Ballet Philippines Presents Alice Reyes' Cinderella: All Set to Open on November 28

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Some would say fairy tales like Cinderella were based from real stories. Just like in real life, there would always be a hero, a villain and a damsel in distress. But unlike in real life, fairy tales would normally end in happy endings. From a pauper becoming a prince, to an ordinary town's girl becoming a princess, many are stories ending with a life of grandeur, being rich beyond our wildest dreams, or marrying our true beloved or prince charming.

Fairy tales leaves us hoping for a better tomorrow. That someday our prince will come and will sweep us away into his luxurious castle. That someday we'll find our prince that will wake us from a deep slumber, or will bring us back to life after a poisonous encounter, or will rescue us from our wicked stepmother and stepsisters.

But wait! Fairy tales are not only for the women. Men also dream of meeting the right person who will love them beyond their physical appearance, may they be looking like a beast or a hunchback. Men also look for the right woman who would really love them even though they don't have a genie that can make all their wishes come true. Every man would love to find that woman whose foot would perfectly fit in the glass slipper. The glass slipper being our expectations of the perfect woman.

Indeed, we all love to experience a fairy tale life that ends in a happy ending. The good news is that Ballet Philippines is once again presenting another performance that will literally sweep us off our feet as we follow every move of their dancers who will be performing in Alice Reyes' Cinderella starting with a gala night presentation on November 28, 2014 at 8 pm at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It will be the closest that we will ever get to a fairy tale.

Performance dates and times: November 28 (3 pm & 8 pm), November 29 (2 pm & 6 pm), November 30 (2 pm & 6 pm), December 5 (3 pm & 8 pm), December 6 (10 am & 6 pm), and December 7 (2 pm & 6 pm).

First staged in 1981, CINDERELLA continued to be produced and performed by Ballet Philippines in 1984, 1989 and 2002.

Now on its fifth re-staging and 33rd anniversary, the role of Cinderella will be played by Soloist Denise Parungao and Junior Company Member Monica Amanda Gana. This is Gana's first lead role with Ballet Philippines, while Parungao was last seen in the title role of Ballet Philippines’ “Giselle” in 2013 and 2014. Playing opposite them as Prince Charming are Principal Dancer Richardson Yadao and Junior Principal Dancer Earl John Arisola.

To add even more magic to this production, Madame Isabelle Garachon, wife of the French Ambassador to the Philippines and former professional dancer, will be playing the role of Cinderella's wicked stepmother, alternating with Ballet Philippines President Margie Moran Floirendo.

With a joyful mixture of kings, princes, fairies, and animals, the three act ballet of Alice Reyes’ CINDERELLA is set to a collage of music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who composed some of the world's greatest ballet music.

Congratulations to Alice Reyes, Ballet Philippines’ founder and Artistic Director Emeritus, for recently being named as the National Artist for Dance this year. She deserves the recognition for being one of the pillars of the industry. We would also like to thank her for always giving back to the country through her works and advocacy. Her efforts are truly appreciated.

We personally met Alice Reyes during the press launch at The Rockwell Club last November 12, 2014 attended by some members of the media.

Alice Reyes is the visionary founder of Ballet Philippines who propelled the company into a national arts institution we can all be proud of. In the Philippines, she established regular season concerts, professionalized dance as a career, and played a major role in the phenomenal development of dance in the country.

Reyes began her dance training at an early age and it continued undiminished even while she worked for a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Foreign Service at the Maryknoll College and did postgraduate studies at the Ateneo de Manila University.

With a background in ballet, folk dancing and jazz, Reyes ventured into the challenging and exciting realm of modern dance. Through a grant from the John D. Rockefeller III Fund, she went through an extensive training period in the United States at the Colorado College under a Hanya Holm scholarship. She was subsequently awarded a grant from the Music Promotion Foundation of the Philippines, which enabled her to study further under leading exponents of the medium and earn a Master of Arts in Dance from the Sarah Lawrence College under its scholarship program.

Upon her return in 1969, she staged her first modern dance concert at the CCP. Its success made her decide to remain in the Philippines and develop the great potential of dance in the country. Since then, her outstanding performances on stage have provided artists an enriching example to emulate. The sheer diversity of her choreographic talent has produced highly acclaimed works ranging from the classics like “Cinderella” and “Romeo and Juliet”, to Filipino modern works like “Amada”, “Itim-Asu”, “Bayanihan Remembered”, “Mga Babae”, “Tales of the Manuvu”, and “Rama Hari”. Through her efforts, dance has become among the country’s respected careers and distinguished professions. The Filipino dancers have emerged as an indispensable part of our cultural heritage. In June 20, 2014, Alice Reyes was declared National Artist for Dance by President Benigno S. Aquino III through Proclamation No. 807.

Ballet Philippines President, Margie Moran Florendo, was also there to answer questions form the media. She even invited everyone to come watch the show on the 29th where she will play as the wicked stepmother. Mind you, it's "wicked" and not "ugly" stepmother.

The main dancers were also there to present some scenes of the show, and an interview with the cast followed immediately after a quick game and raffle. Publicist Toots Tolentino officiated the press launch, while Ballet Philippines Artistic Director, Paul Alexander Morales, was our main host for the day.

Don’t miss this unforgettable and spectacular ballet production with breathtaking choreography, spectacular sets, costumes and special effects. Although intended as a ballet for children, both young and young-at-heart audiences are sure to be enthralled by the lively and humorous production of ALICE REYES’ CINDERELLA. It’s utterly alluring and ravishing!

The artistic and creative teams of CINDERELLA are led by Alice Reyes (Choreographer and Librettist), Salvador Bernal(+) (Set & Costume Designer), ), Monino Duque (Lighting Designer), Barbara Tan-Tiongco (Technical Director), and Victor Ursabia and Ramon Victoria (Restagers).

For bulk reservations, show buys, and inquiries, visit www.ballet.ph or call Ballet Philippines at 551-1003. For tickets, call the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or Ticketworld at 891-9999.

Connect to Ballet Philippines online through the following social media networks:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/balletphilippines
Twitter: @balletph
Instagram: @balletphilippines
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/balletph

The 45th Anniversary Sapphire Season. Rare scenes of power and grace. Love, valour and redemption. Under the artistic directorship of Paul Alexander Morales, this is a toast to 45 years of dance excellence!