Taking flight with “Ding, Ang Bato!”

In a mesmerizing production that goes beyond the average superhero tropes, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Arts and Culture Cluster’s dance musical Ding, Ang Bato! shines the spotlight on one of the country’s most famous fictional characters, Darna.

Set in the contemporary times, this creative retelling of the origin story of legendary Filipino artist Mars Ravelo’s iconic superheroine shifts its focus from Narda/Darna to the very source of her powers: the iconic mahiwagang bato, a magical stone. Told in the perspective of Narda’s younger brother, Ding—who is Deaf in this iteration, audiences are taken, not only through Narda’s transformation, but also of those who are close to them.

Rooting itself in Filipino heritage and culture, while audaciously tackling issues that plague the society, the show crafts a beautiful and compelling narrative that dances around an amalgam of themes ranging from socio-political issues to ideas that challenge our perceptions of our identity. With this, the show posits that power does not simply reside inside a magical stone or an anting-anting; not even in a single person. Furthermore, the show emboldens its audience to, cliché as it sounds, stand up for what is right and be true to one’s “loob” as explained by the show’s director Chris Millado.

“The Filipino’s loob or inner being empowers our imagination, that is empowered by our [shared] history, and empowers us when the time calls for it,” Millado explained during the show’s panel discussion at the gala performance last May 15 at the 5/F School of Design and Arts (SDA) Theater.

What started as just a simple restaging of the 2003 Ballet Philippines production, as Millado shared, has evolved into a rich collaboration between various disciplines in art and theater inside the College. The collaboration proved to be fruitful as evidenced by the show’s colorful staging of the country’s most popular Filipina superhero.

Incorporated in the production are shadow puppetry elements in the background scenes, which helped with the course of the narrative, while the mesmerizing lighting and projection design helped elevate the show’s storytelling such as simulating a slow motion action sequence, as well as highlighting the simple and stark set pieces on stage.

However, bringing the show on a different level are the performances of its main actors down to the ensemble and dancers. Performing Arts in Dance student Carlos Serrano III delivers a moving and emotional performance as Ding while Stacy Abarca, a Music Production student who plays Narda, provides a strong representation of the quintessential young woman who has that “busilak na puso.” Meanwhile, Lea Roque’s Tina, the alter-ego of the infamous Valentina, presents a sympathetic version of the villainess that adds to the layer of the character.

It is also noteworthy to mention the seamless inclusion of Filipino Sign Language to the show’s choreography and while each character delivers their respective lines. This actually works to the advantage of the production without distracting audiences with each motion.

Ding, Ang Bato! stages a mesmerizing production that immaculately presents a narrative that resonates beyond the usual superhero tropes from your Marvel and DC superhero films. Together with its stunning production design and top-notch performances, the show is a must watch for everyone out there, superhero fan or not.

The production will have last two shows today, May 21, at the SDA Theater with 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm shows.

Photos by Ricardo Yan