It took time for Ballet Manila to bring Swan Lake back to the stage—a ballet production that demands a significantly larger ensemble of dancers.
The pandemic dealt a heavy blow to the performing arts industry, forcing performances to be suspended and leading to the departure of many artists. Ballet Manila lost its core ensemble and faced the daunting task of rebuilding its ranks from the ground up post-pandemic.
“The last time we performed Swan Lake was before the pandemic, in 2018. It’s been a while. Swan Lake is not a ballet you can perform straight off the pandemic. The pandemic made us lose a whole generation of potential professional classical ballet dancers. It took a while to gather the people you need for a full-length Swan Lake. You need at least more than 20 strong women who can dance in the corps, and good ones to essay the different soloist roles,” shared Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde.
Rather than rushing into grand productions, the company made the deliberate choice to focus on training a new generation of dancers and restoring its artistic discipline centered on the Vaganova dance method.
Exceptional technical precision, emotional depth, and artistic maturity take time and experience. And this year, Ballet Manila is more than ready to present the demanding ballet, with its iconic dual roles, sweeping corps de ballet scenes, and exacting choreography, to a new generation of audiences.
This year’s restaging of Swan Lake is more than a return to the stage; it is a declaration of Ballet Manila’s resilience, artistic rebirth, and renewed strength. It stands as a testament to the company’s unwavering commitment to excellence, even in the face of adversity.
Macuja-Elizalde, who had performed the role of Odette and Odile during her prima ballerina days, gives her full awareness of how intricate it is to mount a full-length Swan Lake.
“It’s a very Russian ballet, so the dancing must be technically strong and artistically sound. Our Vaganova training builds the dancers’ strength, helping them hold poses, jump high, and turn fast—allowing the swan corps to move as one onstage,” the prima ballerina said.
On Ballet Manila’s Pearl Year, Macuja-Elizalde made sure to pull all the stops to cast two pairs of powerful main leads. Katherine Barkman, San Francisco Ballet’s first soloist, and Esteban Hernandez, principal dancer of San Francisco Ballet, return to the Philippine stage for Ballet Manila’s Swan Lake.
Returning to the stage where her professional journey began, Barkman takes on the challenging dual role of Odette (White Swan) and Odile (Black Swan) in Swan Lake.For Barkman, this return is deeply personal. Once a principal dancer of Ballet Manila, she trained under Macuja-Elizalde for over three years before joining The Washington Ballet and later the San Francisco Ballet.Now back to where her professional ballet career began, Barkman reflects on her growth as she embodies the titular role, “My approach to the characters has changed—I’m more fearless now. I take risks and focus on making my dancing exciting rather than perfect or predictable.”
Hernandez, who performed with the ballet company in Don Quixote in 2023, will be taking the role of Prince Siegfried. A trailblazer from Guadalajara, Mexico, Esteban trained at The Royal Ballet School and rose to global acclaim for his technical brilliance and expressive storytelling.
As a principal dancer of the San Francisco Ballet, he has captivated audiences worldwide.
“Esteban’s experience, technique, and artistry suit him well as Prince Siegfried. He and Katherine have danced Swan Lake together before, so they’ll be effective as a principal pair,” said Macuja-Elizalde.
Aside from Barkman and Hernandez pairing, audiences will see another take on the main characters with Ballet Manila’s own principal dancer Abigail Oliveiro portraying Odette and Odile and San Francisco Ballet’s company artist Nathaniel Remez playing Prince Siegfried.
“I am also excited about Nathaniel’s impending partnership with Abi. She will learn and grow so much in her interpretation of Swan Lake when she explores the choreography with a new partner like Nathaniel who, height-wise, is perfect for her,” said Macuja-Elizalde.
Catch all performances from Barkman and Hernandez on May 30 (8:00 p.m.), May 31 (5:00 p.m.), and June 1 (5:00 p.m.), with matinee performances of Abigail Oliveiro and Nathaniel Remez on May 31 and June 1 (1:00 p.m.).
All performances will be staged at Aliw Theater, Pasay City.
