Lisa: Magnificent madness, brilliant corps de ballet / KMF scholarship audition

Through decades, Giselle has been performed by some of the world’s greatest ballerinas and danseurs. To cite just one example, Margot Fonteyn portrayed Giselle and Rudolf Nureyev, Prince Albrecht, in London’s Covent Garden on Feb. 21, 1962. Fonteyn was then 18 years older than Nureyev.

In Ballet Manila’s presentation at Aliw Theater, the age gap is similar: Lisa Macuja Elizalde, dancing Giselle for the 31st time, is about 20 years older than Rudy de Dios in his debut as Prince Albrecht.

Giselle, the quintessential romantic heroine, is one of the most daunting roles, encompassing both the physical and spiritual realms.

As a peasant girl in Act I Lisa personified carefree, innocent, insouciant youth. Her characterization, conveyed through speed, freedom of movement, precision, flawless technique — what beautiful line each arabesque made! — left a considerable impact on the viewer.

Utterly betrayed and duped by Prince Albrecht, Giselle becomes insane. Movingly persuasive, Lisa conveyed no hysteria, took no false or exaggerated posturing, her bewildered countenance suggesting dark thoughts and grim foreboding. In a brief moment of lucidity, she recognizes her mother (Eileen Lopez) in whose arms she rushes for solace.

Dazed, she wildly runs hither and thither — what magnificent madness! — finally dropping to the ground in sheer exhaustion, her intense grief leading to her untimely death. Forthwith, she turns into a Wili (spirit).

How was De Dios’s performance? Many danseurs were taller, more imposing, more princely in bearing than De Dios. But obviously, owing to technical exigencies, the role of Albrecht fell on him. Deceptively frail, he proved an excellent partner, lifting Lisa without apparent effort, making her appear weightless, while maintaining his own virile stance. Defying gravity, he soared and leapt, his jetés and pirouettes swift and controlled.

Despairingly, Giselle tries to save Albrecht from the other Wilis’s wrath. In the final pas de deux, Lisa was the epitome of lightness, elegance and refinement befitting a spirit, Rudy denoted intense sorrow as the curtain closed.

Earlier, as the curtains opened in Act II, the corps de ballet’s precision, discipline, fluid grace made the dance of the Wilis an immense delight. In flowing white gowns, with lace bracelets around their upper arms, they floated and glided in smooth seamless pas de bourees and arabesques penchees to exquisitely lyrical music, their arms fluttering as they formed symmetrical circles and semi-circles, with Dawna Mangahas and Anne Kateri Gelvoria as the compelling lead Wilis. How brilliantly executed was Coralli’s brilliant choreography! Indeed, the entire sequence pointed up Balanchine’s dictum “Ballet is a female thing.”

Other cast members eloquently delineated their respective parts: guest artist Chin-Chin Gutierrez as Duchess Bathilde, Francis Cascaño as Hilarion, Giselle’s loyal suitor (alternate, Harold Salgado); the arresting village girl Mylene Aggabao (alternate, Tiffany Chiang). Nazer Salgado was the matinee’s Albrecht.

The eye-catching set designs by Jonathan Janolo were not complemented by the peasant costumes, their garish hues wanting in color harmony.

Under Lisa as artistic director and Osias Barroso as ballet master, Ballet Manila’s members are evolving into the finest ballerinas and danseurs, achieving technical skill and artistic expressivity to a tremendous degree.

With the frequency of Ballet Manila presentations, each differing from the other, one wonders how the company maintains its superior standards of production and performance, the latter hewing to Kirov’s Vaganova method. At 45, Lisa Macuja, its chief proponent still dances with incomparable élan, ineffable grace and incredible stamina, doubtless remaining Ballet Manila’s major spectacle.

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Klassikal Music Foundation, with tenor George Yang as chairman, is holding an audition for all voice students on Monday, June 14, 2 p.m., at 33 Twinhills St., Magdalena Rolling Hills Subdivision, New Manila, QC. For application forms, contact Tina Valencia, 8130935 and 8178888. Deadline for submission of applications is June 7. Applicants must prepare one kundiman and one classical song; each applicant must bring his/her own accompanist.