Ballet Manila dancers, scholar win gold in AGP Manila Regionals
Juan Angelo De Leon scores another triumph with a gold medal in Junior A of this year’s AGP Regionals. Photo by MarBi Photography
Eleven dancers of Ballet Manila’s junior company as well as one of its teen scholars – all representing the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet (LMSB) – won gold in their respective divisions in the recently concluded Manila Regionals of the Asian Grand Prix International Ballet Competition.
Other LMSB students also scored gold and silver medals, earning them the chance to compete as well in the AGP Finals slated in December.
The AGP is still being conducted online for now due to the pandemic, with several regional competitions held throughout the Asia-Pacific Region. Participants, through their schools, send in video entries of their competition pieces and class exercises.
Gerardo Francisco’s Border – which won group gold in the Asian Grand Prix Manila Regionals – depicts the plight of illegal migrants who must risk everything in their quest for a better life. Photo by MarBi Photography
Competing in AGP’s Senior Group for contemporary choreography, the eleven who performed Gerardo Francisco’s Border, and scored the gold were: Jessa Balote, Jefferson Balute, Rodney Catubay, John Carl Concepcion, Alvin Dictado, Marinette Franco, Rosanne Melencio, Jamil Montibon, Sean Pelegrin, Raymond Salcedo and Brian Sevilla.
Border depicts the plight of illegal migrants who must risk everything to cross borders in their quest for a better life.
Scholar Juan Angelo De Leon meanwhile bagged his gold in the Junior A division. In last year’s AGP Finals, he won a silver and was part of the four-member group of scholars that received the gold for another Gerardo Francisco choreography, Into the Wild.
The following LMSB students and entry also won at the Manila Regionals, securing spots in the AGP Finals:
Shamira Veronnica Drapete, silver, Junior A;
Loraine Gaile Jarlega, gold, Junior B;
Noah Esplana, silver, Senior;
Interstellar, choreography by BM principal dancer and LMSB teacher Abigail Oliveiro, and performed by Shamira Veronnica Drapete and Katrina Barnes, Duo/Trio.
Interstellar is a classical piece about a pair of dancing stars that light up the sky with their spirited movements.
Ballet Manila scholar John Stanley Alamer wins a bronze medal in Junior A. Photo by MarBi Photography
Another Ballet Manila scholar, John Stanley Alamer, was recognized with a bronze medal in Junior A. He was part of the team that won the group gold in the AGP Finals last year.
The following LMSB students were also cited in this year’s AGP Manila Regionals:
Bea Marie Elizabeth Panigbatan, Merit, Performance A;
Nina Arabela Nunez, Merit, Performance A;
Julianne Keiko Banez, Merit, Performance B;
Katrina Barnes, Merit, Junior B
Those chosen as finalists in the Manila Regionals will be pitted against their counterparts from Australia, China, Hong Kong SAR China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan.
Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Ballet Manila artistic director and LSMB school directress, congratulated the students for their strong showing in the AGP Manila Regionals.
In her statement, Macuja-Elizalde said: “Choosing to make extra sacrifices in order to prepare for and participate in a ballet competition is already such an impactful learning experience for all young dancers! The hard work and extra practice will always go a long way in preparing students for their future dance classes and performances. The lessons learned are for life! It is always a joy to have such positive results from these competitions and certainly very encouraging for all of us in the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet!"
Ballet Manila principal dancer and resident choreographer Gerardo Francisco, who coached the BM scholars and the 11-member contemporary group, expressed pride in the students’ efforts.
"The key is not the will to win… everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important,” he stated. “Kahit gaano kahirap ng situation, hindi nawala ang dedication at determination nila sa pagsasayaw.” (No matter how hard the situation was, they did not lose their dedication and determination to dance.)
The Border team that got the gold: Choreographer and coach Gerardo Francisco (front row, second from left) with (standing from left) Rodney Catubay, Raymond Salcedo, John Carl Concepcion, Sean Pelegrin, Jamil Montibon, Jefferson Balute, Jessa Balote, Marinette Franco, (front row, from left) Alvin Dictado, Rosanne Melencio, and Brian Sevilla. Photo by MarBi Photography
It is a particularly sweet victory for the 11 dancers who were able to perform again after more than a year of being sidelined from the stage. Because of pandemic restrictions, Ballet Manila – like other performing arts groups – has been unable to hold live shows.
“They were all excited noong nalaman nila na sasayaw sila ulit. Walang nag-dalawang isip; yes sila kaagad sa project,” Francisco shared. (They were all excited when they learned that they would be dancing again. No one had second thoughts, and they immediately said yes to the project.)
Teaching a new choreography to a rather large group proved to be a challenge for Francisco. He had to divide them into smaller groups so he could rehearse with them one by one.
Since they could not go to the studio all the time following health protocols, they had to resort to online rehearsals. What proved difficult was that with the limited space of the dancers in their homes, they didn’t have the freedom to move as they ordinarily would in a studio.
With only two days to complete everything in the studio, including video recording, the pressure was on for the group. Francisco made sure that the studio was already set up so that no time would be wasted when the dancers came.
He pointed out that for all dancers, it has been hard to keep in shape during the pandemic particularly since they could not come to the studio daily which was part of their pre-pandemic routine. The young artists, who have been joining company classes online, welcomed being in the studio again even for such a limited time.
“I appreciate their fighting spirit and their will to do this,” Francisco noted.
