Dancing as Sleeping Beauty keeps Pia Dames wide awake and on her toes
Jasmine Pia Dames is ably partnered by fellow principal dancer Romeo Peralta who, she says, is already familiar with her center and knows how to turn her body. Video by Giselle P. Kasilag
By Jv Ramos
Though Ballet Manila principal dancer Jasmine Pia Dames has seen many versions of Sleeping Beauty, it is still the first adaptation she encountered – the 1959 Disney animated film – that holds a special place in her heart.
"Noong three or four pa lang kasi kami ni Pearl [her twin sister], naaalala ko na nilalagyan kami ng tuwalya ni Daddy at isa-isa kaming sinasayaw sa kuwarto habang pinapanood namin ang Sleeping Beauty," she reminisces. (When my twin sister Pearl and I were about three or four, I remember that Daddy would wrap a towel around us and he would dance with each of us as we watched Sleeping Beauty.)
"Hindi ko makalimutan ang childhood moment na iyon. Hanggang ngayon nga, alam ko pa rin ang music na ginamit ng Disney, at pati na rin ang feeling na sinasayaw ako na parang isang prinsesa." (I can’t forget that childhood moment. Until today, I know very well the music Disney used, and that feeling of dancing like a princess.)
Stepping into Princess Aurora’s shoes in Sleeping Beauty has been quite challenging for Jasmine Pia Dames. It is her first lead role as a principal dancer of Ballet Manila. Photo by Jimmy Villanueva
It's because of this fond memory that Pia considers being cast as Princess Aurora in Lisa Macuja-Elizalde's Sleeping Beauty a dream come true. She, however, is quick to voice out, "Pero kahit ginusto kong maging prinsesa, ang role na ito ay hindi naging madali para sa akin." (But even if I wished to portray a princess, working on this role has not been that easy for me.)
Accustomed to portraying characters doing swift and daring movements, the ballerina explains that princess roles or lyrical pieces don't come naturally to her. "Pang-bravura ang dancing style ko talaga or mga roles na attack, attack, attack! Hindi ganyan ang Sleeping Beauty. Very heavy on classical technique ito. Dito, kailangan perfect ang bawat position na gagawin mo." (My dancing style is naturally bravura and I'm more used to roles wherein I execute one movement after another. Sleeping Beauty isn't like that at all. It's heavy on classical technique. It demands that you execute every ballet position well.)
Pia paints a picture of how difficult it was to prepare for her first major role as a principal of the company. "Noong mga unang rehearsals, naglalakad pa lang ako nang papasok, pinapatigil na nina Ma'am Lise [BM artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde] at Sir Shaz [BM co-artistic director Osias Barroso] ang music. Kailangan kasi nila i-correct ang paglakad ko dahil hindi ito katulad sa lakad ng classical Russian ballerina." (During our first rehearsals, Ma'am Lisa and Sir “Shaz” would stop the music as soon as I entered. It’s because they had to correct my walk, as it's not how a Russian classical ballerina would do it.)
More corrections from the artistic directors poured in as rehearsals continued, making Pia wonder if she could really make a good Princess Aurora in time for the premiere of Sleeping Beauty on January 18.
“Madugo noong una pero nakayanan naman. Ready naman ako,” she declares. (It was an excruciating process but I was able to do it. I’m ready to dance.)
So how was she able to conquer this lyrical ballet? She answers that studying old videos of Russian classical ballerinas really helped her. "Si Sir Shaz mismo ang nag-se-send ng mga videos sa akin at pinapanood ko ito para makabisado ko kung paano sila gumalaw, at pati na rin ang details na kailangan kong magawa. Maraming details kasi ang mga lyrical ballets." (Sir Shaz himself was the one who was sending me the videos, and I'd watch them to absorb the technique and to take note of all the details I have to execute. When it comes to lyrical ballets, there are a lot of details you have to take note of.)
From bravura to lyrical: Used to dancing fast-paced roles such as Kitri in Don Quixote (left), Pia goes out of her comfort zone to take on Princess Aurora. Photos by Ocs Alvarez and Jojit Lorenzo
Pia also expresses that being with a good cast of dancers has helped her immensely. "Mahirap din ang partnering sa Sleeping Beauty. Pero dahil si Romeo [Peralta, Ballet Manila principal dancer] ang partner ko, mas naging okay ang process. Dahil matagal na kaming nagpa-partner, alam na ni Romeo ang center ko at pati paano akong paikutin! Nakakatulong din ang maturity niya as a danseur." (The partnering in Sleeping Beauty is also very difficult. But because Romeo is my partner, the process became smoother. Romeo and I are used to dancing together. He's familiar with my center and knows how to turn my body. His maturity as a danseur also helps.)
She likewise commends company artist Emma Harris who plays the iconic villain Maleficent in the fairytale ballet. "Ang galing ni Emma sa characterization. Siya ang type ng ballerina na kayang maging evil queen at maging isang prinsesa. Bilang Maleficent, nakakatakot po talaga siya, at nakakatulong ito sa acting naming lahat." (Emma is very good at characterization. She's the type of ballerina who can play an evil queen and be a princess as well. As Maleficent, she's really scary, and this helps us all with our acting.)
Pia shares that dancing Princess Aurora is a challenge from the minute the curtains open until the finale. "Dahil bravura dancer nga ako, madali po sa akin ang mabibilis na sayaw. Pero iba ang entrance number ng Sleeping Beauty. Ang bilis ng music, so pati ang mga classical movements ay mabilis.” (Because I’m a bravura dancer, it’s very easy for me to attack fast-paced pieces. The entrance of Sleeping Beauty is very different though. The music is so fast that you’d have to execute classical movements swiftly.) She conveys that one can get very exhausted just by dancing the entrance part.
Emma Harris may be the villain Maleficent to Pia’s Princess Aurora, but offstage, the two ballerinas like joking around with each other. Photo by Jimmy Villanueva
Much like the beginning, the ending demands hard work from this protagonist. Pia observes that one of the major differences of the Sleeping Beauty she’ll be dancing is that it requires the princess to do a series of whipped turns or fouettés. “Marami na po akong napanood na Sleeping Beauty ballets, at wala kang makikitang fouettés doon. Lalong-lalo na siguro sa ending! Imagine n’yo na lang, pagod na pagod na si Aurora sa mga sinayaw nila, pero marami pa siyang fouettés na kailangang gawin sa ending." (I’ve seen many versions of the Sleeping Beauty ballet, and none of these involve fouettés. Especially towards the end of the ballet! Just imagine, Aurora is already exhausted from all the dancing in the previous scenes, but she still has to execute a lot of fouettés at the ending.)
Despite the challenges of having to dance outside of her comfort zone and building her stamina for this intense ballet, Pia’s excitement to portray Princess Aurora outweighs all her hardships and worries.
“Na-e-enjoy ko po kasi ang process talaga! Totoo, mahirap itong sayawin, pero sobrang masaya ako ‘pag sumasayaw ako as Aurora. Very excited na po akong i-share ang Sleeping Beauty na ito sa lahat,” she enthuses. (I’m really enjoying the process. Indeed, this ballet is very difficult, but dancing Aurora just gives me so much joy. I’m very excited for everyone to see this version of Sleeping Beauty.)
