Student-dancers at Shirley Halili’s The Halili Cruz School of Ballet have been applauded wildly recently at their performances at the Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT) in Resorts World, Meralco Theater, and even in Heng Shui in China.
Founder and Artistic Director, Shirley Halili Cruz and Associate Artistic Directors Grace Perez and Anna Halili Cruz Bueno who conceptualized all the shows and the concerts can’t any less happier with their students achievements.
“Diversiferia” and “Dance Divertissement” at NPAT showcased the versatility of more than 500 Halili Cruz ballerinas in varied choreography. They did classical ballet, neo classical, lyrical, tap, jazz, contemporary and hip hop.
The concert was part of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Quezon City Balle, also known as the Halili Cruz Dance Company.
Until Sept. 4, 114 Halili Cruz dancers are in Singapore. From there, they travel to Scotland and Morocco and in October to Los Angeles in California and Turkey in November.
Congratulations to the Halili Dance Company.
Tribute to National Artist Lucrecia Kasilag
To mark the 100th birth anniversary of National Artist for Music Lucrecia Kasilag, the art advocacy program Art 2 Art has prepared a tribute episode airing on Sept. 2 on DZRH and RHTV.
“Tita King,” as she was popularly called, would have turned 100 on Aug. 31. With an artistic career that spanned seven decades, Dr. Kasilag was a world-class music educator, composer, performing artist, administrator, and cultural entrepreneur who was admired and honored in the Philippines and abroad.
Serving as resource persons are Kasilag’s nephew, Jobert Ochoa, and classical pianist Jonathan Arevalo Coo, the latter a Kasilag specialist who was entrusted with the late artist’s piano and chamber music.
The two guests share anecdotes about Tita King as a beloved aunt and as an esteemed colleague.
Produced by the Manila Broadcasting Company and hosted by “Ballerina ng Bayan” Lisa Macuja, Art 2 Art airs every Sunday, 3:30 to 4:00 p.m., on radio via DZRH (666 khz on the AM band), on cable television via RHTV (Ch. 129 on Skycable in Metro Manila, Ch. 18 on Cignal TV and Ch. 3 on Cablelink) and live streaming on http://dzrhnews television.tv. The show may also be viewed via the Facebook account DZRH News Television.
On Sept. 9, Art 2 Art honors the late Kapampangan artist Perfecto Mercado who, though unschooled in the arts, produced a rich body of work known as “dreamscapes” and described as having a mature style, deep intent, and technical mastery. Biographer Gari Apolonio and Mercado’s son, Arnold, share details about the regional artist’s creative process and about a recently launched book on his life and art and an ongoing retrospective exhibit of his works.
‘Santa Nena!’ competes in Iraq
An award-winning short film from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) School of Design and Arts (SDA) has been officially selected to compete at the 3rd Slemani International Film Festival in Iraq from Oct. 10 to 16.
Tim Rone Villanueva‘s Santa Nena! follows fellow Benildean filmmaker Shallah Montero’s Papa’s Shadows, which represented the Philippines at the Slemani IFF’s international short film category last year.
Santa Nena! tells the story of a miraculous patron saint (Elora Españo in the titular role) who springs to life at night. One day, while talking to her friend, an angel (Jelson Bay), she received a message from God. She has to be the child-bearer for the second coming of the Messiah on earth with Manuel (Ross Pesigan), “the boy with the golden balls.” Fellow thespians Mailes Kanapi, Rolando Inocencio and Martha Comia play supporting characters.
Villanueva, who hails from Kawit, Cavite, said he was inspired by Santa Maria Magdalena of Kawit Church, or more popularly known as Santa Nena to Kawiteños, in coming up with the short film. Advocacy filmmaker and Benilde Film mentor Seymour Sanchez served as creative producer of the capstone project.
“In Philippine culture, having devotion to a saint or patron is a huge part of it. Most people believe in the miracles of different patrons of the church to accommodate their request. But what if the situation turns around and saints were to ask people a favor? Will the people grant a saint’s request? This film challenges what happens if you reverse the situation of men and saints,” the young filmmaker explained.
The black comedy earlier won several accolades such as Best Short Film (Student Category), CineFilipino Film Festival 2018; Best Director and Best Production Design (Student Category), Pelikultura 2018: The CALABARZON Film Festival; Honorable Mention (Short Feature Category), 29th Gawad CCP Independent Film and Video Festival; Gold Picture Prize, Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Performance for Españo and Technical Excellence awards (Maningning Category), CineSB7 Film Festival; Best Narrative Short Film, Best Director, Best Script and Best Actor for Pesigan, Ateneo Video Open 2017; and Best Narrative, Best Performance and Best Production Design (Intercollegiate Category), Sinepiyu XI.
Santa Nena! was also screened on July 5 at the DLS-CSB SDA Cinema as part of the One La Salle Film Festival. Last year, it figured prominently in two film events in Mindanao — competing at the Philippine shorts competition of the fifth Salamindanaw Asian Film Festival in General Santos City and being part of the official selection of Cinema Rehiyon 9 in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley.
Villanueva’s capstone project under the Digital Filmmaking program will slug it out with 19 other similarly notable short films from Afghanistan, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Estonia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Lebanon, Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, Spain and Turkey.