Introducing Eduardo Calvo, Instituto Cervantes head/ PS to World Stars of Ballet

Succeeding Jose “Pepe” R. Rodriguez as director of Instituto Cervantes, Eduardo Calvo arrived in Manila on Sept. 11, 2011, after having served as its director in Algeria and Beirut. He says he became IC’s director in Manila by chance. He was offered the post when he was in Morocco, which offer he readily accepted.

Here is a brief “backgrounder” on the engaging and personable Calvo. He was born in Madrid in 1949. After studying in a Catholic high school in that city, he pursued philosophy and arts studies, later obtaining a law degree from the Universidad de Complutense in his native city; shortly thereafter, he became a professor of Sociology in the aforementioned institution.

During that time, Calvo started writing poems and novels, publishing a dozen of the latter. Understandably, he spends his free hours reading and writing literary pieces.

He is married to Amarech Antenah Alanoe, a Ethiopian to whom he is grateful for her having developed his interest in African culture.

Calvo sums up his humane philosophy of life thus: “If you do something for others, you are really doing something for yourself.”

Being at the helm of Instituto Cervantes, Calvo regards “Dia del Español”, on June 23 from 12:00 to 18:00 at the Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong, its most significant event thus far under his management. Its activities, already published elsewhere here, aim to project the importance of Spanish as the most studied language in the world after English, as the second most natively spoken language after Chinese, as one of UN’s six official languages, and its having been declared the official language for a record number of 21 countries.

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Herewith is further information on the “World Stars of Ballet” concert recently shown at Aliw Theater. It brought together such celebrated dancers as American Ballet Theatre’s Paloma Herrera and Maxim Beloserkovsky, London Royal Ballet’s David Makhateli and Natalia Kremen, Mariinsky Theatre’s Daria Pavlenko and Yevgeny Ivanchenko, English National Ballet’s Dmitri Gruzdev, Kremlin Ballet’s Aleksandra Timofeeva, Norwegian National Ballet’s Yoel Carreno and Yolanda Correa Frias, and the Philippines’ own Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, prima ballerina.

Of the then forthcoming concert, Lisa predicted, which prediction presumably proved true: “It is going to be an exciting evening of great artistry, and very athletic and graceful dancing!” — of classical, neo-classical and modern choreographies.

Lisa was justifiably proud of two Ballet Manila pairs who have been accepted to the Beijing International Ballet Competition and who performed with the visiting super stars.

The program showcased two firsts — the Apollo Pas de Deux and the Diamonds Pas de Deux, both Balanchine masterpieces never yet performed in Manila.

Also featured were pas de deux pieces in the Romeo and Juliet Balcony Scene, Giselle, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, as well as original works by local choreographers done especially for Ballet Manila: “Sotto Voce” — the seduction of whispers, the ripples of a lake, the strength of simplicity, the warmth of a woman’s calm, “Reconfigured” and “Widmung” (Dedication), a tribute to choreographer Tony Fabella — all three by Augustus Damian III; “Arachnida,” a pas de deux by Agnes Locsin about spiders’ mating; “Green” representing earth, water, air and fire by Hazel Sabas Grower; “Limang Dipang Tao” (A Crowd Five Bodies Deep), a portrayal of the hustle and bustle of Manila streets by Gerardo Francisco Jr.

The incomparable Lisa danced the Don Quixote Grande Pas de Deux partnered by Rudy de Dios, and “Dancing to Verdi,” choreographed by Tony Fabella, partnered by Nazer Salgado.

Ballet Manila dancers were Mylene Aggabao, Jennifer Rose Olayvar, Tiffany Chiang, Sofia Sangco-Peralta, Czarina Villegas, Nazer and Harold Salgado, Manny Febra, Yanti Marduli, Jan Erika Basilio, Joan Emery Sia, Elpidio Magat Jr., Stephanie Eunice Cabral and Arnulfo Andrade Jr.

Nazer Salgado danced with the world stars in Le Corsaire pas de Trois.

Lisa and Makhateli, her partner in last year’s Swan Lake, organized the international gala to raise funds for Project Ballet Futures to give talented, underprivileged children a chance to make classical ballet their professional career.

Two of the 54 scholars, Jesse Balote and Jamil Montebon, were recently interviewed for CNN’s Eye on the Philippines series which draws attention to the scholarship project.

The two-night gala initiated by Lisa gave her richly talented, highly professional Ballet Manila dancers invaluable training and exposure to the sterling performances of some of the world’s leading ballerinas and danseurs. Already, “Dancing to Verdi” choreographed by Tony Fabella for Ballet Manila in 1996, was “in appreciation of the technical and artistic proficiency of its dancers.”