International ballet stars showcase a mesmerizing Swan Lake for Ballet Manila’s Pearl Year

Time and experience shape dancers into artists, and for Katherine Barkman, San Francisco Ballet’s First Soloist, her homecoming to Ballet Manila is both a tribute to her roots and a testament to her growth. Returning to the stage where her professional journey began, she takes on the challenging dual role of Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, alongside one of the ballet world’s most celebrated names: Esteban Hernández, principal dancer of San Francisco Ballet.

More than just a guest artist—Esteban Hernández is a phenomenon. A trailblazer from Guadalajara, Mexico, Esteban trained at The Royal Ballet School and rose to global acclaim for his technical brilliance and expressive storytelling. As a principal dancer of the San Francisco Ballet, he has captivated audiences worldwide. Filipino audiences first witnessed his charm and virtuosity as Basilio in Don Quixote 2023. Now, he returns in a role of royal gravitas—as Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake.

“Esteban is the complete package,” says Ballet Manila’s CEO and artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde. “Last year, his performance as Basilio was simply perfect. But Siegfried is a very different character—elegant, noble, restrained. He has been a principal dancer for quite some time now, so his depth of experience, technique, and artistry will work all very well for him as Prince Siegfried.” She adds, “Esteban and Katherine have already danced Swan Lake together, so I think that they will, as a principal couple, be very effective in their roles.”

For Katherine, this return is deeply personal. Once a principal dancer of Ballet Manila, she trained under Macuja Elizalde for over three years before joining The Washington Ballet and later the San Francisco Ballet. Now taking on Swan Lake’s duality with deeper insight, she reflects: “With experience comes more fearlessness. I take more risks—I would rather my dancing be exciting to watch than safe and predictable.”

A former principal dancer of Ballet Manila, Katherine trained under the guidance of Lisa Macuja Elizalde herself for over three years, before moving to Washington Ballet, and eventually, San Francisco Ballet.

Now back to where her professional ballet career began, Katherine reflects on her growth as she embodies the dual role of Odette (White Swan) and Odile (Black Swan): “I feel like my approach to the characters has shifted the most,” recounts Katherine. “With experience comes more of a fearlessness. I take more risks – I don’t worry so much if it’s perfect or not. I would rather my dancing be exciting to watch than safe and predictable.”

While Katherine has already previously worked with Esteban, sharing the same stage together once again, this time for Ballet Manila, is a special moment for her. She shares, “Esteban is an amazing partner and someone I just love working with. It’s rare to dance with someone who challenges and encourages you in such an honest way. I was happy Ballet Manila got to experience his Don Quixote  – but I’m just so excited I can be here this time and share Swan Lake together.”

With her strong foundation from Ballet Manila, Katherine approaches the demanding dual role with deep awareness, relying on her technique to convey the proper emotions for each character. “If there’s one thing I truly believe, it is that technique is to be used to express emotion. Every step should say something.”

For Lisa Macuja Elizalde, having played the role of Odette and Odile during her prima ballerina days gives her full awareness of how intricate it is to mount a full-length Swan Lake. “It is a very Russian ballet, so the dancing needs to be technically strong and artistically sound. But our dance company practices the unique Vaganova training, so the over-all strength of the legs and backs of the dancers are developed by the technique, allowing the dancers to hold poses well, jump high and turn fast. This is ingrained and practiced with the dancers in daily class and translates into everyone, especially the swan corps de ballet, moving as one onstage.” 

On Ballet Manila’s Pearl Year, Macuja made sure to pull all the stops to cast two pairs of powerful main leads. Aside from Katherine and Esteban, audiences will see another take on the main characters with Ballet Manila’s principal dancer Abigail Oliveiro portraying Odette and Odile and San Francisco Ballet’s company artist Nathaniel Remez playing Prince Seigfried.

She also looks forward to the chemistry of Abigail and Nathaniel, adding “What I am also excited about is Nathaniel’s impending partnership with Abi. She will learn and grow so much in her interpretation of Swan lake when she explores the choreography with a new partner like Nathaniel who, height wise, is perfect for her.”

Catch all performances from Katherine Barkman and Esteban Hernandez on May 30, 2025 at 8PM, May 31, 2025 at 5PM, and June 1, 2025 at 5PM, and matinee performances with Abigail Oliveiro and Nathaniel Remez on May 31, 2025 and June 1, 2025 at 1PM.

All performances will be staged at Aliw Theater, Pasay City. For tickets, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.To learn more about Ballet Manila and its shows, visit www.balletmanila.com.ph