Bullied for dancing, AGP bronze medalist Noah Esplana is determined to make good in ballet
Noah Esplana, seen here in a Cinderella excerpt during the Aliw Theater relaunch in August 2022, loves ballet because it makes him feel free. “There’s no feeling like it,” he enthuses. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
By Jv Ramos
In last December’s Asian Grand Prix (AGP) finals in Bangkok, a new “one to watch” name emerged from Ballet Manila’s delegation: Noah Esplana. A competitor in the Senior Division, this danseur bagged the bronze medal and was also recognized with an Excellence in Contemporary Dance for British choreographer Martin Lawrance’s Twilight.
Young as he is, at 19, Ballet Manila company artist Noah Esplana has designed his life to revolve around dance – even moving from Australia to the Philippines for learning and growth. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Though he had already participated before in the AGP, even through the pandemic through its video competitions, this last was one was particularly memorable for Noah. “When I was in Bangkok, I felt so grounded onstage. The experience wasn’t like my first AGP, wherein my body just went cold as soon as I stepped on the stage! My performance there has made me more comfortable with dancing in front of people.”
Originally from Australia, with a Filipino father and an Australian mother, Noah always knew that he would like to pursue ballet since he first witnessed a performance of it. “That ballet must have been Swan Lake or Giselle. My grandmother and great-grandmother had taken me to see it, and I clearly remember feeling inspired by what I had seen and wanted to do it."
Luckily for him, his mother, who had dabbled in ballet as a hobby in her younger years, detected his potential and signed him up for ballet classes.
"I must have been 12 or 13 when I started, so my training began pretty late. I also came into ballet after dancing hip-hop when I was younger, so that was another adjustment,” shares Noah. Other than the hurdle of starting late in learning an art form that takes years to master, there was an underappreciation for this type of dance in the environment he grew up in. “The other boys couldn’t understand what I was doing, so I got bullied for dancing. It was difficult, but because I really wanted to learn ballet, I just stuck with it.”
He cites two reasons why ballet is a serious pursuit for him. “When I was a kid, I often found it hard to sit still and concentrate. In ballet, there’s so much to think about, so I like the way it stimulates my brain. I also like the way ballet makes me feel free! There’s no feeling like it!”
Noah (leftmost) bagged the bronze medal in the Senior Division of the Asian Grand Prix finals in Bangkok. With him are fellow finalists of The Lisa Macuja School of Ballet (from left): bronze medalists Juan Angelo De Leon and John Stanley Alamer, Shamira Drapete and Germaine Dawal.
Determined to keep learning, Noah, in his early years as a teenager, already designed his life to revolve around dance. “I actually entered a dance program in Australia, which involved immersing in dance in the morning and doing online classes after. I did that when I decided to stay here in Manila too. The only difference is, in my previous school, we did more contemporary dances that’s informed by ballet. Here, it’s really classical ballet training and that’s what made me stay!”
So how exactly did this Australian dancer find his way to the Philippines? “I was on a holiday around 2017-2018 here in Manila, and my parents wanted us to continue our dance training. And since my dad knew Ma’am Lise [Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Ballet Manila’s artistic director], we were brought to the studio, wherein I was asked to join the summer intensive.”
Only 15 at that time, there were moments when Noah didn’t exactly display the best behavior. “I remember having a difficult time aligning myself with the time zone. I really slept in every day! At one point, Teacher Eileen [Lopez, Ballet Manila’s co-artistic associate] dropped by my place because she was worried that something had happened to me, but I was just asleep!” Noah sheepishly relates.
Sensing the vacationing teenager was serious about training though, teacher Osias Barroso suggested that he join Ballet Manila’s company classes. “And when I did, I was just so amazed. The dancers were like… flying through the air! Everyone here was at a different skill level which made me realize that I had a lot of catching up to do. I remember feeling so inspired after seeing the Ballet Manila company class. That experience also made me realize that I had to stick around to really improve my form and technique.”
Warming up and rehearsing on the hotel rooftop in Bangkok during the AGP competition in December
The 19-year-old is thankful he has very supportive parents. “When I decided to take on the apprentice offer, my family was very open about me living here in the Philippines. I guess being able to go home every year for a month helped, but that of course changed when the pandemic arrived.”
From expecting things to return to normal in just two weeks, Australia’s borders did not open until late 2021, so Noah was separated from his family for quite some time.
“I was, of course, given the choice to come home when the first lockdown was announced (in 2020). Ma’am Lise had an assembly for the foreign dancers, recommending that we go home. My parents were also convincing me to go home, but I chose not to go back because I wanted to stay and continue my training. I wanted to stick it through!”
Noah’s decision was a leap of faith because unlike other dancers, he was already aware of the uncertainty that came with COVID-19. As early as March 2020, he was already doubting if he had a future in ballet. “I kept thinking, ‘What’s going to happen to me? Will ballet still even be around?’ It’s never easy having these thoughts, especially when the studio is taken away and you’re left dancing in such a small space. The early months of the pandemic were probably my lowest point! My mind wasn’t in the right place; but that doesn’t matter anymore. We’re here now!”
What had gotten him through all that was being in constant communication with his parents. “Thank goodness for technology! It felt like I was just at home with them. I felt like they were there when I needed them. It also helped that all the dancers became tighter during the pandemic. I feel like I’m much closer to everyone after sticking it out together.”
Asked what he discovered about himself during the pandemic, Noah puts forward, “In terms of my dancing, I definitely learned more about my body, which has allowed me to improve. I don’t know if it’s because of the small space or the fact that there was more time to focus on myself, but I’m more comfortable now with my body. One really has to work with what he’s got. I know that I’ll never be completely turned out, and that’s okay. I accept that and will work with what I have!’
As a company artist, Noah (rightmost) was part of Lisa Macuja-Elizalde's La Traviata in Ballet Manila's comeback show, Rise! Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
“I was never the most confident dancer,” continues Noah, recalling performances when his nerves got the best of him. “In Le Corsaire, my first performance ever with the company (in 2018), I was at the wrong part of the stage and my role was just a standing role! Now, I still get nervous when I perform, but because the pandemic happened and we didn’t perform in front of an audience for a long time, it just made me so ready to perform in front of people. When we performed at Star City again (in early 2022), I was just excited to be there dancing.”
And where does this company artist see himself going? Being the realistic person that he is, Noah doesn’t mention timelines and promotions within the company. Instead, he sees himself improving and working on his technique more to be able to take on favorite pieces such as Flames of Paris and Ballet Manila’s all-male number, Aramica. “No one knows what the future will bring, but I definitely still want to be dancing ballet somewhere! I would like to dance ballet for as long as I can.”
The AGP bronze medalist notes, “If you really want to make it in ballet, you can’t let anything stop you. I know that we are all different and that we come from different backgrounds, but if you’re pursuing a dream, you really shouldn’t let anything pull you back."
At the 2019 Asian Grand Prix Manila Regionals. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Already a company artist for a year, Noah knows that he must continue to put in the hard work. "Having been raised in Australia, where people speak their thoughts, I don't easily get offended when people criticize my work. At the same time, I'm very open-minded. I am always willing to work and improve my craft."
"To learn more and improve is the reason I'm here," concludes the determined dancer.
Noah on his goal to keep improving in ballet: “If you’re pursuing a dream, you really shouldn’t let anything pull you back." Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
