Ballet Manila’s Gerardo Francisco named as a TOYM awardee
Ibong Adarna has earned a number of honors for Ballet Manila and Geri himself as a choreographer. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Ballet Manila principal dancer and resident choreographer Gerardo Francisco Jr., 38, is among the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) named by the Junior Chamber International Philippines (JCI Philippines) for 2019. He is being honored for his achievements in Arts and Humanities in the field of Dance.
This year’s TOYM honorees come from such fields as the arts, medicine, agricultural science and journalism
A dancer, mentor and choreographer, Geri’s many achievements have influenced not just the dance community but the landscape of Philippine art in general. That moment when he first stepped on the stage to perform was not only the beginning of his career but the birth of his advocacy for Philippine dance as well.
As a principal dancer of Ballet Manila, he has motivated his contemporaries as well as a new generation of dancers with his consistent example of hard work, discipline and creativity.
As a choreographer, he has shown the richness of the Philippine culture in his works that are often drawn from the struggles of the past and the hopes of the future.
Presently in charge of Ballet Manila’s junior company, he mentors young artists, sharing with them the techniques that he learned from constantly performing. More importantly, he instills in them discipline and focus – tools vital to excel in the exacting art of ballet but also essential to become productive members of society.
Geri hails from Iloilo where he was a member of the acclaimed Dagyaw Theater and Dance Company. He joined Ballet Manila in 2004 as an apprentice and rose up the ranks to become a principal dancer and resident choreographer. He has represented the company in various international ballet competitions as a dancer and a choreographer. Several of his choreographic pieces have won awards such as OFW (Balikbayan), Muro-Ami and Ili-Ili.
Ballet Manila principal dancer and resident choreographer Gerardo Francisco Jr. is being recognized with the TOYM award for his achievements in Dance. Photo by Ocs Alvarez
In 2017, he created his first full-length ballet based on the Philippine literary epic Ibong Adarna. Ballet Manila brought it on a performance tour to Israel in 2018, the first Filipino full-length ballet to be staged internationally. Ibong Adarna has earned a number of honors for Ballet Manila and Geri himself as a choreographer.
Geri was nominated for the TOYM award by the JCI Parañaque Asinderas chapter with Atty. Joanne Marie Fabella as chapter president.
The TOYM award is given annually in recognition of the outstanding achievements of the nation’s youth that resulted in positive change for the country. It is considered among the most prestigious youth awards with a rich history dating back to 1960.
With the theme “Celebrating excellence. Inspiring Filipinos,” TOYM 2019 also includes the following honorees: Dr. Marc Paul Jose Lopez (Medicine – Colon and Rectal Surgery), Rep. Alfredo Paolo Dumlao Vargas III (Public Service), Engr. Aisa Alvarez Mijeno (Science Technology and Engineering – Green Technology), Glenn Fiel Fernandez, Phd. (Political and Social Sciences – Youth Participation in Disaster Risk Reduction), Ziaur-Rahman Alonto Adiong (Government Service), Reynaldo Seville Abellana (Arts and Humanities – Classical Music), Alfonso Tomas Araullo (Journalism and Mass Communication – Broadcast journalism), Casiano Hermopia Choresca Jr., Phd. (Agricultural Science – Fisheries and Agriculture), and Dino Carlo Reyes Chua (Business – Tourism).
The announcement was made on December 5 through the TOYM Facebook page. The awarding will be held on December 13.
