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.

Ang promise ko sa sarili ko, sasayaw ako hanggang kaya ng katawan ko. Ayokong bigyan ng limit ang pagsasayaw ko. Mararamdaman ko naman kung di na puwede. Babalik lang ako sa first love ko, ang contemporary. Pero baka nga malungkot ako kung dumating nga ang araw na hindi na ako makakapag-classics. Pero sa ngayon, hindi talaga pumapasok ang lungkot, dahil alam ko, kaya ko pa sayawin lahat. Feel ko, hanggang 50 pa ako.

My promise to myself is that I will dance until my body can do it. I don’t want to put a limit on my dancing. I will feel it if it’s not possible anymore. I’ll just go back to my first love, which is contemporary. But I’ll probably be sad when the day comes that I can no longer do the classics. But for now, I really don’t feel any sadness because I know I can still dance everything. I feel that I can still dance until I’m 50.

Top photo by Mark Sumaylo