‘Florante at Laura’ reawakens with powerhouse cast

After a critically acclaimed world premiere marked by overwhelming audience response, Ballet Manila’s Florante at Laura returns to Aliw Theater, with performances scheduled on 3 October at 8 p.m. and 4 and 5 October at 5 p.m.

For Ballet Manila’s founder and artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, the return of Florante at Laura is not a rerun but a reckoning with our collective appreciation of our Filipino heritage. It is a rare opportunity to experience once again Francisco Balagtas’ timeless epic reimagined through myth, music and dance. Lisa has long championed Filipino storytelling through classical ballet and this re-staging affirms that vision with renewed clarity.

“Bringing Florante at Laura back to the stage feels like coming full circle. The first run was a dream realized; the second at Areté affirmed that Filipino stories, when told with care and conviction, truly resonate. Now, with this third staging, it feels less like a return and more like a reckoning. I’m proud, but more than that, I’m moved. This ballet continues to teach us how timeless our heritage can be,” said Lisa.

Audiences can expect the full force of Ballet Manila’s creative ensemble once again. The production features live music performed by the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth under the baton of Toma Cayabyab, interpreting the original score composed by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab.

“To be able to hear the score again, seeing it move — it’s like watching a memory evolve. I wrote this as a legacy piece, but its return reminds me that legacy isn’t static. Ballet Manila has given the music new breath, and I feel grateful. This re-staging proves that our classics still have something urgent to say,” Ryan said.

Choreographers Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Martin Lawrance collaborate anew to shape the ballet’s emotional terrain, drawing out the tension and tenderness within Balagtas’ verse. The libretto, adapted by Dr. Michael Coroza, anchors the production in language that bridges tradition and movement.

Transporting the audiences back to the kingdom of Berbania, set designer Mio Infante and costume designer Therese Arroyo also return to define the ballet’s visual language. Drawing from Persian motifs and Filipino sensibilities, their work complements the choreography and narrative, shaping a world that moves in step with the story.

All performances will be staged at Aliw Theater, Pasay City. For tickets, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.