Ballet Philippines Coppelia Open Rehearsal
Lyricism. The lack of it was immediately apparent in the movements of Candice Adea and the corps de ballet as I entered the CCP Main Theater on 11 December 2008 during the last few minutes of Act I of Ballet Philippines’ Coppelia, and, became even more disturbingly prominent in Acts II and III of the full-length production of the classical ballet.
The lightness of foot, fluidity and grace that are de rigueur for classical ballet were distressingly missing. Simple transitions from second to fifth positions, a gliding walk, a strong passé on pointe were beyond the present capacity of its predominantly modern ballet and neo-ethnic dancers.
The competence and artistry that have enabled Ballet Philippines to share the stage with prima ballerina assoluta Margot Fonteyn and Maya Plisetskaya, as well as to stage its own productions of Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker and other numerous classical ballet productions, have virtually disappeared, which highlights the need for strong leadership, a commitment to vision and the urgency of passing knowledge to a new generation.
I only have the deepest respect for Artistic Director and Coppelia choreographer Alan Hineline as he begins the herculean task of reintroducing the classical ballet to the present crop of Ballet Philippines dancers. The choice of Coppelia is a logical one as Alan Hineline explains, “[It is] a good entry for the dancers. It may be beautiful to do Swan Lake, et cetera, but that’s too big a jump, considering they haven’t done this for a while.”
It was with overwhelming relief that I beheld the sight of soloist Georgette Sanchez, an earlier generation BP dancer who also appeared in the season opener of Agnes Locsin’s modern ballet La Revolucion Filipina, as proof that BP dancers, were indeed, at one time, capable of interpreting the demands of both modern and classical ballet.
And, spotting the beautiful and lyrical lines of Katherine Trofeo in the corps de ballet, and learning that she will also be dancing the lead role of Swanilda during the Coppelia run from 11-14 December at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, comforts and acts as a beacon of hope that Ballet Philippines will, once again, claim its classical roots.
Please support Ballet Philippines in its artistic endeavors. For tickets to Coppelia, please call Ticketworld at 891.9999
Explore World TV Interviews Alan Hineline and Max Luna III
Video Courtesy of Explore World TV
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