MANILA, Philippines?Ballet Manila?s ?Halo-Halo Supreme? at Aliw Theater was a two-hour happy pill that left its audience feeling euphoric, even hours after the show.

This ?fiesta of Filipino ballets,? with its addicting fusion of ballroom, native and contemporary dance with classical ballet, was initially held in 2006 to celebrate artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde?s 20th anniversary as a Philippine-based ballerina. Now it has become an annual staple in the company?s seasons, usually serving as an avenue for artists and select guest choreographers to tap into more unconventional types of dances.

In this third installment of the whirlwind showcase, the message was clear: BM might be deeply entrenched in its classical Vaganova roots, but it has no difficulty trying out more inventive forms of dances.

Pop dance

It was especially expressed in Tony Fabella?s aptly titled ?Allegro,? which, at first, was reminiscent of ?Dancing to Czerny?, the seasoned choreographer?s ?Halo-halo? offering last year.

What started off as a classical number to Paul Hindemith?s music?11 of BM?s male dancers in white livery and white tights gliding across the stage with Macuja in white tutu and gold accents?was abruptly cut off by denim-clad company members through Kamikazee?s crazed remake of Apo Hiking Society?s ?Doo Bidoo.?

Adding to the pop-dance ruckus and filling the theater?s massive stage (as usual with Fabella?s signature ?cast of hundreds?) was BM School?s promising elementary-level scholars from select public schools.

Watching Macuja?who later joined them wearing a denim jacket and jeans herself?dance nonclassical steps surprisingly turned out to make her look as young as the rest of those on stage. She might have looked funny at some point (this writer had never seen her concentrate so hard on a series of steps), but it still looked like she was enjoying herself. She and the company were rewarded with appreciative applause.

?Dulce,? meanwhile, was a one-of-a-kind ballroom-to-ballet by guest choreographer Albert Dimarucut that portrayed the local way of celebrating friendship, courtship and marriage. Having had ample training with Brian Babon, the entire ?Dulce? cast (women in tassled mini-dresses and men in deep V-necked shirts) looked as though they would not be lost in a ?dansport? competition.

There were times, though, when too many steps were squeezed into a single beat. Risking the dancers? synched movements for more complicated ballroom routines, it looked as if they were hurrying after the music.

Alluring demi-soloist Sofia Sangco, who has apparently been winning local and international awards for ballroom, led the cast in this dance medley. Wearing scanty red-and-gold ballroom wear, Sangco expertly flicked, whipped and swayed while senior soloist Gerard Francisco confidently twirled her through cha-cha, samba, rhumba, tango, waltz and paso doble set to OPM hits.

The part where Francisco slowly pulled Sangco?s leg until she was in an audacious, burlesque-like split on the floor especially wowed the crowd.

Crowd favorite

Osias Barroso, BM?s artistic associate and ballet master, collaborated with Francisco once again for the crowd favorite, ?Pista.? A gigantic corps de ballet (student-scholars joined the company once again) took sides as taho and tinapay vendors as Francisco and company member Nazer Salgado vied for Macuja?s heart in this highly amusing and endearing spectacle.

Seamlessly inserted were balletic interpretations of folk dances including ?Tinikling,? ?Maglalatik,? ?Pandango sa ilaw? and ?Sayaw sa Bangko.? And everyone leaned to get a closer look at creative versions of traditional games like patintero, taguan, sabong and tumbang preso.

As Macuja wrote in the program notes, BM had the ?rare luxury? of performing to live accompaniment during ?Pista? as they jived to the playful and Celtic beats of famed world-music group Makiling (formerly Makiling Ensemble). The five-man band played familiar songs from their first two albums, ?Medyo Modern? and ?Patintero sa Ilalim ng Buwan,? as well as classic OPMs like ?Kahit Maputi Na ang Buhok Ko?.

Competition pieces

BM also showcased some of the award-winning pieces it had used in past local and international dance competitions and tours.

Nino Guevarra passionately reprised Francisco?s ?Bayani? while Macuja and demi-soloist Francis Cascaño briefly struggled through the knee-scraping ?Paunjalay? (another work by Francisco).

Dance couples Mylene Aggabao and Guevarra, Jennifer Olayvar and Jerome Espejo, and Czarina Villegas and Romeo Peralta alternated in ?Arachnida,? a sexy and sleek interpretation of spiders? mating act, by noted choreographer Agnes Locsin.

Ric Culalic?s ?Arnis,? performed on select dates, lacked its usual luster even as Peralta?s hip-grinding and forceful splits elicited wows from the audience. He was the lone survivor of its original (and more synchronized) cast.

Imaginative sets by Jonathan Janolo and elaborate light design by Jaime Villanueva completed the festive production.

Ballet Manila?s 13th season continues with ?The Naughty Daughter? on Oct. 3-11; ?Tatlong Kwento ni Lola Basyang? (world premiere), Dec. 5-14, and ?All Tchaikovsky Challenge,? from Feb. 13-22.