Señor Alberto Portillo: Portrait of a Spanish choreographer

Alberto Portillo, 73-year-old señor from Toledo, Spain, has been teaching young Filipino dancers how to execute the flamenco with authentic Spanish flair while wearing their elegant toquillas and speaking the language of their Spanish abanicos. Some of his students are performing in Bravo! Zarzuela which goes on stage at the Cultural Center of the Philippines this week. The musical production blends the colorful pageant of Spanish and Filipino artistry in a celebration of song and dance.

It was Spanish Ambassador Tomas Rodriguez-Pantoja who broached to Señor Portillo the idea of doing a Spanish zarzuela, directed and choreographed by himself with a dance ensemble composed of Filipino and Spanish dancers.

Performing are five opera singers – two Filipinos and three Spaniards – to be accompanied by the Philippine Normal University Chorale and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Jose Antonio Torres.

Portillo has choreographed more than 50 plays. He studied at the Classical School of Saddles, Wales in London. He first worked as an extra in a play titled Los Ultimos de Filipinas in Spain. He started collaborating as a choreographer in operas like Carmen, Rigoleto, Hamlet and Aida.

Why did he accept to come here and do this zarzuela?

"I found the idea to be exceptionally nice," says Señor Portillo. "I know that Filipinos will surely like it, too, and I feel this project is going to be a successful one."

What does he have to say about Filipino dancers?

"They are incredible and so talented," he says. "But I have a hard time making them smile. They think the flamenco dance expresses suffering so they don’t smile. But when I tell them to smile, smile with me in my ingles macarronico (Spanglish), they laugh. Then all is well."

Bravo, Señor Alberto Portillo!