Chasing After Rama Hari

Three years in the making, the much-anticipated ballet performance is finally taking centre stage

- Tats Rejante Manahan

In the months leading up to March 2020, Ballet Philippines’ founder and National Artist for Dance Alice Reyes, along with the company of dancers, were well into rehearsals for the culminating performance of the season marking the Golden Anniversary of Ballet Philippines. Two years prior, the company’s President of the Board of Trustees, Margarita MoranFloirendo, had cajoled Reyes out of retirement in New York City, where she was enjoying the life of a satisfied chilled-out grandma, to lead the company through a two-year retrospective of the company’s original works. Together with Ryan Cayabyab, National Artist for Music, composer of the score for Rama Hari, Reyes had auditioned current musical theatre stars and pop singers to fill in the singing roles originated by OPM singing legends led by Basil Valdez and Kuh Ledesma. After April’s end that year, Cayabyab and Reyes were already in orchestra rehearsals with Cayabyab’s son, Toma, taking up his father’s baton.