From fiercetyphoons and tight budgets to losing its dancers to cruise ships and themeparks, Ballet Philippines has weathered almost every type of storm, but as itcelebrates its 50th anniversary the renowned arts organization is determinedthe show will go on. Funding is difficult to secure and there is little moneyfor necessities such as dancer's salaries or even shoes-but more than 30,000people watched the troupe's productions last year, no mean feat in a nationwhere millions live on less than $2 aday.
One of thebiggest challenges is keeping the dancers it has trained-some go on to joinworld-class organizations such as Stella Abrera who is now a principal dancerat American Ballet Theatre and West Australian Ballet soloist Candice Adea. Butmany leave after being poached to perform on cruise ships or as characters atDisneyland, who can offer 50-100 times what they make at Ballet Philippines.
"The onlything I'm not happy about is when Disney gets them as Mickey Mouse.... That'shappened a lot and it's still happening," Ballet Philippines PresidentKathleen Liechtenstein tells AFP. Principal dancer Denise Parungao, who started out as an $40-amonth-apprentice at the troupe, says she relied on family to help pay her rentand understands why others left. "It's really hard because the salarybefore was really low and most of the dancers are not well off," the25-year-old explains.
'Filipinas havemore heart'
Part of the successof Ballet Philippines has been the determination of its performers. In 2014, a fierce typhoon knocked out powerand floods left the orchestra stranded miles from the venue, but with two hoursbefore the show started-the organization decided to carry on so as not todisappoint audiences who had travelled for the show.
"The lightscame back on as the people started to fill the Cultural Center of thePhilippines lobby. It was a harrowing experience," recalls Liechtenstein,who says they had to use recorded music in place of live musicians. "Thedancing was exquisitely unforgettable," she says, adding that the audienceagreed-giving a roading standing ovation. The same grit is evident down even when it comes to the use of dancingshoes.
In big namecompanies a performer might go through four pairs of ballet slippers in thecourse of a single performance. "In Ballet Philippines, a dancer wears (apair) for a whole month. They put glue, they varnish, do everything just tomake them last," Parungao says. She buys an extra five pairs a year out ofher own pocket to make sure her footwear does not disintegrate during a liveperformance.
"Filipinasreally have more heart in doing this... we give our whole selves to it,"Parungao adds. Unlike in Russia and the West, there is no national programmefor spotting dancing talent in the Philippines and few get an early start-thosethat succeed must battle to make their mark.
Love to entertain
Carlo Pacis, aformer senior soloist at the Hong Kong Ballet who briefly returned to Manila tochoreograph "A Midsummer Night's Dream" for Ballet Philippines,believes its dancers' strengths are not just physical. "We do not onlydance: we embody the roles that we are tasked to portray. We love to act, welove to entertain," he says. Ballet Philippines declined to give itsannual funding, but sources in the arts world said its four to six productionsper year cost at least $100,000 each.
Though it hasalways had free use of the national cultural centre's facilities, the companyonly gets about $40,000 a year in government backing. For the rest it must relyon seat sales and sponsorships, as well as donations: The board of directors, awho's who of the country's wealthiest families, collectively put up 30 percentof the company's annual budget.
Founded in 1969by pioneering Filipina contemporary dancer and choreographer Alice Reyes withhelp from Imelda Marcos-whose husband Ferdinand ruled the country as a dictatoruntil his ouster in 1986 -- the company was one of Asia's first. With Reyes still with the company as artisticdirector, it remains on a short list of developing nations that have their ownballet troupes including Vietnam, China, Cuba and Brazil.
To open its 50thseason in August, principal dancer Evgeny Ivanchenko and first soloist ElenaEvseeva of Russia's famed Mariinsky Ballet, previously the Kirov Ballet,starred alongside local dancers in the Filipino troupe's "Swan Lake"gala night. The production evoked the glitter of Ballet Philippines' firstdecade, when the likes of legends Margot Fonteyn, Rudolf Nureyev, NataliaMakarova and Patrick Bissell danced for the company in Manila. The troupe'sreputation continues to pack a punch. Chris Millado, Cultural Center of the Philippine's artistic director,says: "It is one of the best in Asia."-AFP