Breathing in Life Anew: Ballet Philippines opens with Coppelia
The 54th season of Ballet Philippines is set to open this August, introducing their season opener Coppelia through a warm media brunch.
Written by Rommielle T Morada
Photos courtesy of Ballet Philippines
July 6, 2023
Ballet Philippines opens its 54th season with a full-length performance of the comic ballet Coppelia, based on a short story by ETA Hoffman. In anticipation of the upcoming season, acclaimed press, gala regulars, and loyal patrons of the ballet were invited to a media brunch held at Solaire’s Oasis Garden Cafe. Also present during the event were Ballet Philippines’ president, Kathleen Liechtenstein, and representatives from Ballet Philippines’ Board of Trustees, Bernadette Aboitiz, and Rosalind Wee.
According to Liechtenstein, the choice of opening their upcoming season with Coppelia is aligned with their season’s vision of unveiling the “Power of Dance,” with the aim of showcasing the company’s technical prowess in classical dance while catering to a larger demographic including both adults and children alike. With Coppolia’s optimism and comedy, Liechtenstein hopes that “this performance will be an uplifting and inspiring experience that families can share at the theatre.”
An uplifting experience indeed — the media brunch also treated its guests to an excerpt of the season opener. After freshly concocted brunch items from Oasis’ kitchen, with dishes ranging from pork knuckles and egg’s benedict to bird’s eye chili and calamansi aioli, Ballet Philippines’ Artistic Director Misha Martynyuk showcased Harvest Season from Coppelia’s first act as a sneak peek for the beloved guests, performed against the cafe’s beautifully landscaped interior flooded with daylight.
Martynyuk also shared the deep connection he’s developed with the season opener throughout the year, recalling that the role of Franz in Coppelia had served as his debut as a professional dancer: “After my debut in Coppelia, I got 24 invitations to dance in Coppelia all over Europe. With that, I think I brought all my learnings from my teachers, and I want to share it with my dancers [in the Philippines]” Inherently, Martynyuk notes how Coppelia itself is light-hearted, characterized by a sense of brightness and spirit that Ballet Philippines hopes to establish to start their season.
First performed in 1870, Coppelia has quickly become a classic of ballet, with original choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon, music by Léo Delibes, and libretto by Charles Louis Nuitter. As a comic ballet, Coppelia hinges on a popular trope among ballets — the premise of animating previously inanimate objects, as seen in “The Nutcracker.” The ballet revolves around two young lovers — a boy named Franz who falls in love with the titular Coppelia. On an adventure to defeat a mad scientist given the interference of Franz’s girlfriend Swinilda, the ballet maintains a level of artistry and performance that directly juxtaposes the blitheness of its plot’s nature, which allows it to match itself with the strengths of Ballet Philippines perfectly. At its core, Coppelia touches upon the power of life and love to defeat any and all things that prohibit its flourishing.
Ballet Philippines’ COPPELIA will run from August 4 to 6 at the Theatre at Solaire. For tickets, log on to www.ballet.ph or www.ticketworld.com.ph.
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