Pirouettes and ‘en pointe’ moments

As the world learns to dance with Covid-19 and its variants, it's time for the amazing talents of Ballet Philippines to put on their pointe shoes again.

The company is raring to get its dancers onstage and pirouette before a live audience. On its 53rd season, BP is gearing up for its program that celebrates the art of ballet.

We joined the audience at BP's gala performance, Dance Here and Now: Equus, Bolero and Other Dances — the company's first in-person show at the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo.

Ballet Philippines president Kathleen Liechtenstein and her family: Lior, Lauren, and Philip.

Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna with husband Martin Arnold Pangan and daughter Lucia Danielle.

Marissa Fenton and Cynthia Norton.

Paco and Valerie Zayco.

The columnist and Ching Cruz.

Gabby Florendo and Joaquin Aboitiz.

Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss and wife Gill.

Austrian Ambassador Johann Brieger and wife Roswitha.

Netherlands Ambassador Marielle Geraedts and husband Pieter ten Bosch.

LaLa Ventura and Javi Ruiz.

Irene Isip, Carlo Calma, and Carmina Jacob.

German Ambassador Anke Reiffenstuel.

Photographs courtesy of Agile Zamora

BP artistic director Mikhail "Misha" Martynyuk described the performance piece as a golden collection of classic and contemporary ballets from around the world.

Ballet dancers are known for their discipline and grace in expressing the breadth of human emotions through movement. We saw and felt it all during the show.

Bravo to Ballet Philippines, its board of trustees, and president Kathleen Liechtenstein!

Looking forward to more pirouettes and en pointe moments.