The Philippine Ballet Theatre (PBT) has a mission to relay age-old tales of the Filipino people, reflecting our country’s culture. They aspire to create and perform stories deeply rooted in our heritage.
In their 37th season, PBT will open with a brand-new full-length Filipino ballet entitled "Ibalon." Lifting from the well-known Bicolano epic of the same name, Artistic Director and Choreographer Ronilo Jaynario focuses on the love story of Handyong (The Warrior) and Oryol (The Cursed Creature). Jaynario emphasizes that his choreography is a reimagining of a love story against a backdrop of Philippine mythology.
Taking creative liberties, Jaynario added nuances and plot twists to make the story a powerful display of love in movement. He hopes to leave his audience captivated by the colorful dances inspired by the different regions of the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The story will be told with original music by Paulo Zarate. Zarate explains that his approach to creating the music was to exaggerate what music might have sounded like in ancient times. Filipino instruments in that period were more percussive and rhythmic, so he took this into consideration but added bold and moving melodies, incorporating details of Filipino elements that he researched on, to make the music more epic. Zarate wanted to create music that would have a theatrical or cinematic effect on the audience, pushing them to the edge of their seat in excitement or sweeping them into the love story of Handyong and Oryol.
Matthew Davo as the warrior Handyong and Jessa Tangalin as the cursed princess Oryol will take you on a journey into the heart of our culture and history. With the Philippine Ballet Theatre's rising stars, the storytelling of our ancestral stories will come alive with music and dance.
Together, Artistic Director Ronilo Jaynario and Composer Paulo Zarate wanted to leave a lasting imprint in Philippine dance history. They believe that old Filipino stories are still relevant today, and that creativity can be used to bring them to life in new and exciting ways.
Philippine Ballet Theatre’s "Ibalon" runs from July 28 to July 29, 2023, at the beautiful Samsung Theater in Pasay City. All proceeds from the July 29 performance will benefit the fundraising campaign for the 65th anniversary of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards.
Ticket prices:
P2500 (Orchestra Center)
P2000 (Orchestra Sides)
P1500 (Loge)
P500 (Balcony I)
P350 (Balcony II)
For ticket inquiries and reservations, you may contact 86711697, 09688708887, or visit their Official Facebook, also available via TicketWorld.