Rehearsal for ‘Diyosa’ (Photo by Alonzo Domingo)
It isn’t every day that you see an architect conceptualizing a ballet. Stationary, structural art with an art form based entirely on movement—they couldn’t be more different from each other. Yet somehow Carlo Calma seems to find that he can marry the two seamlessly. What comes of his artistry is a mesmerizing fusion of the two art forms.
When I first met him, Carlo Calma was excited to show his work. Iced coffee in hand, he was overseeing the rehearsals of his upcoming production with Ballet Philippines, Diyosa.
“What you’ll see is an amalgamation of art, architecture, fashion design, and the power of dance,” he described Diyosa, his collaboration with Ballet Philippines. And an amalgamation it certainly was, as he gave me a sneak peek into some of the props and apparatuses to be used onstage. Taking inspiration from Filipino culture, pre-colonial mythology, and whatever else he finds he can absorb from his life experiences, he had much to show.
The more I spoke with him about his creative process, the more I could envision his mind functioning like the root of the tree. He starts by taking a simple word or concept to create “parallelisms, abstracts, and distillations” of whatever he takes inspiration from. He studies his subject and observes everything about it, taking one thing from it and expanding it without limitations. He speaks about his concepts like there is nothing that can’t be connected in some way, somehow—almost as if he refuses to be held back by conventional logic, seeking to push the boundaries in every project he runs.
“Diyosa creates a whole new dimension to architecture and dance.”
He refuses to be held back by conventional logic, seeking to push the boundaries in every project he runs
While Calma doesn’t seem to let conventional parallels hold him back, it isn’t accurate to say that he has no logic, but rather that his logic defies convention. He deliberately picks what captivates him during his observations and finds a way to apply it to his work. He takes from the mythology of gods and goddesses of pre-colonial Philippines and melds it into “avatar-like simplifications of their personas.”
But then he takes it further and adds the element of dreams and talks of structuring his work beyond a beginning, climax, and end. “There are five acts, 12 episodes… structured like the stages in dreams.” He notes that the ballet also incorporates physical apparatuses on stage and soft sculptures in lieu of traditional ballet costuming—all conceptualized by him. Using “sculptures” instead of costumes, he stresses the fact that the pieces that move with the dancers’ bodies are art pieces in themselves. And with apparatuses instead of set pieces, the works take on a life of their own and become more than props. They add dimension to the production.
Another noteworthy detail is that many of the essential materials in Diyosa were repurposed and recycled for the production. The soft sculptures on the bodies of the dancers were made of recycled material and PET bottles, which prove how the architect imbues his work with activism. He takes a stand for the environment. He has a deep love and passion for nature, based on many of the elements he places onstage.
The blending of all these seemingly separate elements lends to the themes of Diyosa. That at the center of it all, beyond the fantasy, the mythos, and the humor, is a story of nature and the need to conserve the environment. Artistic director is Mikhail Martynyuk.
Calma is a multi-faceted creative with a child-like wonder and curiosity for everything around him. He is friendly, making sure people don’t feel left out, and calling in everyone to talk to him about the production. His charismatic energy is inviting, and his creative process is deep and inquisitive. There is a lot to discern in his work, which looks simple at first glance. His ability to push and synthesize that which he has observed is admirable, and the way he is able to do it all from architecture to ballet production is a testament to his acuity.
Credit: Video by Alonzo Domingo
Diyosa will premiere on April 14, Friday, at The Theatre at Solaire, and will run until April 16, Sunday.
