Witness the fusion of ballet and the arts as they come together to revive the Christmas spirit in 'Ballet in Pintô' and 'Christmas Fairytales'

by Marian Luisa Palo and Patricia Lanzagarita
Photos from Ballet Philippines
December 19, 2023

The arts manifest in various forms, including visual arts, music, and dance. An exemplary illustration of this is their convergence, showcasing beauty and significance in their fullest potential—much like how ballet and other art forms can coalesce in a single space.

Ballet dancers are unmistakably perfect subjects for paintings and sculptures, evident in the intricacy of their graceful movements. To honor this, and to celebrate the fusion of visual arts and ballet, Pintô Art Museum, Ballet Philippines, and Arboretum collaborated in an exhibition titled 'Ballet in Pintô.' This exhibition was unveiled during the gala night of the ballet performance 'Christmas Fairytales,' held from December 15 to 17 at The Theater at Solaire.

Pintô founder Joven Cuanang and curator Ferdie Montemayor commissioned 35 contemporary Filipino artists to create artworks featuring the dancers of Ballet Philippines company.

The exhibit showcased a distinguished array of artworks, including paintings, sculptures, and photos, embodying the graceful and dynamic movements of ballet and ballerinas.

Various artists participated in the exhibition, including Anthony Palomo, Anton Belardo, Arturo Sanchez Jr., Benjie Reyes, Ces Eugenio, Chino Yulo, CJ Tañedo, Dana Bote, Daniel Dela Cruz, Demetrio Dela Cruz, Erwin Leaño, Ferdie Montemayor, Gerardo Jimenez, Guerrero RG Habulan, Hermes Alegre, Japs Antido, and 19 more outstanding participating artists.

'Ballet in Pintô' is not merely a conventional exhibit to view and walk through; it is an immersive experience symbolizing the enduring relationship between visual arts and ballet, expressed and traversed through this awe-inspiring event.

Navigating the small distance between visual arts and ballet, the artworks that interpreted dance distinctively came to life in the holiday special performance, 'Christmas Fairytales: Myth, Magic, Legends at the Ballet,' which ran concurrently with the exhibit's unveiling.

Ballet Philippines brought together dancers to enact enchanting stories of everyone’s favorite heroes and heroines, princes and princesses, fairies, villains, and more beloved magical characters that infused an enticing amount of Christmas spirit through ballet.

Despite the small universe where fairytales unfolded before Tala’s eyes that one night, the protagonist of the performance sequence, she wakes up the next morning to the reality that togetherness with family is the true essence of Christmas.

There is warmth and wonder in witnessing stories transcend through the arts. And what better way to relive the innate human experience of sympathizing, reminiscing, and feeling, especially during the holidays, than through the harmonious vision of artists and ballet dancers in the 'Ballet in Pintô' exhibit and 'Christmas Fairytales.’