Adea sisters topbill Ballet Philippines’ "Coppelia"

Ballet Philippines (BP) is scheduled to present Coppélia, a classical ballet piece from the 19th century. The dance company last performed it full-length in 1986, then under former artistic director Alice Reyes. Sisters Carissa and Candice Adea will topbill Alan Hineline's Coppelia, which will run from December 11-14 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo).

Premiering in Paris, France in 1870, Coppélia is a three-act sentimental comic ballet originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon, with a ballet libretto by Saint-Léon and Charles Nuitter, and music by Léo Delibes. Originally subtitled "the girl with enamelled eyes," Coppélia was based on Der Sandmann (The Sandman). This is E.T.A. Hoffman's macabre story published in 1815 about the mysterious toymaker Doctor Coppélius, who wants to bring to life his sinister doll creations, particularly his most prized possession, the life-size dancing doll, Coppélia.

The ballet, more light-hearted than the gothic inspiration, follows the story of Swanilda, daughter of the burgomaster, who is about to marry Franz the following day, but is infatuated with Coppélia, which he didn't know was just a doll. When Swanilda finds Doctor Coppélius' key, she breaks into his mysterious house, where she only discovers the spooky automatons the doctor created, but also finds out that Coppélia is just a mechanical doll. Swanilda's break-in is interrupted by the return of Doctor Coppélius. And trapped in his alcove, she dresses up as Coppélia, pretending to come to life to subsequently teach Franz the follies of his ways, and Doctor Coppélius the errors of his.

The production of Alan Hineline, who, with Max Luna III, serves as BP co-artistic director, intends to "return BP to its classical roots."

"BP hasn't done [classical pieces] for a while now. We wanted to bring back fully classical ballet in the Philippines, and Coppélia is good as a start," said Hineline. "Filipinos love a story, and with Coppélia, the classical piece dubbed as the last ballet of the Romantic era, considered as the precursor of modern ballet, this is what we intend to draw them in."

Together, the Adea sisters have been performing as company members of BP for nine years--five for Carissa and four for Candice. Throughout those nine years, however, "the focus had always been [on non-classical] ballet pieces. So Alan Hineline's Coppelia is, in most ways, a first for us," Carissa points out.

It is the first full-length piece for Candice to lead, for example, since "I've had lead dance roles before, but (in the more immediate past, BP's productions were limited to short productions and excerpts), so that this is the first time I'll take the lead of a full length ballet piece," she said. "This is very challenging, especially since Alan Hineline's Coppelia is not just classical per se. There's also acting involved, so it's definitely more challenging."

For Hineline and Luna, the goal in planning the BP repertory, which includes Alan Hineline's Coppelia, was "not just to entertain the Filipino people, but also to educate the BP dancers. And not having done classical [pieces] for a while, Coppélia is a good entry for the dancers, too. This is important because Coppélia does not only demand from the dancers the full use of classical ballet techniques, but, as a comedy, also their comedic acting skills." The BP dancers, nonetheless, "rose up to the challenge presented them."

For BP, the other leads are Katherine Trofeo, the Adea sisters as Swanildas, Jayson Pescasio and JM Cordero as Franz.

Although the Adea sisters admit feeling some pressure to do extremely well, there's comfort in having Hineline "provide guidance--you get this chance to do what you usually don't do before), and do the same with the guidance of doing it the right way," Carissa said. "[Hineline] inspires when he teaches them. In ballet, what you have, that's what you show, nothing else. With (Hineline), you are inspired to push your limits; as he doesn't give up on you, you are (pushed) to grow to your full potential."

With Alan Hineline's Coppelia, BP will also perform for the first time in 20 years with the Manila Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Jeffrey Solares, an important factor since "the success of Coppélia is linked to Léo Delibes' soaring melodic score," Hineline said. "There are aspects that are there when performances are done live, when the music used is not taped. There's that interplay with the performers, and the audiences. [Performing with MSO] is a very special opportunity is a wonderful holiday gift for our audiences and our dancers alike."

SISTER ACT. Now still only 24 and 21, Carissa and Candice, respectively, are already carving a name in the field they chose to go into: dancing--thanks to Carissa's somewhat accidental discovery of ballet. When she was three years old, their mother took Carissa to her regular aerobic classes, "but I was way too small then to be mingling with [the aerobics attendees], so the secretary of the venue [where the aerobics classes were held] recommended I joined the ballet classes, instead. "When told of this, I remember asking if ballet was the activity that involved water, mistaking it for dancing; and I was told that, yes, it is, so I danced."

Still not finding that body of water she thought she'd find in learning ballet, the dance has nonetheless, in Carissa's words: "become an important part of my life, of our lives."

And much like Swanilda's envy of Coppelia, "I started ballet when I was four years old, mainly because my older sister was doing it," said Candice.

Both eventually ended attending BP's summer workshops, with Candice ending up as a student of the National Arts School in Mount Makiling in the Province of Laguna.

In 2003, Carissa became a BP company member while Candice joined a year after.

In Alan Hineline's Coppelia, Clarissa, the more playful of the two, wants to add "Filipino touches to the character of Swanilda." She observes that Filipinos, in general, "can be pilyo (mischievous)--a mischief that Swanilda has in her, so I'd like to play on that. This, I believe, is a good way to make her character relatable to Filipinos in the Philippines."

Candice believes that in performing Coppelia, they bring "Filipino-ness in the characters and this is actually good." When she performed a scene in Coppelia at the 9th New York International Ballet Competition in the U.S., she made it to the semifinals because of "a more heartfelt performance."

"I was told that (Filipino performers) are more natural, thereby more genuine when they wear their emotions on their sleeves. So, what you see, you feel," she said. "We hope to do the same in Alan Hineline's Coppelia."

Alan Hineline's Coppelia will be set designed by Mio Infante, with the costumes by Eric Pineda, and lighting design by Katsch Catoy.