Ballet Manila reawakens Florante at Laura with creative powerhouse

“Bringing Florante at Laura back to the stage feels like coming full circle. The first run was a dream realized; the second at Areté affirmed that Filipino stories, when told with care and conviction, truly resonate. Now, with this third staging, it feels less like a return and more like a reckoning. I’m proud, but more than that, I’m moved. This ballet continues to teach us how timeless our heritage can be.” ~Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Ballet Manila’s Founder and Artistic Director

The restaging of Francisco Balagtas’ masterpiece is a rare opportunity to experience once again the timeless epic reimagined through myth, music and classical ballet.

Ballet Manila's Florante at Laura will return to the Aliw Theater on October 3 at 8:00 PM and October 4 and 5 at 5:00 PM after receiving an incredibly enthusiastic welcome at its world.

According to Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, the founder and artistic director of Ballet Manila, the return of Florante at Laura is a reflection of our mutual love for our Filipino heritage rather than a reenactment.  This is a unique opportunity to experience the epic by Francisco Balagtas through dance, singing, and story. Lisa's longstanding support of Filipino storytelling through classical ballet is underlined with this re-staging.

Audiences will once again have access to Ballet Manila's whole creative team. Ryan Cayabyab, a National Artist for Music, wrote the original work, which the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth interprets live under the leadership of Toma Cayabyab.

"To be able to hear the score again, seeing it move—it’s like watching a memory evolve. I wrote this as a legacy piece, but its return reminds me that legacy isn’t static. Ballet Manila has given the music new breath, and I feel grateful. This re-staging proves that our classics still have something urgent to say." ~Ryan Cayabyab, National Artist for Music

The rekindled partnership between choreographers Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Martin Lawrance shapes the emotional terrain of the ballet, highlighting the poetry of Balagtas's sensitivity and passion. The libretto adaption by Dr. Michael Coroza, which uses language that bridges tradition and movement, acts as the pivot of the play.

By transporting the audience back to Berbania, set designer Mio Infante and costume designer Therese Arroyo establish the visual language of the ballet. Their work, which is influenced by Persian and Filipino sensibilities, enriches the dance and story by constructing a universe that changes with the story.

This October, Ballet Manila invites audiences to return—not just to the theater, but to the heart of a national epic. For those who missed it, this is your moment. For those who came, it’s time to feel it again. Live, urgent, and unmistakably Filipino.
 
All performances will be staged at Aliw Theater, Pasay City. For tickets, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph. To learn more about Ballet Manila and its shows, visit www.balletmanila.com.ph