In Their Own Words: Jamil Montibon on the gift of a second chance
In their own words, the artists of Ballet Manila share their thoughts and experiences on not merely surviving but flourishing in the very challenging world of dance. This series is a collection of personal anecdotes, as well as words of wisdom that can be heartwarming, funny or dramatic, but always inspiring regardless of what field one is pursuing.
Mag-iisang taon din po ‘yun na tumigil ako. Umalis ako sa bahay noon. Nakitulog ako sa mga kaibigan. Tumira ako sa simbahan ng mga five months yata. ‘Yung mga tao sa amin sinasabi sa akin, "Bakit ayaw mong bumalik?” Siyempre ang tagal ko nang nawala. Nahiya na ako. Sabi nila, “I-try mo. Try mong kausapin.”
Nag PM (private message) ako kay Ma’am Lisa (Macuja-Elizalde) through FB (Facebook). Sabi ko, “Ma’am Lise, Pwede pa po ba ako bumalik sa Ballet Manila?” Nagulat ako kasi wala pang isang oras, mga 30 minutes nag-reply si Ma’am Lise: “Jamil, welcome na welcome ka sa Ballet Manila. Gusto mo, tomorrow, punta ka na dito.”
Tapos ‘yung pagpunta, parang nakatayo lang ako sa tabi tapos dumaan si Ma’am Lise: “O! Nakatayo ka pa? Kunin mo (na) ‘yung ballet equipment mo.”
Doon na po nagdere-deretso. Pinasayaw po nila ako. Pinakamalaking role ko po yung Sari’t Bahag. Tapos po noong Sari’t Bahag, doon po ako na-promote na company artist.
I stopped for almost a year. I left my home. I slept at my friends’ place. I lived in the church for about five months. The people around me kept saying, “Why don’t you want to return?” Of course, I was gone for a long time. I was ashamed. They said, “Just give it a try. Try talking to them.”
I sent Ma’am Lise a PM (private message) through FB (Facebook). I said, “Ma’am Lise, can I still return to Balet Manila?” I was so surprised that in less than an hour, around 30 minutes, Ma’am Lise replied. “Jamil, you are very welcome to return to Ballet Manila. If you want, you can come here tomorrow.”
When I went to the studio, I was just standing outside when Ma’am Lise passed by: “Hey! What are you standing there for? Go get your ballet equipment.”
That’s when good things started happening for me. They allowed me to dance. My biggest role was Sari’t Bahag. After Sari’t Bahag, I got promoted to company artist.
Top photo by Mark Sumaylo
Performing Sari’t Bahag in the season production Kay Ganda Ng Ating Musika led to Jamil Montibon’s promotion after quitting ballet for almost a year. Photo by Daniel Trinidad
