Jor-El Espina brings style to ballet stage

Ang Panaginip costumes by Jor-El Espina —NASTASHA DE VILLA

It’s the dream.”

Ever since fashion designer Jor-El Espina started going to Ballet Philippines (BP) performances in 2019, he would fantasize about making the costumes for a ballet.

“It completes you as a designer when you do a costume for a performance. It’s a fantasy,” he told Lifestyle during a preview of the outfits for “Ang Panaginip,” a ballet adaptation of the fairy tale “12 Dancing Princesses.”

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

Jor-El Espina pose with the cast of Ballet Philippines Ang Panaginip wearing his costumes —PHOTOS BY NASTASHA DE VILLA, CONTRIBUTED

But instead of 12 princesses, the Filipino version will have 17 princesses representing the 17 regions of the Philippines. The neoclassical ballet will feature original music that is dreamy and romantic, she added.

For Liechtenstein, it was a no-brainer tapping Espina to create the costumes for the play, which would showcase weaves and looks from various parts of the country. And Espina was very excited to have a reason to use the local fabrics from his archives which he had been collecting for years.

Culturally accurate

He mixed fabrics and forms to come up with 17 different looks for the princesses and 12 for the princes. The costumes themselves tell a story.

“The fabrics are culturally accurate, but we designed them into contemporary costumes,” he said. Since it’s a ballet, he had to make minimal changes to some silhouettes so the dancers could move freely without compromising the style and the look of the costume. He also had to mix local handwoven fabrics with commercial textiles with different patterns, as well as fabrics that are flowy.

While the fabrics were culturally appropriate, the designs had to be adjusted minimally to allow for movement and flow.

The costumes feature beadwork, embroidery, pleating, and lots of layers. But why put in so much detail in clothes that are supposed to be viewed from afar?

Espina explained that he wanted the costumes to be something the prestigious ballet company could use over and over again, perhaps during their European tour in September or when they represent the country in the Osaka Expo for six months.

Instead of 12 princesses, the BP adaptation will include 17 princesses to represent each region of the country.

“My name attached to it is something that I am very proud of,” said Espina, adding that the project coincides with the start of his 20th anniversary celebration.

Besides, he said, “this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me as a designer to create this. So why not go all out if I can?”

BP’s season finale goes onstage at The Theatre at Solaire Feb. 28, 8 p.m.; March 1, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and March 2, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are available at ballet.ph and Ticketworld.