The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
To mark the 120th death anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal and the 125th anniversary of the publication of his El Filibusterismo (The Filibustering) this year, Ballet Philippines (BP) will remount its award-winning Crisostomo Ibarra and present Simoun for the first time at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) from Oct. 21 to 23.
Titled after the protagonists of Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) and El Filibusterismo, the twin ballets promise to bring audiences into the world of the first novel’s idealistic ilustrado and the second novel’s jaded jeweler. They also promise to underscore the continued relevance of those two influential books to Filipinos today.
In a statement, BP describes Crisostomo Ibarra, which debuted in 2010 and was later honored as outstanding dance production at the Gawad Buhay awards, as highligting “the life of an idealistic reformer, [of] a man striving to make a change in a” corrupt and oppressive society.
Simoun, meanwhile, offers “a fresh take on the motivations, dreams, and fears of the cynical and vengeful [title] character described as a saboteur, giving insight and depth to his actions.”
Also, the ballet “highlights themes that are still relevant to today’s audiences—cynicism versus hope, and the constant challenge of stagnition, or change and revolution.”
Both Crisostomo Ibarra and Simoun are choreographed by BP Artistic Director Paul Alexander Morales and feature original music by noted composer Jed Balsamo. The ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Gerard Salonga, will perform live in both shows—a quintet for Crisostomo Ibarra and the full orchestra for Simoun.
According to Morales, the differences between the two ballets are big, particularly in tone.
“[Crisostomo] Ibarra is more romantic and conceived as minimalist, [whereas for] Simoun, we conceived [it] more as a suspense and created for a bigger stage,” he said in an online interview.
Despite the differences, the BP artistic director said the two have “some common movements, musical themes, and structures that resonate [with] each other”—perhaps, inspired by o playing off the fact that, in Rizal’s novels, Ibarra and Simoun are the same man.
“Jed and I, as writer and choreographer, have constructs, movements, and motifs that appear in both works, or are mirrored or expanded for Simoun,” he added.
Headlining Simoun are BP dancers Jean Marc Cordero, Denise Parungao, Rita Angela Winder, Erl Sorilla, Garry Corpuz, and Jemima Reyes. Crisostomo Ibarra features Victor Maguad, Monica Amanda Gana, Jessa Tangalin, Eugene Obille, Ramon Victoria, and Ballet Philippines II.
Crisostomo Ibarra will be performed on Oct. 21 at 3 p.m., 22 at 2 p.m., and 23 at 10 a.m., while Simoun will be staged on Oct. 21 at 8 p.m., 22 at 6 p.m., and Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. This twinbill production, which is supported by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, will be mounted at the CCP Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater). ALVIN I. DACANAY
Ticket prices for the production range from P2,000 to P3,000, with discounts for students, senior citizens, and government employees. For additional inquiries, call the CCP Box Office at (632) 832-3704 or Ticketworld at 891-9999, or visit www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.