One of my suggested advent calendar activities is to watch a Christmas show. What perfect show to watch during the holidays than Ballet Philippines The Nutcracker? Bastian played The Nutcracker when he was in Grade 1 and it was a memorable moment for me. To be able to bring our youngest and show him what role his Kuya played will make that memory all the more special.
Ballet Philippines (BP), the country’s flagship dance company, presents the timeless Christmas ballet in full Filipino splendor in Edna Vida and Alice Reyes’ The Nutcracker. Nobuo Fujino (formerly a Senior Artist at the Australian Ballet and Principal Dancer with Hong Kong Ballet) returns to BP as guest artist courtesy of Japan Foundation and Tan Yan Kee Foundation, and the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Gerard Salonga, plays Tchaikovsky’s iconic music live on select performances.
A ballet for the whole family, The Nutcracker is a holiday tradition all over the world, with professional dance companies and schools doing their own version of the beloved full-length ballet. BP sets itself apart by adding its own Filipino flavor to the time and tested ballet.
Set in the Philippines in the 1920s, The Nutcracker follows our young heroine Clara on a fantastic journey. At her family’s Noche Buena, Clara receives an enchanted Nutcracker Doll from her godfather, the toymaker Don Alfonso Quintero. Her sister gets the Sugar Plum Fairy Doll and her brother, the Rat King Doll. As midnight strikes, all the toys including her beloved Nutcracker, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Rat King come to life, and a battle between Rats and Toy Soldiers ensues. Her Nutcracker valiantly leads the soldiers, but is soon overpowered by the evil Rat King. Just as the Rat King delivers his final blow, Clara comes to the Nutcracker’s rescue and the Rat King falls.
As the rats scurry off with their king, Don Alfonso appears and reveals the true identity of her doll—he is the Nutcracker Prince! He and the Sugar Plum Fairy have been trapped in a spell which only a person pure of heart can break.
In gratitude for Clara’s act of courage, the Nutcracker Prince whisks her away to the Kingdom of the Dolls. A feast is celebrated in her honor as she is surrounded by dolls from all over the world, dancing flowers, and the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy.
What makes this Nutcracker unique is how the late National Artist for Theater Design Salvador Bernal incorporated Filipino design elements into the sets. The turn-of-the-century grand ballroom showcases art nouveau arches with anahaw leaves and framed capiz shells. The Nutcracker is the perfect holiday treat for children.
Fujino will partner BP’s Denise Parungao as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Alternating with Parungao is resident guest artist Candice Adea and company member Jemima Reyes. They will be partnered by Lester Reguindin and Victor Maguad, respectively.
ART OF BEING A MOM HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!
Win 2 tickets to Edna Vida’s The Nutcraker! Just follow the Rafflecopter below and make sure to comment your most memorable Christmas and who you’d like to bring to the show with you and why.
Winners will win 2 tickets to the December 3 show with the option of catching the 2pm or 7pm show. Contest ends December 1!
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The most memorable Christmas is when I had to celebrate it as a 1st time mom. Now that my baby is big enough to understand shows, I’d like to bring her to this show.
My memorable Christmas is when we finally have a COMPLETE FAMILY dinner while waiting for the clock to hit 12:00. It’s always perfect to celebrate special occasions with special loved ones! If I would have given the chance to watch Edna’s Nutcracker I would definitely bring my mom for us to have a relaxation we need while watching talented ballerinas!
Ma. Christina Nicolas
ynah.nicolas@yahoo.com
fb.com/maria.christina.017
Celebrating Christmas with my own family and close relatives have always been a memorable event for me. However, the most memorable Christmas I had (in the recent years) was the one before my husband left to work abroad. We celebrated it at my parents’ house, with my late father, together with my siblings and their respective family members, too. To top it off, my husband handled the cooking all by himself, and the food was superb!
My most memorable Christmas was when I gave birth to my first children just days before. I felt so happy and blessed. 🙂
If ever I’ll win this giveaway, I’ll bring my tween sister with me. We both haven’t seen a ballet performance before so it would be a special event for us, plus it was her birthday two days ago. 🙂
Shalene Salvatierra-Rivera
My most memorable Christmas was five years ago when I celebrated the birth of Christ with my family.
I would you like to bring my friend because she treated me as part of her family. I want to give back and spend more time with her. 🙂
Paula Romana Alagao
whitsplash14@yahoo.com
Pau-pau Alagao