It was around 12 years ago when the first Ballet & Ballads was conceptualized and brought to the stages of Metro Manila, and eventually, many other major cities and towns across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. I know this for a fact because it was my then “brand new” husband who first came up with the idea.
When Fred and I got married in 1997, he immediately constructed a ballet studio in our home. He also watched all of my performances. It was after one of these performances when he said to me: “Why not partner with MBC and bring music concerts and the ballet all over the Philippines?” Why not, indeed? (Personally, I also thought that he was looking for ways to travel with me while keeping track of all of his nationwide radio stations at the same time!)
And so, Ballet & Ballads was born and went on the road. We brought together wonderful singers such as Janno Gibbs, Jaya, Toni Gonzaga, Lani Misalucha, Rea Valle, Ariel Rivera, Von Arroyo, Jeremiah, Karylle, Kyla and Nyoy Vollante, and the classical, neo-classical and contemporary pieces from Ballet Manila’s extensive repertoire. We performed in school campuses and stages all over Metro Manila, and toured key cities like Dagupan, Cotabato, Iloilo, Cebu, Bacolod, Naga, Legazpi, Davao, Cagayan De Oro and Baguio. It was as the Chairman envisioned it to be – a way of merging the popular and the classical into a unique brand of entertainment. It also sparked a real partnership between Ballet Manila and Manila Broadcasting Company.
However, regular performances of Ballet & Ballads had to temporarily take a backseat when the Circus D’Ballet series in Star and Aliw Theaters went onstage, although these special concerts were never completely discontinued over the years. It was as a finale number in Ballet & Ballads that I first learned how to do the popular dance move “otso-otso” – not that I was ever good at it! Up until last year, we have had 30-minute Ballet & Ballads shows every Saturday night in Star Theater with Luke Mijares and Faith Cuneta, as well as in Aliw Theater with Freestyle.
Fast forward to today’s performance — having a Ballet & Ballads series of concerts in Aliw Theater with THE Basil Valdez is truly a dream come true! Over two decades ago, I had performed with Basil Valdez, Celeste Legaspi and Douglas Nierras in a concert called Tuliro, Ngayon at Kailanman at the PICC Plenary Hall. I had just come home from Russia and was still CCP Artist in Residence. It was a concert that marked my baby steps into dancing to Original Pilipino Music or OPM.
Once again, my stage life has come full-circle as I dance again to Basil’s golden voice in this weekend’s ballet and music concerts.
What is in store for the audience today is one hit song and one hit ballet, one after the other. If Basil’s “Ngayon at Kailanman” and “You” have topped the music charts, then Ballet Manila’s NCCA National Choreography Competition first prize winning piece, “Reconfigured”, and the CCP Pasinaya Festival favourite, “Dancing To Czerny”, would be their dance counterparts. The acrobatic and extremely difficult choreographic miniature, “Rebel”, on the other hand, would be easily matched to the vocal calisthenics needed for “Corner of the Sky”.
Ballet & Ballads is not just a ballet performance… and it’s not just a concert – it’s BOTH!
Ballet & Ballads goes onstage at the Aliw Theater on February 19 at 7:30 p.m., February 20 at 1:00 and 5:00 p.m., and February 21 at 1:00 p.m.