By Jv Ramos

Traveling alone was one of the activities Marinette Franco cited in June when asked what she was looking forward to doing as more COVID-19 restrictions were being lifted. Being the go-getter that she is, we all knew that this Ballet Manila company artist would soon live her dream. What we didn't expect though was that she'd be actualizing her first solo trip in less than a month!

In July, this ballerina found herself flying to Russia to take part in the Innopraktika & Russian Seasons School’s (IRSS) Choreography 2022, a three-week cultural exchange program consisting of classical Russian ballet and contemporary dance classes. Here, interested participants can either apply as a choreographer or as a dancer. The former would be expected to come up with a contemporary piece for the dancers in the program, while the latter would be learning from a handful of choreographers, and also take classes.

"I passed my application as a dancer in April, so by the time you (balletmanilaarchives.com) interviewed me, I already knew that I had been accepted to the program. I just couldn't reveal it at that time because I was still waiting for other things." First was her visa and the second was a negative RT-PCR test – two requirements that could make or break her Russian stint. "Thankfully, I was able to get both! The opportunity was really meant for me."

Given that her schedule in Ballet Manila is always hectic, Marinette didn't really have the time to process how different this trip would be. “My international travels in the past were always with Ballet Manila, and usually in big groups," she notes. “Five was the smallest number I’ve been with, which was also in Russia (in 2016), so this experience was really new to me. During the first flight, it felt like riding a bus; but after the layover, when I was already flying from Dubai to Russia, I had a little bit of a panic attack! I finally realized that I was going to be all alone for three weeks, with no ‘fall back’. I didn’t know anyone this time. It was scary but also exciting, because I was figuring out stuff on my own.”

Upon arriving in Saint Petersburg, Marinette only had a night to rest as the program proper was to begin the following morning. At 9 a.m., she took part in classical ballet classes; in the afternoon, she learned contemporary dance techniques, and then proceeded with rehearsals for the culminating activity, which was an actual live performance at the Alexandrinsky Theater. “There was no time to take things in or to breathe, because you were expected to work right away. Often, I found myself just following the organizers. Going here and there, taking classes and learning as much as I could.”

Asked what the classes were like, Marinette points out that the classical ballet ones were very much like Ballet Manila’s company classes. “The only different thing was the pace; it was slower as they were trying to accommodate the different levels of the participating dancers.” In the Choreography 2022 program, there were about 16 to 18 dancers coming from different countries and having different dance backgrounds and abilities. Of course, being Vaganova-trained, Marinette felt “bida-bida” (that she had an edge) in the ballet sessions, but when it came to the contemporary classes, she goes, “Medyo tumiklop ako! (I felt so small.) I guess it’s because I’m not so used to contemporary, and many of those who were with me were professional contemporary dancers.”

This turning of tables didn’t discourage Marinette though, as everyone around her was surprisingly very helpful. “I actually thought that they would judge me for being so good in the ballet classes and then rather slow in contemporary, but they were the ones who really helped me learn the steps and gain the confidence. I guess that’s one of the big things I realized during the program. What I was thinking – that I would be judged – was not true at all!”

Marinette, 22, continues, “I realized there that I was the only one limiting myself by thinking that I was bad. If you’re bad at something, the people there don’t really care. What’s important for them is that you’re willing to learn and put in the work.”

Marinette shares that even if the point of the IRSS program was for the participants to get exposed to new styles and techniques, the organizers were very particular about the quality of the performance that would be presented at the Alexandrinsky Theater. Thus, if a particular dancer couldn’t meet their standards, they had no choice but to remove him or her from the show. “In short, nothing was guaranteed, so we all had to work hard for it!”

So, what was it like to work with the choreographers who got accepted into the program?  “There was a little bit of a language barrier, definitely,“ Marinette recalls. “But being dancers, we could figure out what the foreign choreographers wanted, so even if the translators couldn’t communicate or find the right English words for some dance terms, things fell into place!” Crowds filled the Alexandrinsky Theater for the two days the IRSS Choreography 2022 participants performed – something that all of them didn’t expect, since the show wasn’t being done by a professional ballet company.

“But I guess the reason people would really come to see performances is they’re familiar with the amount of work their dancers put into their craft. During my stay there, one of the things I observed is that the Russians never stop working. They’d go through rehearsal after rehearsal without taking any breaks. They dedicate so much time and effort to be able to perfect their craft (regardless of their level).”

“Seeing this kind of work ethic made me realize that if I work, work, and work, more people would appreciate what I do,” Marinette puts forward. “It also made me realize that I should never take any opportunity for granted. I have to keep on working, learning!”

Though expected to work most of the time, the participants had their share of fun during their three-week stay. They were taken to see different cultural landmarks, including the Peterhof Palace, which was where their friendship as a group really began, and the Mariinsky Theater, where they caught a special performance of La Bayadere.

“One of the unforgettable things that happened to us as a group was being stranded at the gardens of the Peterhof Palace. While going around, rain started to fall and it just wouldn’t stop.” Clustered under a tree with only a few umbrellas, the entire group, seeing that the place was starting to flood, ran as fast as they could to escape the situation.

“We became closer because of that shared experience of literally and figuratively sticking together,” expresses Marinette. “I found that experience very funny too, because even in Russia, I was being confronted by a flood. It follows me everywhere!” (Our subject recalls being greeted by a flood when she was about to have her first in-studio class in Manila after the lockdown.) 

As for the Mariinsky Theater experience, she comments that being able to watch a classical ballet production in Russia is just surreal. It didn’t matter if La Bayadere was also the ballet she got to watch when she first visited St. Petersburg six years before for the Dance Open International Ballet Festival. “There’s really a different feeling when you watch something that you yourself have performed before. There’s more appreciation for it. And there’s also something special about watching La Bayadere in the place of its origin. I still can’t believe that I was able to experience it!”

Speaking of unbelievable experiences, this Ballet Manila company artist conveys that landing a slot in the exchange program wouldn’t have happened if she had just sat back and waited. “Before, I was too dependent on the opportunities other people were giving me. Now, I know that I have to move and keep moving for things to become possible.”

She concludes with much determination, “After this experience where I had to do everything alone – from the application to the program and getting my visa, to traveling and learning to dance different contemporary styles – I’ve gained the confidence to try out more things. There are still many techniques, styles, and movements to be explored. And yes, I’ll continue to look for more programs or opportunities such as this to keep growing as a dancer.”