Ballet Manila scholars and dancers, LMSB students named finalists in Asian Grand Prix
Dancers representing the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet (LMSB) – among them scholars, apprentices and company artists of Ballet Manila – have been named finalists in the Asian Grand Prix International Ballet Competition (AGP) to be held in December in Bangkok, Thailand.
AGP made the announcement on its website last October 6 following the Manila Regional Competition conducted from September 23 to 25 at Aliw Theater. The results also listed Merit and Encouragement awardees from LMSB.
LMSB directress Lisa Macuja-Elizalde conducts a class for participants in the Asian Grand Prix Manila Regional held at Aliw Theater last September. Photo from the Asian Grand Prix Facebook Page
The LMSB participants competed in the classical category.
Continuing his winning streak, scholar Juan Angelo De Leon was named gold medalist in the Junior A division of the Manila Regional. His competition piece was the Franz Variation from Coppelia.
De Leon won back-to-back silver medals in the 2020 and 2021 AGP Finals, both conducted via video competition because of the pandemic. He availed of his prize in the 2020 AGP just last August, participating in the Royal Ballet School’s summer program in London. He also won bronze in the 2019 AGP, Pre-Competitive B, which was his first international competition.
Meanwhile, Ballet Manila apprentice Loraine Gaile Jarlega secured another gold for LMSB in the Junior B division of the Manila Regional, performing the Pas de Trois Girl 1st Variation from Paquita.
De Leon’s fellow scholars Germaine Dawal and John Stanley Alamer were silver finishers in the Junior B division, with John Sixto Dones landing bronze and Angelou Gamayon earning a Merit award in the same division.
Dawal and Dones danced the Harlequin Variation from Harlequinade, Alamer the Peasant Boy 1st Variation from Giselle and Gamayon the Pas de Trois Boy Variation from Paquita.
The five boys are scholars of Project Ballet Futures, a program started by Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and former co-artistic director Osias Barroso. They have received free ballet training at LMSB for several years and have had the opportunity to perform in Ballet Manila productions.
Faculty members Gerardo Francisco Jr. (standing, left), Sofia Sangco-Peralta (seated, center) and Eileen Lopez (standing, right) coached the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet’s participants in the Asian Grand Prix Manila Regional. With them are: Front row, from left: Julianne Keiko Banez, Gilana Laili Varias, Louisa Micai De Guzman, Nina Arabela Nunez, Anne Bernice Allenda; back row, from left: Germaine Dawal, Angelou Gamayon, John Stanley Alamer, Ainslea Esplana, Loraine Gaile Jarlega, Shamira Veronica Drapete, Daniel Cheng, Noah Michael Colin Esplana, and John Sixto Dones. Not in photo is Juan Angelo De Leon. Photo from the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet Facebook page
BM company artist Shamira Veronica Drapete and apprentice Ainslea Esplana rounded out the haul in the Junior B division by scooping bronze medals as well. Their respective competition pieces were: Lise Variation from La Fille Mal Gardee and Peasant Girl Variation from Giselle.
In Junior A, Anne Bernice Allenda (Peasant Girl Variation from Giselle) earned a Merit award while Gilana Laili Varias (Princess Florine Variation from The Sleeping Beauty) secured an Encouragement award.
In Performance A, Louisa Micai De Guzman (Coulante Fairy Variation from The Sleeping Beauty) similarly garnered a Merit award.
In Performance B, Nina Arabela Nunez (Silver Fairy Variation from The Sleeping Beauty) got the silver and Julianne Keiko Banez (Peasant Girl Variation from Giselle) the bronze.
In the Senior Division, Noah Michael Colin Esplana (Basilio Variation from Don Quixote) earned the silver while Daniel Cheng (Ali Variation from Le Corsaire) got an Encouragement award.
The LMSB competitors were coached by faculty members Gerardo Francisco Jr., Eileen Lopez and Sofia Sangco-Peralta. Francisco and Lopez are co-artistic associates of Ballet Manila. Sangco-Peralta is assistant to the directress at the school.
The Asian Grand Prix Finals will be held from December 12 to 17 at the Aksra Theater in Bangkok, Thailand.
