Ballet Philippines, the country’s premier professional dance company, recently held a successful cultural tour of China from Aug. 17 to 27.
On Aug. 19, the group performed at the new Shanghai International Dance Center as part of the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for International Economic Relations (DFA-OUIER)’s cultural diplomacy project, an initiative of Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter Cayetano and OUIER head Asec. Leo Herrera-Lim.
This leg of the tour was organized by the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai headed by ConGen Wilfredo Cuyugan with valuable support from Liwayway (China) Co. Ltd., the Shanghai Public Diplomacy Association and Dai-Ichi Electronics.
In Beijing, Ballet Philippines performed at the Tianqiao Theater, home of the National Ballet of China (NBC), on Aug. 25 and 26 in fulfilment of the Executive Program of the Philippines-China Cultural Exchange Agreement under National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the China Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
In China, Ballet Philippines performed a collection of MasterPieces, including “Amada” and “Bingkod Suite” by National Artist for Dance and BP artistic director Alice Reyes, which won wild applause from the audience and praise from the dancers and staff of NBC, such that the latter have expressed intention to continue exchanges between the two dance companies.
This tour is part of the people-to-people exchange between the Philippines and China and is made possible by generous support from Philippine Airlines, the official carrier of Ballet Philippines, Tan Yan Kee Foundation, the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Tourism Promotions Board and Ito Curata couture.