THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS GOES ON TOUR

As the Christmas season approached in 2022, the newly formed Alice Reyes Dance Philippines’ young up-and-coming choreographers put their imaginative minds and choreographic talents in a hubbub to create an original Christmas season offering which emerged as a Filipino version of the season’s favorite ballet, The Nutcracker, which they entitled Puso ng Pasko.

- TATS REJANTE MANAHAN

As the Christmas season approached in 2022, the newly formed Alice Reyes Dance Philippines’ young up-and-coming choreographers put their imaginative minds and choreographic talents in a hubbub to create an original Christmas season offering which emerged as a Filipino version of the season’s favorite ballet, The Nutcracker, which they entitled Puso ng Pasko. Led by Alice Reyes herself, who assembled the group composed of artistic director Ronelson Yadao, ballet master Lester Reguindin, Erl Sorilla, John Ababon, Bonnie Guerrero, Danilo Dayo and AL Abraham, the full-length Christmas ballet was hatched, with the music selection stitched together by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab.

Through the years, National Artist for Dance Reyes has sought to develop a Filipino-inspired repertoire, since her early years at the CCP, as founder of the CCP Dance Company which was later renamed Ballet Philippines. Ms. Reyes focused mainly on creating pieces inspired by Filipino themes, as in her early works, Itim Asu based on the play The Onyx Wolf by Virginia Moreno, Amada derived from Nick Joaquin’s “The Summer Solstice,” or Bungkos Suite and others. This thrust was filtered down to her contemporaries and students as well, with Gener Caringal’s Ang Sultan, Tony Fabella’s Semana Santa, Edna Vida’s Pagsamba, Agnes Locsin’s Encantada, just to name a few. All in all, the dance company’s output has birthed a distinct Filipino contemporary dance idiom that has been prominently displayed over the years, and currently seems to have gained new footing as a new breed of dance audiences seem to be emerging alongside young choreographers with fresh innovative ideas.

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