Ballet Manila closes its 24th season with a Double Bill Treat

Concluding Ballet Manila's 24th season is a double-billed grand finale. This time, Ballet Manila goes on a different route taking its next production about tragedy, death, and other inexorable fates of mankind with its latest production - Carmina Burana and La Traviata. It combines a powerful performance combining classical ballet and music, an opera for one-of-a-kind production.

Carmina Burana is a scenic cantata based on a series of 13th-century songs, while La Traviata is an Italian opera that tells the ill-fated story of a beautiful young courtesan wasting away from tuberculosis and her relationship with a young bourgeois from a provincial family. These timeless works of art will be seen in a new light with Ballet Manila's sophisticated dancing and creativity.

Rudy de Dios, a former principal dancer of Ballet Manila, created a choreography based on the music of Carmina Burana, including the dames "O, Fortuna." When asked what's the message he'd like to share, "Whatever it is that people are going thru, no matter how hard life is, we can surpass it as long as we don't give up." says Rudy de Dios.

On the other hand, Ballet Manila CEO and artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde brought the story of Violetta and Alfredo to life once again by choreographing La Traviata. Lisa shares that one of the challenges she encountered is choosing the music from the original 2.5 hours story and compressing it into a 45 minute show. Another is telling the story with a plain stage and minimal props. We were able to watch the first 8 minutes of La Traviata and it was beautiful. 

Ballet Manila's Carmina Burana and La Traviata is truly something to look forward to because aside from great display and artistry, this spectacle will mark the end of a challenging yet fulfilling season filled with a lot of ups and down for Ballet Manila. 

For a guy who haven't been exposed much to Ballet, find that Rudy and Lisa interprets the show in a way so that people understand the show even they are not dancers. Leading the ensemble of Carmina Burana are Romeo Peralta as Solom, Gerardo Francisco as Spreo, Joan Sia as Agape, and John Ralp Balagot as Atheos. On the other hand, La Traviata will come to life with Nicole Barroso as Violetta, Mark Sumaylo as Alfredo, John Ralk Balagot as Giorgio Germont, and Joshua Enciso as Baron.

The production os scheduled on March 7, 2020, 6PM and March 8, 2020, 3PM at the Samsung Hall, SM Aura Premier, Taguig. For tickets to Ballet Manila's Carmina Burana and La Traviata, call SM Tickets at (02) 8470 2222 or log on to www.smtickets.com