Carmen ignites audience / Orlina’s glass sculpture in Ayala Museum exhibit

As choreographed by Aida Gomez, Carmen is a free-wheeling adaptation of Bizet’s opera which is based on the novella by Merimee. There have been several earlier adaptations, principal of these being Roland Petit’s choreography for Zizi Jeanmaire as Carmen.

In Gomez’s version, the arias have been retained and translated into flamenco with balletic touches. But new music and innovative instrumentation have been added by composer-music director Jose Antonio Rodriguez. For instance, a male soloist performs solely to a percussion accompanist. There are other deviations. The cigarette factory where Carmen works is not suggested at all; Lilas Pastia, the name of the tavern in the original opera, becomes a character in Gomez’s version.

Carmen opened early this week at the CCP main theater with the guitar strumming the initial passages of the "Fate" theme to presage the dark tragedy that will befall the heroine. Several gems – indeed, choreographic masterpieces – followed, sequences which I shall call "Dancing with a Rope," "Dancing with Shawls," "Dance of the Toreador," the "Red and Black Pas de Deux" and the finale: "Pursuit and Rejection", with Jose stabbing to death the defiant Carmen.

In "Dancing with a Rope", Carmen, who is guilty of wounding a co-worker, has her wrists tied with a rope which is used in various imaginative ways; e.g., it winds and unwinds around her waist. Later, Carmen frees herself from her bonds to the utter helplessness of the guard whom she shamelessly attempts to seduce. In "Dancing with Shawls", three señoritas cleverly and deftly twist, twirl and toss their shawls around and about them, while lending even more zest and color to their frenzied movements.

Christian Lozano, in the "Dance of the Toreador" enthralled with his majestic sweep of arms and legs, his abrupt dramatic stops, his arrogant air as he did – his thunderous, electrifyingly rapid footwork of taconeos and zapateados which evoked machinegun fire, and his lightning swift tours en place (turns in one place) – all these fairly taking one’s breath away.

The eroticism in the "Bedroom Scene" may or may not have shocked the audience but it never really exceeded the limits of good taste. Carmen, her movements sinuous, sultry and sensuous, has Jose totally under her spell yet later, she tries to flee from the inner demons assailing her.

In the "Red and Black Pas de Deux", Carmen, in a flaming red gown, and Jose Huertas (Jose) in black military uniform look like silhouettes stealthily moving against a luminous red carpet; the over-all effect arrested and compelled attention.

The final scene, "Pursuit and Rejection", conveys through eloquently precise and descriptive steps and gestures Carmen’s obstinate defiance and rejection, and Jose’s persistent expression of adoration and undying love.

The presentation did not suffer from the lack of scenery or setting which was supposed to have created ambiance. The ambiance was provided by the dancers themselves whose brilliant castanet-clicking, intense foot-stamping and pounding helped to set the stage ablaze.

To inject humor, a pot-bellied señor in his undershirt, a voluminous skirt covering his trousers, danced with the señoritas in a hilarious effort to outdo them. But always, the focus was on Aida Gomez, the smoldering, fiery Carmen who kept raising her skirt coquettishly, her fantastic footwork accenting grace in motion. Great as she was as a dancer, she proved herself even greater as a choreographer, translating into glorious dance a tragedy of elemental emotions – seething love, lust, jealousy.

The enraptured audience rose to its feet, giving prolonged ovation and deafening applause. As is customary with flamenco presentations, each principal forthwith took his turn in a contest of individual skill, flair and panache. With the rest of the company clapping the soloists’ thunderous, mind-boggling taconeos and zapateados ignited the audience all over again.

Carmen climaxed the current "Fiesta!" and on hand for the joyous occasion were Spanish Ambassador Ignacio Sagaz and Jose "Pepe" Rodriguez, new director of the Instituto Cervantes which presented Carmen.

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Thirty years ago, Ramon G. Orlina decided to become a glass sculptor. Hiss fascination with glass has not waned as he continues to enjoy exploring possibilities with this intriguing medium. At the same time he is always combining glass with other materials such as steel, bronze and wood.

To celebrate his 30th year as a glass sculptor, he is holding an anniversary exhibit entitled "Quintessence" at the MuseumSpace of Ayala Museum from October 26-November 9.

"Quintessence" is part of the Director’s Choice series for which Ayala Museum Director, Dr. Florina Capistrano Baker, annually chooses an artist whose exhibit the Museum sponsors.

Curiously, Orlina celebrates three decades of his craft not by holding a retrospective of his works, but by presenting what else is possible in his chosen medium.

"Quintessence" thus features new works in glass in a mixture of colors such as green, amber and red, as well as in pure black and bronze. Other works combine glass with other materials such as stainless steel.

The exhibit will also present studies and a model for a recent commission, "Tetraglobal". This is an 8.6-meter structure cast in bronze with glass elements. It will be unveiled at the UST. Orlina’s alma mater, when it celebrates its quadricentennial in 2011.

Another highlight of "Quintessence" is a bronze piece cast from one of Orlina’s glass sculptures – an indication of his constant aim to push artistic boundaries further.

"For me, it is still a continuous learning process. The artist’s role is to create, develop new forms and present new ideas," Orlina says.

This attitude has served the artist well, especially in his early days as a glass sculptor. An architect by profession, he went into art full-time, selecting glass as a medium because of his fascination with it as construction material. In a unique arrangement with Republic Glass, he observed the making of glass right in its factory.

From the knowledge and experience gained there, Orlina eventually transformed glass cullets – considered industrial waste – into beautiful works of art through cutting, grinding and polishing. Because there were no glass artisans he could train under, Orlina practically blazed the trail in carving glass in the country – thereby elevating "decorative" material to fine art.

"Glass is an endlessly intriguing material. This poses a great challenge for me to explore its possibilities," Orlina declares. "With no one to learn from here, no influences or standards to follow, I’ve had to devise my own style through original improvisation."

As he marks his 30th year as a glass sculptor, Orlina looks forward to discovering the many potentials of his favored medium in the years to come.