Jor-El Espina’s Beautiful Costumes for Ballet Philippines’ ‘Ang Panaginip’

Ballet Philippines closes its latest season with their upcoming performance of Ang Panaginip. The ballet, directed by Mikhail Martynyuk and scored by Glenn Aquias, includes a collaboration with designer Jor-El Espina for the creation of the unique costumes in the ballet. 

Ang Panaginip centers around seventeen princesses who discover a portal that leads them to an enchanted world. These princesses break from their royal routine to search for their heart’s desire, exploring different roles like being a doctor, an archeologist, or a ballet teacher to find their true calling within. 

“Ang Panaginip is an ode to the freedom of self-expression and the courage to follow your own path,” Kathleen Liechtenstein, President of Ballet Philippines, said. “It’s a story that inspires us to imagine a world where dreams have no limits and individuality takes center stage.”

Its fantastical storylines and traditional Filipino cultural cues make it a perfect vehicle for Jor-el Espina’s functional but evocative clothing designs. In a way, Espina saw ballet’s need to merge functionality and elegance as something that evokes his own ethos to fashion creation.

“Ballet resonates deeply with me as a designer,” he said. “It’s storytelling through movement, emotion, and music. The grace and precision of the ballet has inspired a pursuit of elegance and functionality in my creations.”

Tradition and Modern: The Jor-El Espina Method

Espina’s design engages with traditional Filipiana culture with a modernist flair, something that has earned him accolades across the board. But making costume designs for a ballet required a focus on sturdy designs that can endure the physicality and showmanship necessary for dance.

“My main considerations were movement, comfort, and durability. Ballet costumes must withstand rigorous physicality while maintaining their visual appeal,” Espina said.

His designs embody the colorful cultural history of the country. It utilizes indigenous compositions from the Cordillera region and the Maranao people among other places across the country. 

Espina chose to use local fabrics and accessories, sourcing them from the regions themselves to ensure accuracy and authenticity. The patterns and pairings maintain a fidelity to their origins, but the designer added his own modern twists to the material, giving it a sense of theatricality that works within the function of the ballet.

“Many of the local fabrics used were collected over the span of 20 years as a designer,” he said. “We combined various woven textiles with local patterns, beadwork, treatments and techniques. I was careful not to use sacred weaves and instead opted for local fabrics that can be utilized for everyday clothing or even home accessories.”

Finding Freedom in Functionality

As a showcase of all the cultures under the Filipino umbrella, Ang Panaginip gives viewers an idea of the wide breadth of our country’s richness and diversity. The work of Jor-el Espina embodies that spirit fully, all while crafting a reliably-strong and practical set of costumes that enhances the beauty of these elements. 

“The costumes are rich in texture, drapery, and Filipino-inspired details that can translate beautifully into wearable fashion,” he said. “I envision creating a ready-to-wear line that incorporates these elements, offering pieces that are theatrical yet suited for everyday life—a perfect bridge between stage and reality.”

Ang Panaginip will be showing at The Theater in Solaire from February 28 to March 2. Tickets are available at Ballet Philippines’ website and Ticketworld.

Photos provided by the organizers.

Related reading: Designer Jor-El Espina Opens New Studio, Shop in Makati

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