MANILA, Philippines - This December, ballet restagings of two well-loved children?s classics left the young in open-mouthed wonder, proving the timelessness of both productions: Ballet Philippines? (BP) ?Snow White? and Ballet Manila?s ?Pinocchio.?

The Grimm Brothers? fairytale was brought to life in a modern opus by Effie Nañas, owner of Effie Nañas DanCenter (formerly Effie Nañas School of Classical Ballet).

The steps and lifts are safe, but did not fail to showcase the dancers in the 16 shows BP mounted in just two weeks in the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater.

Carissa Adea glowed as dainty Snow White in the Disney-style blue-red-and-white dress. The 24-year-old was wonderfully arched and effortlessly threw out her grand jetés. She teetered for a bit while whipping out pirouettes during the wedding scene, but was able to recover quickly.

The audience held their breath in Adea?s romantic pas de deux with Angel Gabriel?s Prince Charming, who held such exacting fish dives but was a little unsteady in his solo divertissements.

Of the seven comical dwarfs who were natural favorites in heavy rubber masks, Naomi Tolome-Jaena?s naughty Dopey is the most delightful character. But all of their cartwheels and splits, especially during their head-bopping number, elicited applause from the audience.

Hilarious, too, were Patrick Rebullida?s obnoxious Queen and Ronelson Yadao?s fleeting Huntsman, while the unitard-clad corps de ballet (courtesy of Arturo Cruz) of birds, butterflies, dragonflies, bats, trees, muses and a makeshift horse did a fancy job of building the light-hearted atmosphere for its stars.

The Prince?s friends, led by Rhea Dumdum (CCP Dance School principal) and Biag Gaongen in white-and-gold tutus and livery, provided elegance (and stretched the wedding scene longer) to the show, last produced eight years ago.

Adding to the ?wow effect? of the fantasy show in its fourth restaging by Ramonette Victoria was the dwarfs? house that split open in the middle, as well as the gigantic mirror that was actually a mere screen which bore a big hole in the curtain.

Ballet Philippines caps its 38th season with ?Latin Heat,? March 14-16, 2008, at the CCP Little Theater.

?Pinocchio?

Now on its third staging, the much-applauded ?Pinocchio,? staged by Ballet Manila artistic associate Osias Barroso at the vast Aliw Theater, elicited excited squeals from children as young as 3 years old.

The ballet is short and sweet; fast-paced and full of ?happy steps??very much like Barroso, who, in an interview, said he was influenced by choreographer Tony Fabella.

After much applause at curtain call, the audience now clamors for a lengthened version that could show off BM?s precise dancers some more.

Alvin Santos is the perfect Pinocchio for this show. Flexible and armed with a ready smile, he seems very apt for the demanding choreography of jumps, splits and other contortions.

Sophia Sanco?s jittery and green-colored Jiminy Cricket supported Santos well, especially during the pantomime scenes, while Jonathan Janolo as Pinocchio?s father, Gepetto, provided the heart-warming moments. Marcus Tolentino?s Stromboli, who looked like a pot-bellied Captain Jack Sparrow, got appreciative laughter.

Zaira Cosico is the elegant Blue Fairy (in white tutu, go figure!) accompanied by equally graceful fairies who sent little girls in the audience buzzing with anticipation.

Francis Cascaño?s masked Fox and Sarah Abigail Cruz?s Cat were the funny, bottom-wiggling antagonists who lured Pinocchio away from school. But at times it was apparent they were concentrating more on the steps and a little less on expression.

The joy in children?s faces was most apparent, however, during the underwater scene in black light (design by Jaime Villanueva) that made the dancers? fluorescent costumes glow.

Bright jellyfish and other sea creatures gliding even from the sides of the theater mesmerized the audience. The giant whale of brown yielded thunderous applause.

BM?s program also featured another well-applauded Barroso creation, the seamless ?Sonata,? his first choreographic work since a spinal operation a year ago.

The ?ballerina?s Prince? used a lot of big adagio movements in this very lyrical and abstract ballet on love, molding pirouettes with every stroke of the violin and piano.

The stellar cast is led by ?ballerina of the people? Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and Rudy de Dios. They were equal in passion and emotion throughout the 45-minute performance.

And as De Dios gave Elizalde the slowest kiss, the audience was silenced, waiting with bated breath on what was about to happen.

Two demi-leads and several couples effectively framed the two lovers, clean and exact in a flurry of flowing steps. It seemed the audience was almost afraid to blink for fear of missing anything, most especially the final pose: six men carrying the horizontally reclined lovers.

Barroso said that part was actually from a 1984 creation by deceased mentor and acclaimed choreographer Eric Cruz, during which Barroso was just a beginner in ballet.

The rather ?heavy? piece premiered during ?Music, Trio, Magic,? a celebration of composer Edward Elgar?s 150th birth anniversary at the CCP Main Theater in November, where the ballet had live accompaniment from foreign artists, violinist Robert Atchison and pianist Olga Dudnik.

Ballet Manila will again perform ?Pinocchio? on Dec. 25 and 31. It will cap its 12th season with ?Le Corsaire? on Feb 15-24 at the Star Theater, CCP Complex.