What may seem like an annus horribilis to Lisa Macuja Elizalde, CEO and artistic director of Ballet Manila (BM), now sees it as a year of adaptation to unforeseen changes.
On October 2, 2019, the day before his birthday, a chimney swept through the Star City Complex and trashed the Aliw Theatre, BM’s house. The corporate in a position to play “Giselle”, which fortunately they did after obtaining a scholarship for a night at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
Therefore, Elizalde made the decision to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his company with pomp. BM would level Gerardo Francisco’s award-winning “Ibong Adarna” at the Hyundai Hall in athenaeum and stay with him on a three-month national tour. plan, on his birthday this year, on October 3, a newly renovated Aliw Theatre would be revived with a big concert with dancers performing in front of a live orchestra, as well as opera singers, a pop star and theater groups.
“I sought to provide Aliw as a level for concerts, ballets, plays,” he says.
COVID’s concern and closure threw a key in this scenario. Then came here an aborted dance season and tearing trenches.
“However, I don’t see the year of the afterlife as a bad year,” Says Elizalde. “I’d say it’s a year of learning. There’s pain, yes, basically because of the fire, and the COVID scenario did things a little bit more. “Difficult. But once I got to the point of acceptance, I moved pretty fast. We started a virtual dance school that has become a ray of hope for me. We’re also creating dance videos now.
The chimney site destroyed 80% of Star City Amusement Park and its Star Theatre. The construction of Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) in the complex was also affected. The level and rear level of the Aliw Theatre remained intact, but the technical cockpit, seats and pillars were intact. It was discovered that the chimney site sparked faulty electrical wiring inside the stuffed garage room.
Although the insurance covered the maximum damage, control to not rebuild the Star Theatre instead organized a one-year reconstruction of the amusement park and renovations for MBC and Aliw Theatre. Elizalde said Aliw needed to be renovated, reduced from 2,200 seats to two rooms. A corridor would have 1200 seats and an orchestra pit; spaces would be allocated for practice session studies, exhibitions, receptions, conferences, elevators and a black box theatre. The pandemic froze all that.
Aliw’s long term is based on the final touch of MBC renewal. “I don’t know when we’re going to reopen,” Elizalde admits. ” Architectural plans and budgets are complete. “
In March, theater closures across the country and a ban on mass gatherings canceled much of BM’s revenue, which was based on ticket sales and outdoor sponsorships from sponsorship by her husband, Media Baron Fred J. Elizalde.
When the lockdown lasted and the long term seemed uncertain, Elizalde was almost upset. She says: “As artistic director, I was asked to fulfill the contracts until they expired on May 31. The dancers earned their full salary even though he had no job. Business courses have virtual.
He was forced to reduce the corporation’s duration from 36 members to 14, eight foreign dancers returned to their home countries and the rest signed a one-week 25-hour painting contract and a pay cut, as most dancers lived in the same complex as BM’s pasay City headquarters , the studio was also able to reopen in May the modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) with a limited capacity of six dancers at a time.
Elizalde has taken business courses 3 times a week Zoom, with her foreign artists now in Malaysia or Japan. He considers this passage from Manila Ballet School Lisa Macuja from face-to-face elegance to virtual elegance to be his “light at the end of the tunnel”. He explains: “I developed a program in which a small organization of lead dancers and soloists have become the next coaches, directors and demonstrators. Obtaining the dancers of elegance compensates for their losses in representation fees.
The virtual school program has so far attracted a hundred students, who enroll in a normal program or a three-month certified program with the option of re-enrollment. A virtual recital is being prepared for November 28.
With this niche elegance, Elizalde proudly declares: “The concept has forced us to think outdoors. Among our offers, Dance with Me, where a parent or older brother dances with the child. It is very popular. We organize an open space with 60 participants. We also have Ballet for the New Young, a soft, age-appropriate elegance, so much laughter to teach!Its earth bar is incorporated into the Lifestyle Ballet, which also includes yoga elegance under the direction of BM’s artistic director associate, Osias Barroso.
Elizalde recently raised 32,000 Ps from a special floor bar committed to Save the Children Philippines, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing young people with virtual education devices.
“WB courses are based on a smart Internet connection,” he says. “On the plus side, we are now global, with academics in Europe, the United States, Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia. It has a new way of functioning as a ballet”. the school. We will continue with this online program even when on-site studies reopen. »
To put the corporate back on stage, BM presented his season “Silver Lining” with a ballet video choreographed through Gerardo Francisco and filmed through Jojit Lorenzo. The ballet takes a position in “Walang Hanggang Paalam” through Joey Ayala, conducted through Lea Salonga and Ice Seguerra, which will be played live in BM’s open-air studio to commemorate Fred’s 80th birthday in August. The program was canceled when MECQ was reset that month.
“So, instead, we did a movie editing, a delight [at the same time]. We learned that dance films can simply be seen and shared, and [can] help keep Ballet Manila in the hearts and minds of our audience. “elizalde says. ” Walang Hanggang Paalam” is our message of hope. “
BM has just finished his most recent video, “Home”, created practically through British choreographer Martin Lawrence and filmed through Lorenzo. Elizalde dances here a solo after five years playing.
She hopes the videos will revive more the enthusiasm of her dancers who surely need to paint in an artistic space. “They lack the studio where they can create, rehearse and play. I need you to feel like acting artists again. , only teachers and paint protesters.
And here’s a great thing to look forward: Virtual is not for BM, which is slowly preparing for live performances. The quick plan is to dance at the mall exhibits. He also repeated an organizational access and five individual tickets to the Asian Grand Prix, a foreign ballet festival for young dancers, which is scheduled in Hong Kong from January 3-5, 2021.
Taking into account the disruptive nature of the pandemic as it has lived, Elizalde seeks to locate artistic tactics to respond to more unforeseen events.
She faces the long term with optimism, even though she knows that things will be general again soon. “I look forward to being able to hire more artists and dancers and pay them higher salaries. Projects translate into income. We hope to produce more performances, whether in theater or film.
And as you’ve noticed how the generation creates opportunities to marry foreign artists, and even prestigious dance schools, “I also look forward to collaborations.
Elizalde resigns heses he heses to the fact that BM’s 25th anniversary birthday party will be delayed by at least a year. He remains optimistic: “As soon as we get to the Aliw Theatre, I will be able to solidify a suitable memorial season. “”INQ CONTRIBUTED
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