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 New lilt and high enthusiasm at Ballet Philippines

By Tats Rejante Manahan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:57:00 09/15/2008

MANILA, Philippines - I thought the inevitable question would never be asked, but it was: “What advice would you give a young dancer who wants to make it?” To which Alan Hineline replied rather drolly, “Train, train, train.” It wasn’t any different from the answer a young Liza Minelli got when she asked:

How do I get to Broadway?” The answer: “Practice!”

From what I have witnessed in the sweat-and-rosin infused rehearsal hall at the basement of the CCP, where 22 or so dancers and apprentices of Ballet Philippines go at it day after day, there is no question about wanting to make it. Rather, the question more apt to ask would be: Who are they dancing for?

For a few years now, a handful of patrons have faithfully come season after season, watching the heaves and ho’s, the ups and downs of this dance company that refuses to make a final curtsey. And with good reason. There is too much talent to be wasted, too much heart and soul expended, passion that cannot be ignored. With each season, hopes run high that perhaps this time, the bottom line figure would match the muscle aches.

The cocktail party launching Ballet Philippines’ Season of New Beginnings was graciously hosted by British Ambassador Peter Beckingham and his wife, Jill. The ambassador, who sits on the Ballet Philippines board, has been a supporter of ballet companies in the countries where he has been posted: Australia, Sweden, and his native America, where watching the New York City Ballet was a favored pastime.

There was an obvious tingle in the air during the reception; it almost felt like Christmas. You could tell when Maan Hontiveros got on the microphone to introduce the season for the nth time, in her long-running stint as president of Ballet Philippines, and when she introduced the company’s new artistic directors.

Hineline

Alan Hineline’s dance career runs the gamut from dancer to choreographer to trainer.

His dance affiliations include companies that range from the classical with the Eglevsky Ballet, modern with Joyce Trisler Danscompany and even the post modern Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians. His body of work can be seen in the repertories of American Ballet Studio Company, Pennsylvania Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, among others. They have been performing in prestigious dance competitions, among them the Aoyama International Ballet Festival in Tokyo and the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.

Luna

Max Luna III became a member of Ballet Philippines at the age of 16 after training with Eddie Elejar at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. After leaving Manila, he went on to an international dance career with Ballet International de Caracas, Ballet Hispanico, Joyce Trisler Dance company, Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal, followed by six brilliant years with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. His 20 year teaching career and work as a choreographer has taken him all over the world including Teatro Nuovo di Torino, Bartholin International Ballet Seminar in Copenhagen, Baardar Dance Academy in Norway, the Actor’s Studio and Peridance in New York, among many more.

High on enthusiasm

Hineline and Luna, now faced with the task of guiding the 39-year-old ballet company as its artistic directors, are hitting high on enthusiasm, matched only with dedication, hard work, foresight and even hindsight, with a season’s repertoire that includes new works by both of them and BP resident choreographer, Alden Lugnasin, as well as re-mounting of company classics by choreographers past, as in Agnes Locsin’s powerful Centennial masterpiece, “La Revolucion Filipina” as its first offering, and sometime within the season, Alice Reyes’s “Amada”, based on Nick Joaquin’s works, “Tadtarin” and “Summer Solstice”.

Outreach

Luna expounds that his and Hineline’s vision is to see Ballet Philippines as a mothership for satellite schools to be founded all over the nation.

Already, a nationwide tour is in the making, with the intentions of exposing young would-be dancers all over the Philippines to the possibility of a serious dance career.

Hineline is strong on the exposure element of an outreach program, himself having come from a small town in America. It was inspiring for him, he says, when he watched a ballet as a young boy. And thus he knows what he speaks of when he rallies his point of bringing ballet performances out of the theater and into the provinces.

Although this is not a new notion to the ballet company, recent years have deprived the company that pleasure of extending the art to far flung places. The reasons have sadly been economic.

Sofia Elizalde

Dovetailing the artistic team was yet the presence of a third party in the person of Sofia Zobel Elizalde, newly-elected member of the board, heading the Resource Committee.

Being who she is cannot be ignored, but perhaps more than being the namesake of great malls and a main avenue, is the fact that Sofia’s ballet pedigree is impeccably hundred percent Ballet Philippines, dyed-in-the-wool so to speak.

Having literally grown up in the dance company’s ballet studios, she worked her way up from student to apprentice, then finally principal dancer. In the years following her retirement as a dancer, she nurtured the dream that one day we would “see a company that shines in the Philippines.”

Her drive is contagious, becoming as she has been teased, a “professional panhandler for dance”. She gamely laughs this off, single-mindedly carrying on to bring this dream to fruition. Her desire to “bring back the glamour and glitz” of going to the ballet will be realized by a black tie fund raising ball, the New Beginnings Gala in October, co-hosted by honorary gala chairperson, Elizabeth Roxas, former dancer of Ballet Philippines and Alvin Ailey in New York.

The “dress up” part is not to be mistaken for an elitist snub, but really to give the fund raising event an air of importance and respect for a worthy cause.

Sofia is keen on the ballet company’s new tagline, “Your soul in motion,” which connotes an afficionado’s passionate support and oneness with the dance.

Already, there has been a show of support for Filipino artistry and the ballet company from the Philippine Tatler, Sofitel Philippine Plaza, BMW, Globe, Cathay Pacific, Ayala Land Premiere, Fiore di M and hopefully many more to come. ”Moneybag” John Silva, Ballet Philippines board treasurer is optimistic that the ball has started rolling.

Preview

As a preview to the season’s programme, three pairs of dancers all in black, slinked their way amidst the cocktail crowd with excerpts from Max Luna’s
“American Rhapsody”, a fresh trilogy of American standards reminiscent, but not at all like Twyla Tharp’s Sinatra Suite. “How Long has This been Going On” was danced by Candice Adea and Biag Gaongen; “I Love You Porgy” by Georgette Sanchez and R9ADD MOREonelson Yadao, and ” Embraceable You” by the sultry Carissa Adea and newly-anointed company member, Bacolod born Lucky Vincentino.

All six danced confidently barefooted even on the marble floor. The well applauded number hushed the audience at the start. Whether or not it was because of the familiarity of the music, it didn’t matter, because the dancers danced and the audience watched, and that hopefully was a good omen for a season of new beginnings.

For season subscription inquiries, call (6-32) 551-0221. 551-1003. For tickets and information of the New Beginnings Gala, call Steps Dance Studio (6-32) 757-2984 or 843-8472.

A MESSAGE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTORS

This is truly an extraordinary time at Ballet Philippines. During this 39th anniversary season, A SEASON OF NEW BEGINNINGS, we will look back upon the legacy of BP, experience masterpieces from world-renowned choreographers and look forward to three world premieres. From Alvin Ailey and Vicente Nebrada to Alice Reyes and Agnes Locsin, you won’t want to miss a single program. When you become a supporter of Ballet Philippines, you join an ever-growing family of patrons who enjoy dance at its highest caliber right here in the Philippines. Your generous backing ensures not only the continuation of world class programming and dance, but also guarantees you choice seats, invitations to special events and the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping to ensure BP’s place as an international cultural ambassador for the Philippines. Why not get in on the act? Join us today as a Ballet Philippines supporter! See you at the theatre. Alan Hineline & Max Luna III, Artistic Directors

A SEASON OF NEW BEGINNINGS 39th Anniversary Season

TRADITIONS

LA REVOLUCION FILIPINA Cayabyab/Locsin With music by Ryan Cayabyab, choreographer Agnes Locsin’s sensitive telling of “La Revolucion Filipina” provides a vivid, theatrical insight into the events surrounding the struggle for Philippine independence. September 18 10a/3p September 19 3p/8p September 20 3p/8p September 21 10a/3p

NEW BEGINNINGS

NIGHT CREATURE Ellington/Ailey

MGA AWIT Dadap/Luna

THRESHOLDS II Begin/Hineline

Ballet Philippines celebrates the inaugural season of artistic directors Alan Hineline and Max Luna III with an edgy, sexy and sophisticated line-up company premieres. October 17 3p/8p October 18 3p/8p October 19 10a/3p

CLASSICS
COPPÉLIA Delibes/Hineline Ballet Philippines returns to its classical roots with artistic director Alan Hineline’s restaging of this timeless story of young love. Simple, charming and laugh-out-loud funny, this sentimental comic ballet is beloved by audiences the world over and is sure to become a BP classic! December 11 10a/3p December 12 3p/8p December 13 3p/8p December 14 10a/3p

NEO FILIPINO

AMADA Kasilag/Reyes

WALANG SUGAT TBA/Luna

DAOG-DOG SA SANG LIBONG KULOG TBA/Lugnasin

Highlighted by the revival of Alice Reyes’ “Amada” and premieres by Max Luna III and Alden Lugnasin, the NEO-FILIPINO program pays homage to home-grown passion, creativity and artistry - the very heart of the Filipino soul. March 12 3p March 13 3p/8p March 14 3p/8p March 15 10a/3p

MAX LUNA III

Max Luna III’s return to Ballet

Philippines

as Artistic Director brings to full circle a career spanning nearly 35 years and six continents as an internationally acclaimed performer, teacher and choreographer.

As a student, Mr. Luna began his training at the

Cultural

Center

of the

Philippines

and continued in the

United States

at such prestigious institutions as the

American

Ballet

Theater

School

, the

School

of

American Ballet

and the

Joffrey

Ballet

School

. From there he went on to dance with Ballet International de Caracas, Ballet Hispanico, Joyce Trisler Dance Company, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal and finally, six highly acclaimed years with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Along with his stage career, he has also appeared on television in the "Bill Cosby Show", the PBS series "Dance in

America

", the “Kennedy Center Honors” and on the Italian network, RAI, in a documentary on the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.

As a teacher, Mr. Luna has been praised for a keen movement sense complimented by an in-depth knowledge of dance techniques. His extensive teaching credits include 20 years on faculty at the Ailey School along with, among others, Teatro Nuovo di Torino (Torino, Italy), Bartholin International Ballet Seminar (Copenhagen, Denmark), Baardar Dance Academy (Oslo, Norway), the Actor’s Studio (New York, NY), Vignale Danza (Vignale, Italy), Sarah Lawrence College (Bronxville, NY), Peridance (New York, NY), City College of NY and Ballet Hispanico (New York, NY).

Critically celebrated as a choreographer, Mr. Luna has been commissioned by the Ailey School, Teatro Nuovo di Torino (Torino, IT), Compañía Nacional de Canto y Danza (Maputo, Mozambique), Howard University (Washington, DC), University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI), Roxbury Arts Festival (Roxbury, NY), Ballet East Dance Company (Austin, TX), Movements Dance Company, (Kingston, Jamaica) among many others.

In 2000 Mr. Luna formed his own company, LUNA. The company has toured Nancy, Lunaeville and Thionville in

France

and

Torino

,

Italy

. In 2007 LUNA opened at the

Schimmel

Center

in

New York City

to brilliant reviews from the New York Times.

ALAN HINELINE

Dynamic, spontaneous, witty and exciting are only a few of the adjectives that have been used to describe the work of Ballet Philippine’s Artistic Director, Alan Hineline. A sought-after choreographer and teacher, Hineline’s work has appeared in the repertories of many companies in

North America

and has been received enthusiastically in performances around the globe.

In 1997, at the invitation of artistic director Marcia Dale Weary, Hineline was named resident choreographer for the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. During those eleven years he has created numerous ballets for this internationally acclaimed school and company. His body of work can be seen in the repertories of American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, Pennsylvania Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, The Juilliard Dance Ensemble, Sacramento Ballet, Alabama Ballet, Ballet Concierto de Cuba, and Utah Regional Ballet, among many others. His work has been performed at the New York International Ballet Competition, the Aoyama International Ballet Festival in Tokyo, Japan and the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.

As a teacher Mr. Hineline has instructed every level of dancer, from beginner through professional. He is part of the faculty of the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and has been a guest faculty member for among others, Ballet Academy East, The Juilliard School, Atlanta Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Alabama Ballet, and the Utah Regional Ballet. Along with these fine schools he has taught at the Jackson International Ballet Competition, the Aoyama Ballet Festival, and numerous Regional Dance America (RDA) festivals and at colleges and universities across the

United States

. In 2008 he will be a faculty member of the Jacob’s Pillow Summer Dance Festival.

As a dancer his career spanned a broad spectrum of traditions and styles. Hineline trained primarily in

Dayton

,

Ohio

with Dance Theatre Dayton and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and afterwards with Milton Myers and David Howard. His company affiliations ranged from the classical with Eglevsky Ballet and Nashville Ballet to modern with Joyce Trisler Danscompany and Michael Mao Dance to post-modern with Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians.

Mr. Hineline sits on the national advisory board of Regional Dance

America

and, for that organization, has served as an adjudicator for several regions and as artistic director for the Craft of Choreography Conference. Hineline is the founder and director of the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s choreographic initiative, Choreoplan. Among his many awards are the Choo-San Goh Award for Choreography from the Choo-San Goh and H. Robert Magee Foundation and multiple National Choreography Awards from Regional Dance

America

.

Distinguished Ballet Master and Choreographer Joins With Alvin Ailey Veteran

To Take Charge April 1, 2008

January 14, 2008 (MANILA) –The Ballet Philippines (BP) of

Manila

,

Philippines

is pleased to announce the appointment of Alan Hineline and Max Luna III as Artistic Directors. The appointment is the culmination of an intensive search resulting in a unanimous vote of support for Hineline and Luna from the board of trustees. The appointment, which begins April 1, 2008, coincides with the start of Ballet

Philippines

thirty-ninth season.

Hineline comes to

Manila

from the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) where he has served on the faculty, as resident choreographer and as guiding force to the organization for the past eleven years. Luna, a product of the

Cultural

Center

of the Philippines (CCP) and a former member of Ballet

Philippines

, returns to the

Manila

after a celebrated career abroad with Ballet International de Caracas, Joyce Trisler Danscompany and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.

Board President Ma-an Hontiveros says “the ideas that Hineline and Luna bring to Ballet

Philippines

reflect the boards longstanding desires to create a shining cultural ambassador for the

Philippines

to the rest of the world. Their broad range of artistic and business experience make them an ideal fit for our organization.”

“I am thrilled and honored that the board has chosen the two of us to guide the company and its artists into its next phase,” said Hineline. “This is a company brimming with talent and history in a city and country that is bursting with passion and energy – what an extraordinary combinations! I look forward to making

Manila

my home and, with Max, developing further an already great company.”

Luna says “Returning home to

Manila

and Ballet

Philippines

brings my life and career full circle. I want to share the knowledge and experience I have gained throughout my career with these dancers and give back to the company that opened my eyes to the world of dance. This is a dream come true!

BONNIE PICKARD

Bonnie Pickard is a Principal Dancer with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, which is the resident company of the

Kennedy

Center

in

Washington

,

DC

. Ms. Farrell has featured Ms. Pickard in ballets such as Balanchine’s Mazartiana, Scotch Symphony, Serenade, La Source, Variations for orchestra, Apollo, Divertimento No. 15, Waltz of the Flowers, La Sonnmbula, Divertiment Brillante, Stars and Stripes Pas de Deux, and Don Quixote, as well as Bejart’s Romeo and Juliet Pas de Deux. She appeared with the company on national television in tribute to Ms. Farrell at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2005.

Ms. Pickard received her training at the

Dayton

Ballet

School

in

Ohio

under Barbara Pontecorvo. She began her professional career with Chautauqua Dance Company and continued on to dance for North Carolina Dance Theatre, Tulsa Ballet Theatre, Montgomery Ballet, Margo Sappington and Valentina Kazlova’s Daring Project, Diane Coburn-Bruning’s Chamber Dance Project, and for Catherine Batcheller and Joseph Cipolla’s Configurations. She performed as a soloist at the 1998 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies in

Nagano

and in

Europe

with Ben Huys’ Stars of American Ballet. In addition, Ms. Pickard has appeared with Peter Boal & Company and performed extensively with BalletNY, a

New York City

based touring company directed by Judith Fugate and Medhi Bahiri. Her repertoire with BalletNY ranged from Balanchine’s Who Cares? To Forsythe’s Artifact II, from Stanton Welch’s

Orange

to Thaddeus Davis’ Once Before Twice After.

Ms. Pickard’s guest performance with Ballet

Philippines

’ Rizal Revisited/Double Takes will be her first on the Philippine stage.

Don’t miss this Ballet Philippines performance, "Rizal Revisited / Double Takes" on August 10, 11 & 12, 2007 at the CCP Main Theater with the special participation of Bonnie Pickard, the Principal dancer of Suzanne Farrell Ballet and Ballet New York. There will also be an exhibit of Leonardo Cruz’ oil paintings, "Jose Rizal: Mi Ultimo Adios", as well as the special participation of some members of the Rizal clan.

(Note: Sketch of Rizal on fliers and posters was rendered by Jackie H. Lozano, 5th generation descendant of Jose Rizal)

For more information, please call 551-0221, 551-1003, or 832-6011 or send your inquiries to ballet_philippines@yahoo.com or balletphilippines@pldtdsl.net