DANCE MEETS DESIGN as Jor-el Espina collaborates with Ballet Philippines for its Filipiniana-themed season-ender, Ang Panaginip (The Dream).
Mr. Espina is making the costumes for the ballet, which were shown in a short luncheon fashion show cum preview on Jan. 28 in Solaire.
Ang Panaginip is inspired by (but, according to Ballet Philippines’ President Kathleen Liechtenstein, not an adaptation of) the fairy tale and ballet The 12 Dancing Princesses. To modify the theme for Philippine audiences, the setting is in a fantasy Filipino kingdom, and instead of 12 princesses, there will be 17, reflecting each of the country’s regions.
Not even the plot is the same, depicting medieval themes, 12 princesses locked in a bedroom, or romances. “This is all about Filipina(s)… finding themselves,” said Ms. Liechtenstein in an interview. “It’s really the 17 women that went out of their way to find themselves and gain strength of character in the journey.”
And the reason for choosing Mr. Espina to costume the ballet: “Who can make a fantasy world of Filipiniana? Jor-el is one of those. He’s very, very evocative.”
As it turns out, Mr. Espina — famous for his barong bomber jacket and modernized Filipiniana — had a background in dance in high school.
“This is Filipiniana, something very close to my heart. It’s easy to interpret,” he said, speaking in a mixture of English and Filipino. For the costumes, Mr. Espina used various Indigenous weaves and Filipino fabrics, along with the shape of the balintawak and the baro’t saya.
We asked him about concerns about weight, temperature, and other such considerations in costumes. “These fabrics are tropical fabrics,” he said, though pointing out that some costumes would be heavy because of layering and beadwork. “I see to it that nakakagalaw pa rin sila… na hindi nasisira iyong form nila (that they can still move… without ruining their form).”
While each princess represents a certain region in the country, they’re not taking it too literally by costuming one in the singular costume of each area. “Let’s not be literal,” said Ms. Liechtenstein. Mr. Espina grouped the princesses into the three major island groups (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao) and added different touches from here and there, but bound by similar shapes and forms. The designer added, “It looks cohesive pa rin (still) at the same time, pero iba-iba pa rin iyong texture and elements (the textures and elements are still different) when you see them onstage.”
Ms. Liechtenstein spoke of the importance of costuming in this particular ballet: “A dance that is very minimalist can also tell and evoke a story. When you see a production that is visually appealing and visually admirable, it adds a different dimension.”
Ballet Philippines will be the principal performer at the Philippine Pavilion at the Osaka Expo in April, then will be embarking on a European tour in September, covering Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, and Athens.
Ballet Philippines’ Ang Panaginip will have performances on Feb. 28, March 1 and 2 at The Theatre at Solaire, Solaire Entertainment City in Parañaque. For tickets, log on to www.ballet.ph. — Joseph L. Garcia
