exoticism, this demand for shifting dance styles was transitioned flawlessly and joyfully by five pairs of dancers.

The highlight of the evening was “Itim Asu,” first presented in 1970 as a collaborative effort of Reyes, composer Alfredo Buenaventura, with a set designed by visual artist Jaime de Guzman, and costume design by Arturo Cruz. The dance narrative is based on Virginia Moreno’s play, “The Onyx Wolf,” inspired by actual historical events surrounding the murder of Gov. Gen. Bustamante in 1721 by hooded men at the Residencia in Intramuros.

Dancing the role of the vengeful wife, Luisa, who transfigured into “La Loba Negra,” or the onyx wolf, was Denise Parungao, who is noted for her well-rounded grasp of the roles she plays, whether as a comedic stepsister in “Cinderella” or the ill-fated lover in “Giselle.” As a woman seeking revenge, her movements in vengeful mode were alternately vast and sweeping, in contrast to the deeply contained contractions she executed in her grief. Her stage presence was ominous, her swooping ronde de jambes all encompassing. In its 1970 premiere, this role was essayed by Ms Reyes herself.

Jessa Tangalin took just about a day and a half to learn “Negro Spirituals,” a medley of three songs, mentored by Reyes, who on Feb. 21, 1970, choreographed and danced this modern piece as well. If there was one piece that exhibited the ultimate vintage Alice Reyes technique, this was it. The contractions, the flexed feet, the outstretched hands, were all mastered by Tangalin in a few hours, and with longer mentorship, the technique can surely become second nature to her. Certainly, there will be a variety of future roles awaiting Tangalin. She is truly a dancer to anticipate.

When finally, after the incredible darkness of being in “Itim Asu,” Augustus “Bam” Damian’s “Afterwhom” at once delivered liberation and freedom, for as the curtain rose, the whole stage and backstage was exposed, as were the half-dressed dancers’ bodies in black. The piece, as the choreographer described his intent, is “a bold showcase of BP’s dynamism and bravado. It highlights the company’s prowess in modern, contemporary and neoclassical genres,” which the piece employs, underscored by the music of Jerrold Tarog, a Filipino composer whose heavy tones of foreboding were both prodding, energizing, hopeful and triumphant in the end.

“Afterwhom” was an apt choice for the ending of an evening that proved to be as satisfying as consuming a five-star Michelin menu, with a joyfully unexpected treat of exceptional professionalism and elegance under pressure, a dance of vengeance, so to speak, to lay claim to the vision which a national dance company like Ballet Philippines stands for. As foreseen by Reyes 50 years ago as BP founder and National Artist for Dance, it was this: to have a company that can excellently do anything from the classical to the modern, encouraging the Filipino artist to cull inspiration from his own experience, patrimony, genealogy and heritage. —CONTRIBUTED

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DID YOU KNOW: National Artist Alice Reyes

Today, Oct. 14, is the birthday of National Artist for Dance Alice Reyes. An esteemed dancer, choreographer, teacher and director, she served as artistic director emeritus of Ballet Philippines. She also popularized modern dance in the country after staging the first modern dance concert at the CCP Main Theater in February 1970.  — Marielle Medina, Inquirer Research

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Alice Reyes Returns as Ballet Philippines’ Artistic Director

Coming full circle, Ballet Philippines’ founder, National Artist for Dance, Alice Reyes steps back into the company’s helm as Artistic Director starting this 48th season.

National Artist and Ballet Philippines Founder Alice Reyes – photo by Jojo Mamangun

“It is our great honor to welcome Alice back,” says BP President Margie Moran Floirendo. “She has generously given the company much support especially over the past few years. We felt that this was the perfect time for her to take on a more active role in the company’s overall planning and direction, particularly in leading us to our 50th season in 2019.”

“I am elated to be coming in at this most opportune time,” says Alice Reyes. “The company is two short years away from its golden anniversary, and so this is a fantastic chance to start drumming up the energy and keep it up even beyond the 50th season.”

Alice Reyes is the visionary founder of Ballet Philippines who propelled the company into a national arts institution we can all be proud of. In the Philippines, she established regular season concerts, professionalized dance as a career, and played a major role in the phenomenal development of dance in the country.

Alice Reyes, Ballet Philippines’ Founder and National Artist for Dance – photo by Jojo Mamangun

With a background in ballet, folk dancing and jazz, Reyes ventured into the challenging and exciting realm of modern dance. Through a grant from the John D. Rockefeller III Fund, she went through an extensive training period in the United States at the Colorado College under a Hanya Holm scholarship. She was subsequently awarded a grant from the Music Promotion Foundation of the Philippines, which enabled her to study further under leading exponents of the medium and earn a Master of Arts in Dance from the Sarah Lawrence College under its scholarship program.

Upon her return in 1969, she staged her first modern dance concert at the CCP. Its success made her decide to remain in the Philippines and develop the great potential of dance in the country. Since then, her outstanding performances on stage have provided artists an enriching example to emulate. The sheer diversity of her choreographic talent has produced highly acclaimed works ranging from the classics like “Cinderella” and “Romeo and Juliet”, to Filipino modern works like “Amada”, “Itim-Asu”, “Bayanihan Remembered”, “Mga Babae”, “Tales of the Manuvu”, and “Rama Hari”. Through her efforts, dance has become among the country’s respected careers and distinguished professions. The Filipino dancers have emerged as an indispensable part of our cultural heritage.

She served as Ballet Philippines’ Artistic Director for the company’s first 20 years. In June 20, 2014, Alice Reyes was declared National Artist for Dance by President Benigno S. Aquino III through Proclamation No. 807.

Paul Alexander Morales will be on sabbatical leave for the 48th season. He served as Ballet Philippines’ Artistic Director from 2009 to 2017.

Ballet Philippines (BP) is the flagship professional classical and contemporary dance company in the country. A resident company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, it was founded in 1969 by Alice Reyes and Eddie Elejar. It is widely recognized today as a cornerstone of the contemporary Filipino identity. The Ballet Philippines Dance School continues to produce dancers of international caliber.

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Alice Reyes Dance Philippines, transforming lives and upholding Filipino culture

By NICK GARCIA Published Aug 19, 2022 9:52 pm

Alice Reyes Dance Philippines (ARDP), a dance company founded by the National Artist, is on a mission to transform lives.

Not only is it delivering sublime performances that exalt Filipino culture on different stages across the country, but it is also giving COVID-19 pandemic-displaced Filipino dance artists the opportunity to earn from their passion. 

“No matter what happens, may pandemic o wala, darating ang mga bills,” ARDP Artistic Director Ronelson Yadao told PhilSTAR L!fe . “And (Reyes) understands that as dance artists, we need to keep our bodies moving. We need to keep our technique.”

The group has been active since the height of lockdown in June 2020 under Reyes’s tutelage, backed by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) via its Arts Education Program. Under the program, CCP provided a stipend in exchange for producing dance videos, as well as online lectures and workshops about dance.

They were also able to sustain their training, performances, and new works via CCP’s Professional Artists Support Program.

It was a fruitful arrangement where everybody could brush up on not only their craft, but also on their choreography and teaching skills—all while surviving the public health crisis.

There was, however, one catch: They could not carry CCP’s name, as they were not an official resident company.

As COVID-19 restrictions started to ease, Reyes’s mentees started getting invites for small shows outside. 

Last May, the group registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and officially became known as Alice Reyes Dance Philippines. But who exactly are they,?

Veterans under a new group, COVID-19 challenges

Though ARDP is relatively new, its members are already considered veterans, having performed on stage for years.

“Ang average age namin is nasa 30s na. In a dancing career, you're getting there,” Yadao said.

Theirs is also the classic case of members dedicating practically their whole lives to the craft, like Katrene San Miguel, 27, who started when she was just a little girl.

San Miguel told PhilSTAR L!fe she has all the support she can get from her family, especially her mother who enrolled her in Effie Nañas School of Classical Ballet, then in De La Salle College of St. Benilde, where she finished a bachelor of performing arts in dance.

“It's a little bit easy for my life to shift to dance and love it so much,” she said.

But while San Miguel has a stable relationship with dance in the past few years, the pandemic proved to be challenging.

San Miguel recalled how her family’s living room had been turned into a makeshift studio. Though her family was supportive, it was still quite unsettling for her to do jumps and turns with them around. She also had to deal with dancing with peers and choreographing others via Zoom—on top of an unstable internet connection.

Such was the case for Erl Sorilla, 30, who pointed out that interpreting movement through the camera could get alienating.

Though Sorilla has over 11 years of experience on stage, and dance degrees at the University of the Philippines Diliman’s College of Music and Philippine High School for the Arts in Makiling in Laguna, making do with things online while in their personal spaces such as their rooms wasn’t on par with being in an actual dance studio.

“[Dancing] is a very physical job,” Sorilla told PhilSTAR L!fe . “Right now, sobrang naa-appreciate namin iyong space na nagbalik na.”

In any case, he said the adjustment helped him have a different perspective on movement, as they’ve always tailored performances for stages and auditoriums.

“Lumalawak siya. At the same time, we’re able to support ourselves,” Sorilla said, referring to CCP’s programs. “Naging outlet (din) siya,” taking note of “all the anxieties and frustrations” of being locked up at home.

The lockdown for San Miguel, meanwhile, made her cast some doubts over her long-time romance with dance.

“There was a point that I'm questioning why I should do this,” she said. “Until when?”

In fact, San Miguel took a hiatus and focused on other matters, like bonding with her family, as she’s been mostly away from them especially before the pandemic. She also learned how to drive a car and give a haircut.

Having said that, San Miguel had to pick up right where she left things off with dancing, as she believes it’s her true calling.

“If you would not dance for a day or two, it's like back to zero,” she noted, adding that taking 1:00 am classes is necessary just to make up for lost days.

San Miguel is thankful that the past few months made her reevaluate her love of dancing, which will be stronger than ever moving forward.

“Ano ba itong nilalasap mo every rehearsal, every show that you have?” she asked herself. “Even if it's hard, even if hinihingal every time,” she said, noting a major adjustment when in-person rehearsals returned is always wearing a mask.

Yet San Miguel wouldn’t have it otherwise. “You don't know baka mawala uli iyon.”

The soft skills she acquired during the pandemic also reinforced her being of service to others, whether she’s a dance artist or not.

“I get to do the haircut of my mom. I made her beautiful,” she said with a chuckle.

I think importante na i-embrace natin ang kultura natin. Kasi, doon lang natin malalaman kung saan tayo papunta. Kung di tayo grounded sa mga traditions and nuances bilang Pilipino, di natin mararating anumang gusto nating marating.

Debut season in full swing

ARDP’s debut season is in full swing, with a stacked lineup of shows this year.

On Sept. 23 to 24, ARDP will be staging Pulso Pilipinas I , a production that brings regional dance students and professional dance artists to the CCP Main Theater stage.

On Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, Pulso Pilipinas II : Alay nina Alice at Agnes , the joint forces of Reyes and fellow National Artist for Dance Agnes Locsin.

On Oct. 28 to 29, Premieres and Encores , a collaboration between CCP and the French Embassy as part of the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between France and the Philippines.

On Dec. 2 and 4, Puso ng Pasko , an original production which also features music from National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab.

The overarching theme of the productions, Yadao noted, is the Filipino identity. While they’re borrowing techniques from the likes of classical ballet, the shows will also be highlighting folk dance, noting what the Philippines has to offer is as good as foreign countries.

“I think importante na i-embrace natin ang kultura natin. Kasi, doon lang natin malalaman kung saan tayo papunta,” he said. “Kung di tayo grounded sa mga traditions and nuances bilang Pilipino, di natin mararating anumang gusto nating marating.”

Pulling off a “beautiful fusion” of the classic and contemporary, as well as the Filipino and foreign, is also something audiences would have to watch out for, Yadao noted.

Last July 23, ARDP had its inaugural performance as a dance company in Dapitan in Zamboanga del Norte, Mindanao. The company was part of the Dapitan Arts and Heritage Council’s “Revisatamos Dapitan 1892,” a two-week (July 16 to 31) celebration of the 130th anniversary of Jose Rizal’s exile to the city.

ARDP performed outdoors at the Punto del Desembarco de Rizal en Dapitan, where Rizal actually landed. Prior to that, ARDP also gave workshops to local dancers.

Yadao is on cloud nine that they were able to mount a production outside of the traditional theater in the metro that’s oft inaccessible to the general public.

“Funny nga, kasi iyong show namin sa Dapitan, it was in a theme park. Imagine, merong rides and all,” he said. “It's very unusual, pero it worked because andoon ang tao.”

“It showed na may chance at may ways to show the pieces, to put up a production na di kailangang bongga,” Yadao added.

ARDP also opened for the Cinemalaya Film Festival last Aug. 9, and its Awards Night on Aug. 14.

ARDP’s future

Yadao said they’re looking forward to more theatrical performances, inasmuch as they’re hoping for more backing as inflation is also rearing its head.

With their Dapitan experience as impetus, Yadao also said one of their main objectives as a dance company is to bring the discipline closer to the masa, whether they’re staging a production or conducting workshops.

“We want to reach out the regions and have this wonderful exchange of ideas in dance and techniques,” he said. “We hope to give it back to the community, if we can.”

ARDP, Yadao said, will also continue coordinating with local government units and sustaining the conversation about dance, not only as means to receive funding but also to emphasize how essential the discipline is in our daily lives.

“We're doing what we do best,” he said. “Also, iba iyong nagta-travel ka kasi pag-uwi mo, may baon ka na naman. And then, you repeat the cycle of give and take.”

“I hope na makita niyo ang identity niyo sa mga sayaw na ito,” Yadao told prospective audiences of their upcoming shows. “Kita-kits!”

For ticket reservations, contact 0915 412 2152 or [email protected] .

TAGS: ART National artist dance alice reyes dance philippines agnes locsin performance

NICK GARCIA

Nick writes about politics, law, health, entertainment, and pop culture, among others. Outside work, he's a wannabe musician and cook. Email him at [email protected] .

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The History of the Philippine Contemporary in Agnes Locsin and Alice Reyes' Pulso Pilipinas

National Artists for Dance are a rarity. We've only had six of them since the idea of National Artists came about in 1975. And two of them have recently blessed us with some of Philippine Dance's most emblematic pieces, restaged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) on the final day of September.

Agnes Locsin and Alice Reyes's Pulso Pilipinas II , in many ways, is a grand retelling of contemporary dance and heritage. It's an oblation in honor of both. These are only as ephemeral as they are timeless, a flowing, weaving, and configuring of the past.

Ma. Celina Dofitas as the Priestess in Agnes Locsin’s “Igorot.”

From September to December, the CCP presents the  CCP Dance Series (Live!) . It's a reintroduction to the public in a post-pandemic, post-modern world. The production, in its entirety, is a symbol of the creative collaboration the artist requires to thrive and provoke.

Expression in dance, much like the intersectionality in history, hopes to free viewers by inspiring them to feel, think, and act for themselves, instead of marinating on the who, what, and where. More than the portrayal are the overtones that frame eras and identities. Expression can mean emancipation, after all.

Of course, Locsin and Reyes are no strangers to these things; Locsin, with her dancers' (at-times controversial) neo-ethnic performances, and Reyes, with her vision for Filipino contemporary dance, are trailblazers. And on this new trail, their dance vocabularies persist.

Renzen Arboleda, Tim Cabrera, Dan Dayo, and Erl Sorilla as ‘The Centurions’ in Agnes Locsin’s “Moriones.”

Why the CCP Needs to Close for Up to Three Years

Here's How You Can Watch the CCP's Past Performances Online

Stories were aplenty at the September 30 premiere of Pulso Pilipinas  II , too. It had an audience that included four National Artists, Locsin, Reyes, BenCab, and Kidlat Tahimik, among other pillars of the Philippine contemporary. Then came those of us who are on the outside looking in, each surrounded by ghosts of modernists past.

Locsin’s “Igorot,” “Moriones,” and “Elias at Salome,” as well as Reyes’ “Carmina Burana" were staged. These pieces mark the transitions of our people. This production comes during a time, we may observe, of great cultural upheaval.

Biag Gaongen as Elias in Agnes Locsin’s “Elias at Salome.”

In the case of Locsin's works, she leads the viewer to reexamine our ways of life, taking from Igorot knowledge systems first by fusing ethnic and neo-classical ballet. It is followed by the festive nature of "Moriones" and then by a coming together of desire, desperation, and revolution in "Elias and Salome," lifted from Noli Me Tangere 's so-called "missing chapter."

Set to the acclaimed opera of Carl Orff, "Carmina Burana," on the other hand, is reconceptualization of the magnum opus (we may know this more as the old-timey cantata composition). It's haunting, to say the least, in both motion and fervor. So much so that is has become Reyes' most important pieces since its debut in 1974. Reyes, who had registered the newly minted Alice Reyes Dance Philippines earlier this year, navigates through the uncertainty of our time with one of her most self-assured renditions.

AL Abraham and the men of the company in Alice Reyes’ "Carmina Burana."

This kind of poise was seen in Reyes' "The Company," as well. It's an age-old icebreaker of sorts for audiences, which opened  Pulso Pilipinas  I last September 23 and 24.

The production was staged to highlight the diversity of our local dance culture, both regionally and stylistically; from Locsin's award-winning "Moriones," a production inspired by a Marinduque Lenten festival, to Lester Reguindin's "We Men," a story of self-evident truths in an untruthful society. These performances serve as a reminder of the cadence and grace of Filipino nuances in gesture, sound, and form. Included in Pulso Pilipinas  I is Reyes' "The Company," as well,

Up next later this year is the CCP's collaborative effort with the French Embassy. It's part of the 75th anniversary of our two countries' diplomatic relationship. On October 28 and 29, we get to watch pieces by French choreographer, Redha Benteifour, as well as works by 21st-century Filipino choreographers like John Ababon, AL Abraham, JM Cabling, Lester Reguindin, and Erl Sorilla.

National Artists Alice Reyes, Benedicto Cabrera, and Kidlat Tahimik.

In December, there's  Puso Ng Pasko , the first full-length, all-Filipino Christmas ballet. The production is an expansion of Tuloy Ang Pasko  in 2020.

Conceptualized by Ronelson Yadao, with musical arrangements by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, the production features inherently Filipino elements. Think basic, think classic: Simbang Gabi or Bibingka and Puto Bumbong or Parols . Of all things, it's about the power of remembering and the intangible aspect of it that connects us with our most authentic selves. We'll learn more about this from Lolo Val and his Angelita from December 2 to 4.

This is a year of revivals for Filipino dance culture. Hence, the nostalgia. For now,  Pulso Pilipinas   catches us reading between the lines—or rather, the spaces between us, the performers, and Locsin and Reyes' eternal theater. 

The third and fourth parts of CCP Dance Series (LIVE!) will take place on October 28 and 29 and December 2, 3, and 4 at the CCP Main Theater in Pasay City. For more information on ticket sales, call the CCP Box Office at 8832-3704 or visit its website here .

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• Title: Amada
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