VIDEO: Agnes Locsin's ENCANTADA Receives Six-Minute Standing Ovation

Manila, Philippines--Bestowed by an enraptured audience with at least a six-minute standing ovation, National Artist for Dance Agnes Locsin's masterwork "Encantada," with music by Joey Ayala and story and lyrics by Al Santos, makes a much-deserved return to the stage at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater this weekend.

The Metropolitan Theater, Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), and The Carmen D. Locsin Foundation, featuring Georgette Sanchez-Vargas (Encantada), Kris-Belle Paclibar-Mamangun (Babaylan), Carissa Adea (Babaylan), the artists of the Professional Artist Support Program (PASP), and Alice Reyes Dance Philippines (ARDP), together with the School of Alice Reyes Dance Philippines, Guang Ming College, Philippine High School for the Arts, Academy One, and some independent performers, make this revival production of the much-acclaimed dance spectacle possible.

Its opening night on April 14 featured live Philippine folk-inspired music by Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad (Bayang Barrios, Onie Badiang, Tapati, Chong Tengasantos, Yan Bagay Cruz, and Jayson Dyandi), which was an added treat to the audience.

An intermix of Western classical ballet and Philippine tribal dances, which brought forth Locsin's signature dance style, the Philippine neo-ethnic choreography, "Encantada" held its world premiere in 1992 and was last seen on the CCP stage in 2011, which won 10 Gawad Buhay awards, including Best Modern Dance Production, Best Choreography, Best Musical Composition, Best Production, and Best Lighting Design.

Set during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines and inspired by the myths surrounding mountain goddesses Maria Makiling, Maria Sinukuan, and Maria Kakaw, "Encantada" touches on several main themes. Still, the most alarming is the destruction of nature, which the mountain goddess vows to protect. How man's greed for power, precarious faith, and oppression of women and nature, which man is deeply connected with, are told in "Encantada" in dance movements and sequences that are distinctively Filipino.

Its creative and production team includes National Artist for Theater Design Salvador Bernal, set and costume design; Eric Cruz, production consultant; Barbara Tan-Tiongco, technical director; John Neil Ilao Batalla, lighting design; Erlin Arcega, set supervisor; Loraine Macatangay, stage manager; Alden Lugnasin, restager; Annette Cruz-Mariano, restager, and Judel de Guzman-Sicam, restager.

Other members of the cast include Sarah Alejandro (Encantada), Ma. Celina Dofitas (Encantada), Ronelson Yadao (Estranghero), John Ababon (Estranghero), Richardson Yadao (Fraile), Lester Reguindin (Fraile and Sakristan), Tim Cabrera (Sakristan), and Ricmar Bayoneta (Sakristan).

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