Alice Reyes

She is best known for "Bungkos Suite", "Carmen", "Carmina Burana", "Romeo and Juliet", "Rama Hari", "Cinderella", "Amada", "Itim-Asu", and "Tales of the Manuvu"—all nuanced with Filipino culture, gesture and grace.

At a very young age, Reyes took up lessons in classical ballet under Rosalia Merino while studying at Maryknoll College where she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Foreign Services.

[6] After Reyes left, Ballet Philippines went through a string of artistic directors, most notably Paul Alexander Morales, who served for more than 8 years, and Alan Hineline, a choreographer and dancer who was born in Franklin, Ohio but is now based in New York.

In 2017, Reyes was brought back on as the artistic director of Ballet Philippines (BP), just in time for the company’s 50th year anniversary.

On February 6, 2020 the board of trustees of BP concluded a months-long search for a new artistic director and decided to go with renowned Russian ballet dancer Mikhail "Misha" Martynyuk.

Reyes insists that she does not personally use social media so all views related to the topic expressed online have only been relayed to her through other mediums.

[8] When the pandemic hit in 2020, National Artist for Dance Alice Reyes was preparing for the restaging of “Rama, Hari” in March when the lockdown was enforced.

We also worked on new choreographies, which were then streamed online by the CCP to all the regions in the country and beyond.” Protocol was put in place, and only so many dancers could be in the class at any given time.

Temperatures were taken, masks required, distances kept, and constant disinfecting, sanitizing of floors, barres and furniture done at regular intervals.

“Friends and other dancers lined up to sit at the three communal tables, chairs at proper distances.” More pandemic episodes: “This kept me busy, surrounded by all that youthful energy.

Because we took all precautions, we all stayed healthy and active, though totally aware of and commiserating with the many lives lost, the numerous jobs gone, and businesses closing down.” When the CCP opened its doors two years later (only to close again for a three-year renovation), her group was able to continue with an expanded Professional Artists Support Program (PASP) designed to give grants to displaced dancers from all professional dance companies.

A part of the CCP’s Professional Artist Support Program (PASP), the company, along with regional participants under their tutelage, created educational content and new choreographic works, including Erl Sorilla’s “Ghostlight” (2020), Ronelson Yadao’s “Ang Kabaligtaran ng Gunaw” (2021), “Tuloy ang Pasko” (2020) in collaboration with National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, and “Visayan Suite of Dances” (2022) with a grant from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

The company also premieres a brand new work for Children’s Theater, Erl Sorilla’s MGA KWENTO NI JUAN TAMAD and caps off the year with a National Tour of ARDP’s acclaimed Filipino Christmas Classic, PUSO NG PASKO.