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Ballet Philippines’ ‘Opera’ tours audiences inside human body
One of the many ways to interpret Ballet Philippines’ last production for its 46th season, “Opera,” is to use the word’s particular meaning relating to medicine and the human body.
“The word 'opera' may also mean surgery of the human body,” said Paul Alexander Morales, BP artistic director, in an interview.
More than 400 pieces of sculptures and mixed media creations by Gabriel Barredo – a sculptor, mixed media artist, installation artist, and stage designer whose work inspired the production – will be on display at various locations, from the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Main Theater lobby all the way to the Main Theater stage.
“We want the audience to have a different ballet experience with our Opera production,” Morales said.
BP requested the assistance of the French Embassy in the Philippines to obtain the services of French-Algerian choreographer Redha Benteifour, repeatedly labeled as an “unclassifiable choreographer,” to create dance steps and movements for various human body parts.
Yves Zoberman, French Embassy in Manila’s counselor for cooperation and cultural affairs, said his office readily agreed to help Redha come to the Philippines to work with the BP dancers.
“My wife is a dancer herself and we would like to see the bringing in of synergy among the genres of visual arts, music, and dance,” said Zoberman, who, unknown to many, is a classical pianist outside of his role as a diplomat.
“And we see the vibrant celebration of life more than anything else in the creations of Mr. Gabriel Barredo,” he added.
In a separate interview, Redha said he rehearses the BP dancers for hours with the air-conditioning switched off. “I want them to dance for hours and to perspire in the process,” he said.
“They rehearse almost naked, with minimal costumes, so they can feel their bodies, with beads of perspiration running all over them. I want them to think of what is going on inside their bodies as they move and dance and leap,” Redha said, while going inside a huge sculpture of a human torso with movable rib cage.
The interview setting, one of the wide work rooms of the Design Center of the Philippines, was overflowing with sculptures and mixed media pieces showcasing eyeballs, human brains, torsos, legs, arms, and life-sized skeletons. There were so many pieces that a number of them had to be suspended from the ceiling for lack of space.
Once inside the rib cage, appearing as if imprisoned by the human body, Benteifour flashed a wide smile.
BP president Margie Moran said Redha, who had worked with the Bolshoi Ballet, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the National Ballet of Cuba, Le Jeune Ballet de France, and the San Francisco Ballet, readily came to mind when BP decided to interpret Barredo's work through contemporary ballet. He had already choreographed dances for the BP before, such as “Je, Tu, Elle” and “Les Petits Mots d’Amour” several seasons ago, Moran said.
Several of the 400 pieces of the “Opera” multi-sensory installation by Barredo, which will be used for the ballet production, were exhibited at Silverlens Galleries last year. They were also exhibited at the National Gallery of Singapore for the gallery’s opening celebrations in November 2015.
Morales said new works by Barredo will also be showcased during Opera’s run on Feb. 13 and 14 at the CCP Main Theater. ‘We are studying the possibility of the audience going up the stage to see up close the sculptures and mixed media works,” he said.
Other creative minds involved in the production are writer (and GMA News Online contributor) Yvette Tan and musical director Erwin Romullo for the libretto, composer-producer Malek Lopez as musical composer, John Batalla for lighting design, James Reyes for costume design, and Film Pabrika for video production. Former BP soloist Ronelson Yadao is associate choreographer. — BM, GMA News
“Opera” goes on stage at the CCP Main Theater on Feb. 13 and 14, with shows at 1 pm, 6 pm, and a fund-raising gala on Feb. 16 at 8 pm. For inquiries, visit www.ballet.ph or call CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or Ticketworld at 891-9999.
