The ballet will close our 54th season
LIMANG DAAN will close Ballet Philippines’ 54th season. We began the year with a full-length production of iconic comic ballet Coppelia in August of 2023, followed by the holiday-themed Christmas Fairytales at the end of the year. LIMANG DAAN is a feminist ballet that explores multiple cross-generational heroines in a time-bending narrative that spans roughly over 500 years. Ballet Philippines Artistic Director Mikhail “Misha” Martynyuk is staging and choreographing the show, in collaboration with BP Demi Soloist Gia Gequinto, from a libretto by famed writer Moira Lang. It is set to premiere this March 8, 2024 at The Theatre at Solaire, the dazzling entertainment venue located at the heart of the luxury resort and casino.

Moira Lang has written a proudly feminist story
Originally conceived as a short video performance in 2022, LIMANG DAAN has been adapted into a full-length ballet by acclaimed writer, filmmaker and activist Moira Lang. The production follows a number of Filipinas throughout history and their shared experiences of pain, suffering, and transcendence. Lang, known for her socially relevant work and commentary on LGBT and feminist issues hopes that the show will start a dialogue on women’s issues and the Philippines’ complicated history. “Our people’s complicated relationship with national identity and the colonial mentality that persists to this day certainly informed the piece as I was writing it,” she shares. “But the bigger and more direct inspiration came from the lives of Filipino women who have suffered and transcended the oppressive, deadly, and very sex-negative tandem of religion and the patriarchy.”

Composers Erwin Romulo and Malek Lopez say that LIMANG DAAN’s music is unlike anything they’ve written before Erwin Romulo and Malek Lopez share that they were drawn into writing the original score of LIMANG DAAN because it gave them the chance to work with formidable women such as librettist Moira Lange, Ballet Philippines President Kathleen Liechtenstein, and Ballet Philippines Trustee Mercedes Zobel. They also say that their music for the production is unlike anything they’ve ever written before. “[It’s] utter chaos,” they shared in a joint statement. “[We] have orchestral arrangements, glitchy electronics, and Southeast Asian instruments. Anything goes really!” Romulo and Lopez have previously collaborated with Ballet Philippines in the past. They most recently worked with Gabriel Barredo in his production of Opera in 2016

Fashion designer JC Buendia has created the functional couture costumes
The designs of iconic Philippine fashion designer JC Buendia will be seen on stage as the costumes for LIMANG DAAN. Due to the ballet’s storyline, which spans roughly 500 years, Buendia thoroughly researched his designs. He had the daunting task to create period appropriate clothing, while keeping in mind the functionality for dancers. “I did my research on the look of the characters, but also kept in mind the mobility of the costumes,” he says. “Color and silhouette are important factors to consider in designing period clothing. Color defines the characters, while the silhouettes define eras, bringing the audience to time travel.” The results are stunning, with LIMANG DAAN’s costumes featuring the designer’s signature Filipino silhouettes in theatrical fabrics such as organdie and beaded tulle.