As Circuit Makati by Ayala Land hosts the second International Day of Dance Festival, which runs from April 23 to 27, witness how various troupes — including London-based Wayne McGregor Dance Company — twist, twirl and transform the country’s premier business district into a vibrant arts and culture hub that celebrates the universal language of dance.
By ANNE STEPHANIE NILO
Troop to Circuit Makati and be part of an exciting five-day festival where 37 dance groups will showcase the diversity of dance disciplines — from classical ballet to folk to contemporary — as Ayala Land opens the second International Dance Day Fest tomorrow, April 23.
“Ayala Land really promotes the arts in many ways. I believe in the importance of arts — it is the soul of our country. Circuit Makati was really created to be a hub for the arts. It’s exciting to see local and foreign dance companies coming together,” said Steps Dance Studio founder and director Sofia Zobel-Elizalde, who has been a mentor and staunch benefactor of Filipino dance groups.
What makes the second Dance Festival better than the first? In a recently held preview, Samsung Performing Arts Theater managing director and Circuit Makati arts and culture manager Chris Mohnani proudly announced that internationally renowned Wayne McGregor Dance Company will take center stage in a powerful salvo during the opening gala.
“We are so fortunate that The British Council not only helped me reach Wayne McGregor Dance Company, but also made possible for us to not only have their performances, but for them to have a masterclass which is a vital component of what we’re doing here. It is important that our local artists are able to gauge where they are currently in their professional life by seeing how their professional colleagues are doing,” said Mohnani.
Moreover, this year’s festival is not only an ode to dance, but is also an artistic expression of inclusivity as it trains the spotlight on the Philippine Para Dancesport Team. See how this proudly Filipino para dance troupe — which has won countless accolades in international dance competitions — can break barriers and display its dance prowess alongside their able-bodied peers.
Zobel-Elizalde believes this festival is important for Philippine dance, as this will expose local dance groups to foreign dance companies. “A festival like this is a place where I can really encourage all to come — from students to art lovers to dance lovers — and immerse themselves in dance, see how dance is doing in the Philippines, and enjoy this art form,” she said.
“Bring people to ballet, and bring ballet to the people,” said Lisa Macuja-Elizalde. Here, Ballet Manila performed classical masterpiece “Satanella Adagio”
For Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, this festival is not just a celebration of dance as an art form, but a venue where Filipino dance groups can showcase their world-class talent and meet their fellow dancers. “Any festival, any gala is always exciting because it brings together artists from all the different groups and it’s so unifying, it’s so energizing, it’s so inspiring,” she said.
She also announced that guest dancers from Hong Kong Ballet and American Ballet Theatre will perform alongside Filipino ballet dancers on the fourth day of the Dance Festival. This will also be a landmark occasion where all four of the country’s professional ballet companies will unite in a graceful and technically demanding performance that will certainly make this a festival to remember.
Mohnani likewise announced that this second International Dance Day Fest is a culmination of more than a decade of envisioning Circuit Makati as a place “that would be the center for all things arts and culture,” and Ayala Land has thrown its full support to realize this vision.
“Dance is a universal language that unites us all. It’s about time that dance gets the focus it so rightly deserves. It’s high time that the power and the strength and the artistry of the Filipino dancer gets to the front and gets the proper platform that it deserves,” he added.
The opening gala is scheduled on April 23, to be followed by folk and traditional dance gala on April 24, street dance gala on April 25, ballet gala on April 26, and contemporary gala on April 27.
This festival is brought to you by Ayala Land, Make it Makati, Circuit Makati and the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, with additional support from Ayala Corporation, British Embassy Manila and the British Council.
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