Vlad Bunoan

Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim. Erica Marquez-Jacinto

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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787362582185Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim(1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim. Erica Marquez-Jacinto</div>Ballet Manila’s “La Bayadère” made a comeback after 13 years. This marks the fourth time the company has staged the ballet, making it one of the most frequently staged full-length “La Bayadères” by a Philippine company. Philippine Ballet Theatre performed the ballet in 2004 and 2017, while Ballet Philippines staged it in 1982.Surprised I am not, because this ballet is hard to mount. Not all ballets are created equal, and this one is a test not only for the dancers who perform it, but also for the production team that must restage choreography built on intricate patterns, mount ornate sets, and carefully direct the artistic output. To successfully include “La Bayadère” in a company’s repertoire is a milestone in itself.That said, Ballet Manila did good, drawing balletomanes who braved the floods to watch this epic of a ballet, headlined by Mariinsky stars Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim. Despite repeated warnings of severe flooding and the need to evacuate on opening night last August 14, it was worth the struggle to catch this ballet.“La Bayadère” has always been a ballet that showcases a company&#x27;s standard. In my opinion, it is more difficult than the more popular white ballets, “Swan Lake” and “Giselle.” While they all test endurance, precision, and extension, “La Bayadère” presents a unique combination of simple yet difficult elements. Having danced it myself and watched it performed several times, both locally and internationally, I have come to see it as one of those ballets that test purity of line, stability of technique, and depth of acting.At its heart, “La Bayadère” is a story of love, jealousy, betrayal, and revenge. Nikiya, a temple dancer, loves the warrior Solor, but their relationship is doomed by Gamzatti, the woman he is expected to marry. It unfolds into a tragedy of jealousy and betrayal, ending with the murder of Nikiya and a man stricken with grief, haunted by the woman he lost. Beautiful and dramatic as the story may be, for the dancers, there is another kind of drama happening onstage — the constant battle to survive choreography that is tougher than tough.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787360702042ENSEMBLE (2).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Ensemble. Erica Marquez-Jacinto</div>Take the corps de ballet in the Kingdom of the Shades, which appears in Act II. The curtains open to reveal a singular dancer in the spotlight on the ramp. They descend from the Himalayas performing what appear to be fairly simple steps — an arabesque with port de bras — but the technical challenge is extraordinary because they do it on an inclined ramp. You don&#x27;t do a few arabesques; you do around 39 of them!!!, praying for balance each time. There is nowhere for the dancer to hide on that incline. (On a side note, I did wish there was a second ramp to add to the challenge and improve the aesthetics.) The arabesques need to be at a specific height, or they will ruin the whole aesthetic.When they finally complete the ensemble formation of rows of girls in white tutus, they launch into an adagio (slow) sequence that is not for the weak dancer. The apparent simplicity is deceptive. Very slow à la seconde and arabesque extensions (extensions to the side and back) are held, exposed for all to see. It&#x27;s almost cruel to the body because the slightest wobble or distorted line can put a dancer in the spotlight unfavorably. The introduction to the Kingdom of the Shades is roughly seven to ten minutes of adagio. With the dancers&#x27; lines fully exposed in that beautiful linear formation, the symmetry is everything. If you can&#x27;t hold that extension, you&#x27;re dead meat.And these are just the demands on the ensemble. The lead roles all require something unique as well. Nikiya, the heroine, is tasked with turns in arabesque while holding a scarf with almost no impetus in the same Kingdom of the Shades section. Gamzatti, in her coda, is tasked not with one trick, but two. She has to do Italian fouettés (swinging the leg from à la seconde to attitude) and turning fouettés (whipping leg turns) consecutively. These are just a few examples of what makes “La Bayadère” such a special, yet I dare say brutal, experience for the dancer’s body. And somehow, the audience sees all of this as something completely out of this world.With tougher-than-tough conditions, Ballet Manila delivered a laudable performance. The ensemble work was remarkable. They did not rely on their stars to save the show. They stood solidly on technique, discipline, and artistry. I will not lie; I did see some stumbles here and there, but seeing strong dancers hold their own made my heart flutter with pride.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787362524608GOLDEN IDOL Jos David Andes.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Jos David Andes. Erica Marquez-Jacinto</div>The soloists had their moments as well. Jos David Andes was a competent Golden Idol. I did wish he could have been stronger in characterization, but the height of his jumps and sustained ballon show his progress as a dancer.Lead Shades Jasmine Pia Dames, Jessica Pearl Dames, and Shaira Comeros performed at par with technical expectations, but this was not their best. They are all seasoned dancers; in this ballet, they were technically compliant, yet somehow underwhelming. The lines were there, but I was looking for a more commanding presence that makes the Shades so mesmerizing.Juan Angelo De Leon, who played Fakir, is finally getting a break. As someone who has seen him perform brilliantly in competition, it&#x27;s quite satisfying to see him show the audience the talent that&#x27;s been brewing.Brahmin, played by Mark Sumaylo, and Gamzatti, played by Abigail Oliveiro, showed their maturity as artists. This time, Sumaylo only did a character role as the evil Brahmin, but a job well done becomes a core memory. He took control of this story, and, like any K-drama, I immediately hated him as the antagonist. Effective, precise, and memorable.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787362491544Abigail Oliveiro AS GAMZATTI AND KIMIN KIM AS SOLOR_.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Abigail Oliveiro and Kimin Kim. Erica Marquez-Jacinto</div>Gamzatti, played by Oliveiro, was a convincing kontrabida. She carried herself with a quiet confidence, secure in both her technique and her characterization. Not an ounce of hesitation showed as she held her own beside international star Renata Shakirova as Nikiya. I particularly loved the confrontation scene, where Gamzatti offers Nikiya her riches in exchange for the man they both love. Oliveiro understood the elegance of a woman who knows her power — and the darkness that lies beneath it. She played the sophisticated villain to a T, never needing to force the evil; it was there in the stillness, the gaze, and the certainty of her presence. Her confidence took her performance to greater heights.  Of course, the leads of the ballet were stellar. Creating a solid following, the Mariinsky duo once again left the audience talking about their technique. This is Shakirova&#x27;s third guesting here, and each time she performs, she shows her versatility. Like a chameleon, she has shown lyricism and tenderness in “Giselle,” feistiness and playfulness as Kitri in “Don Quixote,” and now a melancholic, dramatic Nikiya with the humble restraint of a temple dancer in “La Bayadère.” She definitely dances with emotion as her anchor, and her finely tuned body is her canvas. She amazed the crowd with her effortless leaps, supple backbend, extensions, and easily executed triple turns to arabesque.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787362449005SCARF DANCE RENATA SHAKIROVA AND KIMIN KIM.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim. Erica Marquez-Jacinto</div>Kimin Kim, as the Solor, did his almost mandatory consecutive double arabesque turns in succession, ending with a four-revolution pull-in. His cabrioles (beating steps in the air) were brilliant, and his leaps were effortless. Their partnership was organic, and the transitions were buttery.But again, I must emphasize that this time around, the applause was not reserved for the stars. The local dancers more than held their own, giving the production a strength that was distinctly its own. Julia Macujas’ sets beautifully framed the dancers, while the vibrant costumes added another layer to the ballet’s already ornate aesthetic. The production has a strong visual identity, although Carlo Reyes’ lighting was often too dim, especially in the Shades — something I found particularly unforgiving as a photographer. Blue is a perfectly good color for an enchanted kingdom, but there were moments when I wondered if I had wandered into Avatar. Still, the production is convincingly rich and lavish.While this ballet was immensely satisfying to the eyes, I do have the ache to share a thought or two about preserving a ballet — keeping it a classic while allowing it to evolve for new audiences.“La Bayadère,” choreographically a gold standard from Marius Petipa, is also a product of its time, with its Orientalist depiction of India — the purposeless mudras of the Golden Idol, the generic characterization of the Dance Indienne, the sexual corruptibility of the High Priest, and the general absence of nuance or authenticity in its portrayal of Indian culture. The world stage has responded to these concerns with thoughtful revisions while still preserving the essence of the ballet. Some have sought Indian consultation to add real historical influences. Some have changed the story&#x27;s setting. This production remains largely faithful to the Russian staging — three acts — minus the blackface depiction. Ballet Manila&#x27;s version was originally staged by Sergey Vikulov and Tatiana Udalenkova in 2004, and the current version was refined with additional mime scenes by Russian guest ballet masters Natalia Radulgina and Alexander Kurkov.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787362399643RENATA SHAKIROVA(1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Renata Shakirova. Erica Marquez-Jacinto</div>The fourth act featured in other versions of this ballet has always been my favorite because it seals the story so satisfyingly. As Gamzatti and Solor wed, the gods deliver their divine retribution: the temple is destroyed, and everyone dies. It is such a pivotal and dramatically satisfying moment. I miss it in this purely Russian staging, but I forgive its omission because I realize now that the destruction of a sacred temple as an act of revenge goes against the grain of Indian beliefs and the sanctity of their temples.Perhaps the Dance Indienne, which adds little to the narrative, could have been another harmless yet purposeful edit. Perspectives evolve, audiences evolve, and even the greatest classics can evolve without losing what makes them timeless. Fidelity to Petipa is laudable, but fidelity to cultural sensitivity — or rather, to its slow but steady cultivation — is heroic.Having danced “La Bayadère” myself, I know that its beauty comes at a price. It asks for strength, discipline, precision, and an almost unreasonable amount of hard work. But there are no shortcuts in ballet. You work through the difficulty, you keep showing up, and eventually, the hard work reveals itself onstage. Watching Ballet Manila rise to that challenge was a deeply satisfying moment. “La Bayadère” is tough, but so are the dancers who take it on. Bravo, Ballet Manila.

Ballet Manila’s return to the classic after 13 years proved a demanding test of technique, discipline and artistry — one the company met with admirable strength.

Ballet Manila’s return to the classic after 13 years proved a demanding test of technique, discipline and artistry — one the company met with admirable strength.

Dance review: Ballet Manila rises to the challenge of ‘La Bayadère’

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Dance review: Ballet Manila rises to the challenge of ‘La Bayadère’

Erica Marquez-Jacinto

Published August 22, 2026 09:39 AM PHT

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dance review

ballet

Ballet Manila

La Bayadere

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