PBT to feature ‘Darangen ni Bantugen’ in ‘Filipino Masterpieces’ production

For its 30th season, the Philippine Ballet Theatre (PBT) is bringing the country’s folklore to life onstage with its second production, titled Filipino Masterpieces, featuring Darangen ni Bantugen at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) from Sept. 23 to 25.

Darangen ni Bantugen explores the themes of love, life and death, and good and evil through classical and contemporary dance interpretations of the legendary Maranao hero Bantugen’s odyssey, death and resurrection.

First performed as an original ballet created for the PBT in 2008, Darangen ni Bantugen showcases the choreography of Gener Caringal and Ronilo Jaynario. The music of Jesse Lucas fuses indigenous wind and percussion instruments with prerecorded original chants. National Artist for Theater and Design Salvador Bernal’s stylized renditions of original Marano costumes reflect the richness of Mindanaoan culture and traditions.

The emotions evoked in each scene highlighting episodes from Maranao history are intensified by various shifts in light, shadow, and color. The combination of movements and sounds on stage transports the audience from the Kingdom of Bumbaran to the savage lands, where Bantugen battles fire, earth, wind, and water; to the Kingdom-between-Two-Seas; and to the Sky World, where the Angel of Death resides.

Darangen ni Bantugen will feature the ballet “Vinta”, choreographed by Caringal and using music from Vangelis. It’s an abstract interpretation of the sails of indigenous Moro boats, with dancers gracefully depicting boatmen. This ballet was originally created for Lisa Macuja and Manny Molina, with Liza dela Fuente and Maritoni Rufino as the second leads, in the PBT’s eighth season in 1994.

Also to be featured is the ballet “Mantones”, the late Tony Fabella’s abstract interpretation of the lives of turn-of-the-century Filipino women while sitting in the living room of an old Filipino house waiting for the commencement of fiesta celebrations in their town.

For inquiries and to purchase tickets, call the PBT at (632) 632-8848, 255 8076, 217-5355, or 0995-1580538; the CCP Box Office at 832-3704; Tickworld at 891-9999; or send an e-mail to emailsecretariat@pbt.ph.