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Equus, Bolero and Other Dances opened the much-awaited 53rd Season of Ballet Philippines. It also marked the premier dance company’s return to grand stage.
Ballet Philippines' monumental 53rd season opener Equus, Bolero and Other Dances was the company’s first in-person performance since the pandemic. The show anchored the theme of the season, which was Dance Where No Else Has.
Choreographed and staged by Ballet Philippines Artistic Director Mikhail Martynyuk, the mixed bill ballet showed BP’s wide range, depth and overall strength of a dance company ready to step into the future of dance.
Act 1 was a creative representation of Philippine culture and the significant events in its rich history. It showcased different selections from timeless ballets, such as Romeo and Juliet, Filibuster, La Bayadere, Scheherazade, Spanish Dance from Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Ballet Folk and Carmen. Its grand finale was a restaging of Maurice Ravel’s iconic Bolero. According to Martynyuk, the piece was as close as he could get to capturing the power and physicality of his dancers.
The second act featured a modern re-imaging of Equus. Equus is a Latin word that directly translates to “horse”. Like horses, ballet dancers work painstakingly long hours—pushing their physicality and mental resilience to excruciating heights. Ballet Philippines’ performances of Equus is a reflection of dance artistry, tackling complicated themes such as self-consciousness, depravity, and religion.
