Ballet Manila wows audiences in United Kingdom

Ballet Manila, one of the the Philippines' foremost classical ballet institutions, wowed audiences in London in the United Kingdom for its special performance marking the 113th Philippine Independence Day. According to a news release of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the he Philippine Embassy in London "co-organized a highly-successful three-day performance of Ballet Manila's "East Meets West" at London's famed Shaw Theatre from June 30 to July 2." "Standing ovations were de rigeur at each of the troupe's performances," the DFA said. Earlier, Ballet Manila also performed in Belfast, Northern Ireland and in Dublin, Ireland. Led by artistic director and prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, the 30-member dance troupe presented classical, contemporary and Filipino ballet pieces to a varied audience. The Philippine Embassy in London invited British parliamentarians, officials of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the United Kingdom Trade and Investment agency, and members of the Diplomatic Corps in London. Speaking before the show, chargé d'affaires Reynaldo praised Macuja-Elizalde's "firm commitment to bring ballet to the people ... no doubt enchanting audiences for many years to come." He also underscored the continuing program of the Embassy to "open doors to new audiences in Britain for Filipino artistry and culture." - VVP, GMA News