After enduring two months of enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila, people are already looking forward to the day when it will finally be lifted. Members of the Ballet Manila family are no exception. We asked some of them for the Top 3 things they would like to do once quarantine is over. From returning to the ballet studio to visiting long-missed loved ones, from going to church to expressing a simple thank you to a friend, here are the items on the personal wish list that each of them shared:

Osias Barroso, co-artistic director

• First, I would thank Lisa [Macuja-Elizalde, Ballet Manila artistic director] for everything that she has done. I will remain a loyal and true friend and ultimately, remain in Ballet Manila as long as I am still needed and as long as I can.

• Second, I would teach ballet like there would be no tomorrow! Be the best ballet master there is, and handle a new generation of dancers who will ultimately become teachers someday.

• Third, I would go home to Avida [in Cavite] with my dogs! 

Susan Macuja, treasurer

• Go to my usual daily Mass and adoration at 6 a.m. to thank the Lord. 

• Go to Donada to see Mac, Lisa, Fred and Ballet Manila. [Donada in Pasay City is where Ballet Manila has its studios and where the Elizalde family lives.]

• Eat out with my usual luncheon groups.

Joan Emery Sia, principal dancer

• Ballet in the studio! It’s challenging to make it work in a small space where we could hurt ourselves or my cats. 

• I would see my sister and brother. I would like to go home to Cagayan de Oro to see my parents but I'm assuming traveling won’t be safe for a long time.

• I guess my third would be to get out and go somewhere where I can chill and listen to live music.

Romeo Peralta, principal dancer

• I'll cautiously exercise my freedom to move freely within the guidelines of public health safety. Social distancing, even more washing of hands, using face masks – all the simple rules to lessen the crowding in our hospitals. 

• If given the chance, take a proper ballet class in our studio that would lead eventually to getting on stage again for a performance. 

• Lastly, to resume our postponed family vacation.

Jasmine Pia Dames, principal dancer

• I will definitely go and meet my loved ones. 

• I will eat at Muhan, my favorite samgyupsal/ Korean barbercue restaurant.

• I will go to a hair salon to have a haircut because my hair had been so long even before the start of quarantine and it’s really long right now and needs to be trimmed. 

Jimmy Villanueva, lighting director

• I have a mother turning 94 in June. I haven't seen her since March. She'll be the first person I'll visit. That's the first thing I'd be doing, I guess. See friends and relatives in person. I may not have been doing that even before 2020, but the forced isolation brought about by the crisis made me realize that not to see them by force made me ache to see them. Talked to some via video, but it wasn't the same.

• Be more aggressive in saving money. I'm forever grateful that Ballet Manila made sure we still received our monthly salary, else we would have starved as we didn't have any savings for an emergency. I'll try to find a second source of income and be better prepared for anything.

• I miss my daughter terribly. We have never been apart this long. I was all set to see her in June [in Malaysia, where Jian now works], but that went out the window. So, to travel and visit her will be my priority as well.

Nicole Barroso, soloist

• Dance in the studio! In BM's Studio 1, the one with three walls. I now appreciate more the big space, the safe floor to dance on, stable barres, huge mirrors, the people whom I share the same passion and drive towards this art form with, and of course my teachers and mentors who generously share their knowledge and love for this art. I look back and realize how I sometimes take all of these things and all of these people for granted. 

• Travel. Maybe not right after the quarantine but hopefully when everything gets really better. I want to explore places that I haven't been to yet here in the Philippines and also outside of course... in the future! I want to see more art, nature, and meet people. I have a very small circle of friends, most of them are from ballet. It's great!! But, I think there's nothing wrong about having meaningful conversations with wonderful people out there with different experiences who can maybe help me deepen my understanding, gratitude, and appreciation towards myself and towards life. I’ve realized that life is too short to shut your doors from experiencing life, meeting other people, and discovering more about yourself. 

• Go to church. Of course, once they allow mass gathering again. Celebrate the life that I have right now. Express my gratitude to Him. I always find myself sitting there whenever I am at my lowest. I miss feeling that warm welcome every moment I step in there and feel Him accompany and heal my soul. I just really love being inside that church with people who have so much faith and love, it makes me feel safe. 

Nanami Hasegawa, company artist

• Go back to the studio and do hours of rehearsals! I definitely miss this the most.
  This lockdown period made me realize how much I love to dance!

• Cuddle with my dog! Even I see my dog through video calls every day, I really miss having him beside me. When I’m back in the Philippines, I just wanna cuddle him all day. 

• Go out for shopping. I miss going to the big malls and enjoy my days off. Now I’m on the online shopping sites to check out what’s new and getting ready for the shopping when all of this lockdown is over!

Xiu Ling Tan, company artist

• First of all, honestly, my mind is very tangled at the moment as I’m like hanging in the air; I guess like everyone else in the world. But if I say to follow my feeling, my heart tells me I want to dance. Just as simple if I take that special stone out of the mud. And ideally, hoping everything goes back on track like before. Although we are lucky to be able to do Ballet Manila classes via Zoom and other online classes, I miss being free in the studio and dancing alongside my friends. 

• Second thing I want to do most is to travel home safely. I miss my cat and home so much. Unfortunately with the pandemic happening now, it’s risky and a hassle to travel and especially I’m worried that I couldn’t come back to Philippines later due to the travel restriction in Australia where their residents are not allowed to leave the country. I’m really hoping the travel ban would be lifted earlier than the expected date so I could visit home.

• The last thing I would love to do is to have a great meal – either in the restaurant or take out. Though my cooking has improved so much since I have spare time to learn and explore recipes, it’s still a different experience to get a meal from a proper restaurant. 

Juan Angelo De Leon, Project Ballet Futures scholar

• Magsisimba po ako para magpasalamat po kay Lord dahil binantayan Niya po kami ng family ko sa COVID at ipagdadasal ko po na sana mawala na ‘yung COVID. (I will go to church to thank the Lord for watching over us against COVID and I will pray that COVID will hopefully go away.)

• Pangalawa po, gusto ko po na matuloy po ‘yung ballet class. (Secondly, I wish that ballet classes will continue.)

• At gusto ko na pumasok po sa school namin. (I also wish that I can go back to our school.)