Dancing Again: National Artist Alice Reyes Talks About Her New Company

With most of the dancers being erstwhile senior core members of their former affiliation, they have also shown their prowess in choreography and have become artist-teachers in their own right. Furthermore, Agnes Locsin, former artistic director of BP and close friend to Reyes, has just been conferred as National Artist for Dance this 2022.

Thus, Alice Reyes Dance Philippines (ARDP) was born.

ARDP’s initial set of artists include alumni of BP and eventually grew with the addition of former members from the Philippine Ballet Theatre and other dancers catered by the PDSP. Though resiliency should not be romanticised, one cannot help but admire the passion and dedication of these artists who have not only bequeathed the enigmatic works by Locsin and Reyes but are also primed to craft their own marks in Filipino ballet and commit to enhancing arts education in the country. Moreover, with their dances being collaborations with prominent figures in the country’s theatre, music, and visual arts scene—like how Reyes did, which catapulted her to National Artist status—the vision of ARDP has broadened.

Reyes admits that she was reluctant to have any dance company named after her, hence they tried using different names to introduce the company. But with their projects sometimes being collaborations with international groups which prohibit them from using CCP’s name as they are not yet its resident company—and with much persuasion from her son—she finally agreed and had it registered to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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As suggested by CCP’s former artistic director Chris Millado, ARDP officially launched in Dapitan last July. “Congratulations to Ms Alice Reyes on the launch of her new company!” an ecstatic Moran-Floirendo tells Tatler. “Dapitan is the new cultural hub, and it was fitting that the new company’s launch was held there.” In the historic city of Dapitan, they performed Edna Vida’s Limang Dipang Tao, with music composed by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, a Visayan suite of dances choreographed by Erl Sorilla, John Ababon, and AL Abraham, and Locsin’s iconic Elias at Salome.

Aside from its partnership with Dapitan Heritage and Arts Council, which made the launch possible, ARDP has also made relationships with other institutions like Guang Ming Tagaytay College and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts through the Metropolitan Theater (MET).

“Our interest in the MET fits our vision and mission because the schools like Lyceum, Adamson, MAPUA, Letran, Philippine Science High School, and Emilio Aguinaldo College, among others, are around its location,” says Reyes. She also complemented the beautiful renovations made in the said theatre, which has stopped its operations for over two decades. Reyes is hopeful that such a partnership would come to fruition. “[The MET] has its own audience, its own community that is younger and with fresh new ideas, which we are happy to work with,” she continues.

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Banking on arts education as one of its thrusts, ARDP collaborates with CCP Arts Education Department. This has already resulted in over 2000 classes taught since 2020 and more than 40 extensive educational materials on the field of dance covering classical ballet, modem and contemporary dance, jazz and hip hop.

In contrast to other ballet and contemporary dance companies in the country, ARDP promotes Filipino movements and culture enhanced with Western ballet techniques. With two National Artists' repertoire, the new dance company brims with countless potential.

At the helm of ARDP as its artistic director is Ronelson Yadao. Reyes spotted him before BP’s 50th performance season when she had just returned from retirement to serve as its creative director. With Yadao being a returnee as well from Taiwan, Reyes has found a kindred spirit in him and admired him for his discipline and leadership. “He’s a beautiful dancer, a very good choreographer, and got a sense of humour, but most importantly the dancers look up to him and respect him,” Reyes shares.

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During BP’s milestone year, Reyes had Yadao and renowned ballet master Adam Sage as her associate artistic directors. “[I think] I’m talented that way that I don’t mind sharing credit,” says Reyes. “There was enough work for the three of us to run a season for a ballet company as big as Ballet Philippines. I was happy to share credit with Adam and Nelson, everybody got curtain calls,” she cheerfully recalls.

“Leading ARDP is easier for me because we have been colleagues before,” Yadao shares. “I don’t have any difficulty because these are professional dancers and had years of experience before them. Working with Ms Alice is such a blessing. Although she has high standards of excellence, she is first and foremost a mentor and would give us opportunities to grow and prepare us for bigger leadership roles.”

After his four-year stint with BP, Yadao moved to Taiwan to join Cloud Gate Dance Theater. After five years with the internationally renowned company, learning modern, contemporary, and Chinese dances, he decided to come back to BP after realising that he had to pass on to younger generations of dancers what he has learnt.

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“If you can do it now, do it now. Don’t procrastinate,” Yadao shares some wisdom Reyes has imparted to him and his fellows at ARDP. “That’s why even though we are still facing the pandemic, we thought ‘why not create a dance company now?’ Because if we wait for the virus to completely pass, the artists will suffer more. Also, she taught us to lead by example. We all had to develop ourselves physically because the people need to appreciate us visually as a solid company of dancers.”

“Aside from that, we’re really into arts education,” claims Yadao. “A lot of the dancers are also doubling as dance teachers and choreographers. Teaching is one of the skills they discovered during the pandemic. Many of them are also trying to adapt what Locsin and Reyes pioneered which is melding classic Filipino dances with Western techniques.” Reyes adds to this by enumerating the studios where ARDP teaches across Metro Manila, which are located in Makati, Quezon City, Greenfield District in Mandaluyong, and Guang Ming College in Tagaytay.

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“The mission of CCP is to raise cultural awareness and educate artists across the country but the tendency is they come here,” quips Reyes. “ARDP’s goal is to reach far-flung areas to impart these learnings and produce a new crop of dancers who would either develop the dance scene in their areas or perform here and abroad. The trip to Dapitan really opened everyone’s eyes toward the future of our dance scene,” she continues.

She recalled the launch; Reyes shares that she is deeply touched by a group of 60 dance students and teachers who drove for seven hours from Zamboanga del Sur just to see the show. Reyes also shares that the Visayan suite was well received thus they’ll also come up with Ilocano, Bicolano, and Ilonggo suites.

A highlight of the evening was when students from their three-day workshop joined them in one of their performances as their culmination. “I think that’s one of the joys of what we have started to do,” remarks Reyes.

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This is also evident with Pulso Pilipinas, the initial offerings of ARDP for the CCP Dance Series which began last September and will continue until December. Aside from having students from Guang Ming College as part of the performers, ARDP celebrated in Pulso Pilipinas the diverse dance culture of the country by featuring Locsin’s Moriones, Lester Reguindin’s We Men, Denisa Reyes’ Mamang Kutsero from Edna Vida’s Ensalada, and Reyes’ very own choreography of Company. Meanwhile, at the start of October is Pulso Pilipinas’ sequel show subtitled Alay nina Alice at Agnes, which featured the iconic works of the two National Artists for Dance who have been working hand-in-hand with the artists of ARDP since its inception.

“We have a treasure trove of Filipino material, but Filipino dancers are equal to everybody because we could also do Western ballet. That’s one of the reasons why we do classical ballet training here at ARDP,” says Reyes. “Our artistic instrument as dancers is our body, and it has to be trained to do anything.”

Currently, ARDP is a small company hence it is limiting its number of members. But eventually, Reyes says that they will be opening the doors to aspiring dancers out there through auditions. Hopefully, the students they are giving workshops and classes to will fill the new crop of ARDP artists, Yadao adds, emphasising the company’s tireless effort to constantly train them.

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Falling under the programme of CCP, ARDP is not yet a resident dance company of the esteemed institution. Moran-Floirendo, in turn, stresses that it has not yet applied for residency. Reyes also clarifies that she has no qualms with the resident companies of CCP. As a staunch supporter of “dancers who perform, train, and earn”, she will continue to attend their productions. “I do believe that we have to focus on the job that has to be done for the country’s performing arts scene and the cultural workers of the industry.”

Moran-Floirendo, regarding the imminent shortage of rehearsal spaces and theatre venues in CCP due to its temporary closing for renovations starting January 2023 and the addition of ARDP’s performances to its lineup, says that this is why CCP built a temporary studio beside the Folk Arts Theatre.

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Ultimately, Reyes dreams of a thriving dance scene not only in Metro Manila but also in other major cities across the country. “Let’s hope that this new administration will carry on with the tradition of former First Lady Imelda Marcos building this cultural centre and the PHSA,” Reyes says. “I feel every major city should have a cultural centre because artists need a home. . .They cannot just ‘dance’ under a tree,”

And she concludes, “I hope this current administration will find ways in solving, embracing, and finding funds to support the arts, like the Koreans have shown. There’s that hope.”

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