Hard work pays off for newly promoted soloist John Ralp Balagot
At curtain call of Ballet Manila's season-endead, John Balagot got the shock of his life when his promotion to soloist was announced by co-artistic director Osias Barroso.
By Susan A. De Guzman
As Atheos, the leader of the underworld in Rudy de Dios’ Carmina Burana, John Ralp Balagot was menacing. Carried on the shoulders of his minions, he exuded hostility as he battled with King Solom, the guardian Spero and the divine being Agape. His movements and his mode reflected nothing but aggressiveness and antagonism.
So it came as a big surprise to the audience when this villain-to-the-hilt broke down in unabashed tears not an hour after his powerful performance. In real life, it seems, John is a softie at heart. And he was, after all, just reacting to a piece of momentous news – being promoted from Ballet Manila company artist to soloist.
For the shy and reserved John Ralp Balagot, hard work and a string of solid performances have earned him a promotion from Ballet Manila company artist to soloist. Photo by Jimmy Villanueva
John was obviously in shock when Ballet Manila co-artistic director Osias Barroso made the announcement on stage during curtain call, shortly after the company’s twinbill season-ender of Carmina Burana and La Traviata ended its second show last March 8. Artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde had to call him again to go to the front and take a bow.
“Super super shocked po ako sa pangyayari. It was so unexpected that it was my name that Sir Shaz called. Speechless talaga ako. Until sa backstage, sa dressing room, at saka sa bahay – I couldn’t believe it,” John recalls in an e-mail interview while on enhanced community quarantine.
John thought that the artistic directors would just deliver an inspirational message to the company since they had just finished their 24th season – a particularly challenging one brought on by the fire that hit Ballet Manila’s performance theaters, Star and Aliw.
That surreal feeling continued even days after, confesses John. “Until two to three days, hindi pa rin nag-sink in,” he laughs, although quickly stresses how happy and blessed he is with the promotion. “Wala talaga akong ka-alam-alam na mapo-promote po ako. Ang hangad ko lang po kasi ay ma-renew ako sa company at meron pa po akong years para sumayaw sa Ballet Manila para mapakita ko pa ‘yung performance ko as an artist.” (It still didn’t sink in until two to three days later. I really had no clue that I would be promoted. Because my only wish was for my contract with the company to be renewed and that I would still have more years to dance with Ballet Manila so that I could show my performance as an artist.)
On Facebook, John received a deluge of congratulatory messages and encouraging words each of which, he says, he appreciates. But expectedly, it was his family based in Cagayan de Oro that he shared the good news with first, followed by his friends in his hometown. All of them, to his mind, have contributed to his achievement as they have supported him throughout his career.
As the evil Atheos in Rudy De Dios’ Carmina Burana, John Ralp Balagot tries to entice the king Solom (Mark Sumaylo, left) to join his side. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
A late starter, John only tried out dance while in college in CDO and fell in love with it. He later auditioned for Ballet Manila, was accepted into its summer workshop in 2015 and was subsequently signed up as a trainee. From there, he moved up to the junior company, Ballet Manila 2. In 2017, he was named as a company artist and, typical of John, he could only shed tears in front of Shaz and Lisa when they told him the good news after his evaluation that year.
In a previous interview, John recalled what happened then: "Buti na lang may dala-dala akong towel nang kinausap ako nina Ma'am Lisa at Sir Shaz. Napaiyak kasi ako. During that time kasi, hindi ko talaga alam kung ano ang mangyayari sa akin. Hindi ko alam kung mananatili ako ng BM2, or tataas ba, or kung sasabihan ako kung ilang taon na lang ang mayroon ako dito. Nang sinabi sa akin na promoted ako, umiyak ako nang umiyak na wala na rin akong nasabi sa kanila kundi 'thank you' hanggang exit." (It’s a good thing that I brought a towel with me because I just kept crying in front of Ma’am Lisa and Sir Shaz. Prior to entering the room, I really didn’t know if I was going to be retained in BM2, or be promoted, or be informed of the number of years I had left here in the company. When they revealed that I was promoted to company artist, I just kept crying and crying that all I could say was ‘thank you’ until I left the room).
John (second from left) was part of Martin Lawrance’s Beatles-inspired Winding Road. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Fast forward to 2020. Shaz points out that John’s recent promotion to soloist is well deserved, citing the traits that earned the dancer his new position. “Perseverance, dedication, hard work. He is a good example that even if you don’t have the perfect body for ballet, if you work hard enough, you can still be the best dancer you can be.”
In Carmina Burana, especially, John was able to show that he could level up to the demands of the character. He wasn’t even supposed to be Atheos but was given the role as a substitute for another dancer. When choreographer Rudy De Dios told him that he would be playing the part instead, John accepted it but admits now how nervous he was.
From corps to principal lead was quite a leap in John’s mind, necessitating a big adjustment. Adding to the pressure was dancing with two casts of principal dancers which really intimidated him. “Ang inisip ko na lang po, gagawin ko ang lahat para magampanan ko ‘yung role as a villain. Ang daming nag-motivate sa akin. They helped me to improve and enhance my role.” (What I just kept thinking was, I will do everything to give justice to the role as a villain. So many people motivated me.)
In Gerardo Francisco’s Ibong Adarna, John (rightmost) dances multiple roles. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Principal dancer Gerardo Francisco who was Spero to John’s Atheos, notes that during rehearsals, John was still quite reserved in his approach. “Sabi ko sa kanya, kailangan ibigay niya ng todo, para makapagbatuhan kami ng energy. Pagdating sa performance, ayun, bigay na bigay na!” Geri enthuses. (I told him, he needs to give it his all, so that we can feed off on each other’s energy. When performance time came, he went all-out!”
John makes special mention of Ballet Manila rehearsal master Jonathan Janolo who, after each rehearsal, would advise him on what else he could work on – down to the smallest details. “Nagpapasalamat ako sa kanya ️at saka sa lahat ng principal dancer ️na gumabay sa akin sa ginagawa namin pag rehearsal,” he says. (I am thankful to him and to all the principal dancers who guided me in what we were doing during rehearsals.)
Another recent event that was special to John was going home to Cagayan de Oro where he and principal dancer Mark Sumaylo, who also hails from there, performed in the 10th anniversary program of their former dance troupe. Geri Francisco coached them in dancing his choreography, OFW (Balikbayan), which is about the hardships that overseas Filipino workers endure to provide for their family.
John (left) rehearses Gerardo Francisco’s OFW (Balikbayan) with principal dancer Mark Sumaylo, a piece they danced for a program in their hometown, Cagayan de Oro, last February. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
John shares, “I’m very grateful for that experience to be part of that special show. I was very happy that my parents saw me perform again on stage. The audience was so nice. Mark and I could hear their reaction after our performance, how they were touched by this emotional piece.”
While on quarantine, John has been keeping fit by having improvised classes at home and taking the online classes conducted by his artistic directors. He’s looking forward to the time when he and his colleagues can return to the studio and beyond that, to the next performance season which, incidentally, marks Ballet Manila’s silver anniversary.
Perhaps, he will get to dance as Ali or Lankadem in Le Corsaire, or maybe even as a prince in a ballet classic one day – dreams that John allows himself now and then. But whatever the future may hold, he just intends to do the best that he can, for the trust he has been given in being named Ballet Manila’s newest soloist.
Happiness and gratitude fill John’s heart for the blessings that have come his way because of dance. Photo by Jimmy Villanueva
