MANILA, Philippines - Fusing folk dances and ballet in a two-hour, two-act production can be a tricky endeavor.

You usually end up with either a theater full of snoring guests, or wide-eyed polite ones who had no clue about what they just saw.

There were only a handful of the latter at the ambitious world premiere of Philippine Ballet Theater?s ?Darangen ni Bantugen? at the CCP Main Theater. The company earned rave after rave throughout the double-bill presentation.

?Bantugen? was recently named one of the ?masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity? by Unesco. PBT?s adaptation of the Maranao epic, as commissioned by the Filipino Heritage Festival for the National Heritage month, was a triumphant collaboration of unique music, creative sets, elaborate costumes and superb dancing.

Gener Caringal, master of balletic folk dances, set this epic in motion and banked on lavish visuals, a top-drawer cast and the illusions of magic. With assistant choreographer Ronilo Jaynario, the choreography exploited almost all the prop-wielding forms of expression of the South, including two kinds of fan dances and the familiar malong dance.

It was on the safe side, though. There was a lot more port de bras (arm movements) than bravura exhibitions?majority of which were shown only near the finale.

Complementing the dependable choreography were Salvador Bernal?s expansive-looking sets and colorful costumes. The National Artist for Theater Design generally used wood, canvas and steel to recreate the major scenes. While it bordered on being minimalist and modern (also known as budget-strained), it also allowed more spotlight on the sinuous female dancers in their elaborate and highly accentuated livery of chiffon, silk and satin.

Effective lighting by Jonjon Villareal Jr. added value and atmosphere to the set, costumes and the dancers? movements. In fact, the lead hero?s travels would not have been more effectively illustrated had it not been for the various shifts in colors and moods on stage.

Top cast

Jared Tan?s Prince Bantugen was agile and light. His verve and expressiveness instantly made him stand out, but it was apparent he still needed to work on his weak and sometimes ill-timed lifts in some pas de deux scenes.

In their supporting roles, seasoned dancers Abigail Tan, Katherine Trofeo and Joan Ayap seemed to have toned down their performances, yet the eloquence of their dancing was still apparent.

Tan flowed in her arabesques as the Diwata. Trofeo glided in her grand jetés as Princess Datimbang. Joan Ayap leapt gracefully in her sautés (jumps) as the Bird.

PBT ballet master Anatoly Panasyukov seems to enjoy his cameo roles in PBT productions. This time, as the soul-robbing Angel of Death, he got to do a very grand (and dangerous!) entrance via an airlift in an all-black, suit-and-cape ensemble.

Marvin Arizo?s Magali and Peter San Juan?s Mabaning were equal in size and strength. It was San Juan?s hip-shaking and cross-dressing in Act 2 that provided much of the comic relief in the production.

The rest of the cast and corps performances bordered on forgettable because of their lack of suitable facial expressions. The male and female corps de ballet also needed to move more in unison.

Nevertheless, their efforts in the clean tableaux poses in Act 1 and excellent canon movements in Act 2 were well-appreciated.

Pleasing sounds

Live music was performed by the Philippine Baranggay Folk Dance Troupe, interspersed with pre-recorded world music composed by Jesse Lucas.

As Lucas? third original ballet music for PBT, it was a bit dragging in some parts, but still very apt for the production.

Using native instruments, including the kulintang, diw-diw-as and dabakan, the music fused ethnic rhythms and percussions to highlight scene shifts?sounds that were very pleasing to the ears and an exotic treat especially to foreign audience members.

PBT?s ?Darangen ni Bantugen? will be restaged on June 9 at the SM Mall of Asia. Negotiations are ongoing for a road show in Luzon. The company?s 22nd season continues with ?Pamana? in September and ?Pang-alay? in November.

Both shows will showcase new Filipino masterpieces by PBT?s artistic council, and may include excerpts from select classical ballets on the company?s repertoire.