Multi-Awarded Dance Talents Take The Spotlight In “The Winners’ Circle” On June 21

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Dance.MNL’s week of performances kick off with “The Winners’ Circle” on June 21, 8:00PM at the CCP Main Theater. This program brings together just some of the numerous Filipino dance artists who have won recognition and awards both locally and internationally.

Among the laureled dancers coming home for this event are Candice Adea of BalletMet, Christine Rocas of Joffrey Ballet, Jared Tan of Atlanta Ballet, and Nazer Salgado of Singapore Dance Theatre, and Jasmine Cruz of Westlake School of Performing Arts. “The Winners’ Circle” will also feature the world premiere of Martin Lawrance’s ‘Amid Shadows’, a work made especially for Christine Rocas and the Ballet Manila principals.

“The Winners’ Circle” also highlights the many locally based dancers who have garnered awards in major dance competitions. These include Ballet Philippines dancers Jean Marc Cordero, Garry Corpuz, Monica Amanda Gana, and Denise Parungao, Philippine Ballet Theatre dancers Matthew Davo, Regine Magbitang, Ian Ocampo, Lobreza Pimentel, and Veronica Ylagan, and Ballet Manila dancers Katherine Barkman, Rudolph Capongcol, Pia Dames, Anselmo Dictado, Gerardo Francisco, Elpidio Magat, Dawna Mangahas, Abigail Oliveiro, Romeo Peralta, and Joan Emery Sia.

These dancers have represented the Philippines in various ballet competitions such as the Asian Grand Prix, Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition, Boston International Ballet Competition, Helsinki International Ballet Competition, Japan International Ballet & Modern Dance Competition, New York International Ballet Competition, Rudolf Nureyev International Ballet Competition, Seoul International Dance Competition, USA International Ballet Competition, World Ballet Competition, and Youth America Grand Prix. They have also won local recognition in the CCP National Dance Competition and the National Music Competition for Young Artists.

Take A Class With Your Ballet Idol In The Dance.MNL Intensive Workshop On June 14-26

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Dance schools and companies from all over the metro are set to converge from June 14-26, 2016 at the first-ever Dance.MNL: The Philippine Dance Festival.

Presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Ballet Philippines in cooperation with Philippine Ballet Theater and Ballet Manila, this inaugural festival will feature 11 performances, a 10-day dance intensive, and two-day conference, gathering more than 500 dance professionals in the metropolis. Dance.MNL is supported by the National Commision for Culture and the Arts and the Manila Broadcasting Company.

The Dance Intensive offers a rich lineup of teachers in 30 dance classes and 11 Master Classes throughout the festival.

Students can take classes in Classical Ballet, Modern, Contemporary Dance, Improvisation, Street Dance, Children’s Contemporary & Creative Movement, as well as Introduction to Ballet and Introduction to Modern.

Ballet Philippines’ Internationally Acclaimed “Master Pieces” Returns To Its Home Stage On June 23

Wazzup Pilipinas!

After being performed in the USA, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, China, and most recently, Indonesia and Korea, Ballet Philippines brings its highly celebrated touring repertoire, “Master Pieces” to the CCP Main Theater as part of Dance.MNL: The Philippine Dance Festival.

BP will showcase “Master Pieces”, a mixed bill showcasing a collection of some of Ballet Philippines’ most acclaimed works. The repertoire has garnered glowing reviews and standing ovations since it was first toured, with raves such as “a stellar display of the diversity of our culture”, “extraordinary ballet worthy of world-class audiences”, and “The show has it all – atmosphere, romanticism, poetry and the indomitable Filipino spirit.”

As a testament to the company’s versatility, the works are an array of classical ballets, neo-classical works, modern & contemporary dances, and excerpts from full-length modern ballets.

The repertoire includes works by George Birkadze, William Carter, Augustus “Bam” Damian III, Tony Fabella, Alden Lugnasin, Paul Alexander Morales, Carlo Pacis, and National Artist for Dance Alice Reyes.

“Master Pieces has evolved since we last performed a preview of it during our Blue Moon Gala two years ago,” notes BP artistic director Paul Alexander Morales. “We are very excited to bring these landmark choreographic works back to our home stage to give our audiences here a chance to see what we’ve been bringing out to the rest of the world.”