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A ballet that touches on the many aspects of life with a mythological theme
Ibalon, the famous Bicolano epic, has been reimagined to become a love story. The original 60-stanza folk epic follows the stories of three heroes: Baltog, Handyong and Bantiong. But the ballet focuses on Handyong (played by Matthew Davo), a mighty warrior who came to the land of Ibalon with his followers to clear the land of monsters. Though his conquest was halted by the beautiful shape-shifting serpent, Oriol (played by Jessa Tangalin). Their encounter would be one of redemption, kindness and love that shook the audience to their core.
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Through artistic director Ron Jaynario’s direction, and Paulo Zarate’s enchanting music, Ibalon showed audiences a glimpse of what world-class Filipino artistry looks like. Each choreographed move was masterfully executed by the dancers and was a fine blend of traditional Filipino dance and classic ballet. Together, Jaynario and Zarate wanted to leave a lasting imprint in Philippine Dance history by telling our ancestral stories through music and dance.
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Perhaps the most effective communicative vessel in the ballet were the set and costumes. Each scene, character, and passage of time was distinguishable through the characteristics of the set. Battles would take place in the forests, tribal celebrations would happen at the city centre, and the mere presence of the feral monsters indicated the dead of night. Every costume had its purpose. Each colour combination mattered and one could tell who the warriors, datu, and monsters were from a glance. One comment from the audience struck me. ‘Some costumes look like the Baja Kurung from Malaysia.’ And this, to me, signified the Philippines’ status as a melting pot of many cultures. Fitting, given our history before the Spaniards arrived on our shores, and the fact that Ibalon was based on the Indian Hindu epic of Ramayana.
The most well-received scenes of the performance were when the tinikling dance was present. Something about the traditional folk dance evokes varying levels of excitement when performed. From the elegant hand movements of the actors, as they move gracefully between the bamboo poles to the quick and precise manoeuvres in line with the beat, the two brief moments the tinikling was shown were met with thunderous applause.
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The intimate moment between Handyong and Oriol towards the end of the ballet left the audience astonished. The conveyance of raw emotion from Tangalin, as she screamed in agony after seeing Handyong struck down was enough to make anyone empathise with her. The loss of a loved one is a pain that is universally relatable. And though Oriol is supposed to be the monster, we felt for her. We sympathised and understood. This is when we realised that Oriol was not a monster. She was scared and alone, and the only person she cared about was gone. While her physical form would disagree, inside, she remains human in the heart.
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Credits
Images: Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation
About
Gabriel found his passion for writing through poetry in high school. He sharpened his skills at Ateneo de Manila University and hopes to write a play worthy of Broadway one day. A self-proclaimed geek, he loves to spend his free time playing video games and board games. When he's not clicking heads on Valorant or roleplaying as a barbarian in Dungeons and Dragons, you can find him exploring art galleries or watching stage plays.
Work
A creative writer who writes about anything and everything, Gabriel loves to dive deep into the arts and culture scene—as well as going on long road trips for travel pieces.
You can reach him on Instagram at @gbohol for any leads, casual conversations or game invites.
