Ballet dancers are often referred to as performing athletes. They must have the strength and stamina to withstand the demands of their profession and yet also possess the grace and poise to make it seem like what they do on stage is easy. In this series, Ballet Manila’s ballerinas and danseurs share how they stay in tip-top shape, following a fitness, diet and wellness regimen suited to their specific needs. 

By Jv Ramos

Due to the way Jasmine Pia Dames effortlessly performs bravura roles, it’s easy to believe that this ballerina has had a trouble-free dance career. But as the Ballet Manila principal would emphasize, talent can only get you so far. “Kung puwede ko lang baguhin ang dati, hindi ako magiging kampante lang sa talent ko. Bibigyan ko rin ng priority ang strengthening habang bata pa ako.” (If I could only change the past, I wouldn’t be so confident with just my talent. I would have also prioritized strengthening while I was younger.)

Asked what she means by this, Pia shares that the career setback she experienced in 2017 – when she was in pain after going through her first full-length Don Quixote performance – had a lot to do with her bad habits as a teenage ballerina. “Noong bata pa ako, basta’t puwede kang sumayaw, gagawin ko at hahataw ako talaga,” she candidly shares. “At dahil mataas ang tolerance ko for pain, kahit may masakit, todo pa rin ang pagsayaw ko dati.” (When I was younger, as long as I could dance, I’d do it and give it my all… And because I have a high tolerance for pain, no matter what I felt, I’d still continue to dance in full force.) 

While admirable for her resilience, Pia would soon find that her incautious dancing would contribute to her injuries. Her shin was the first to take a hit then, but because of her young age, it healed quickly after she rested it. The doctor warned her though that the injury could recur. While she took the doctor’s note seriously, Pia wasn’t able to do the necessary steps to prevent the injury from coming back, as strengthening and conditioning were not common practices among ballet dancers back then.

“Na-feel ko ulit ang pain siguro nu’ng pumasok ako dito sa Ballet Manila. Nanibago talaga ang katawan ko sa pure Vaganova, kaya naman sumakit. Pero kaya pa naman, so tuloy-tuloy lang ako sa pagpasok at pag-sayaw araw-araw.”  (I felt the pain on my shin again when I entered Ballet Manila. My body was not used to pure Vaganova, so it began hurting. But it was the kind of pain I could tolerate, so I just continued going to class daily, ignoring the pain.) Little did Pia know that everyday stresses would soon take its toll on her body, that when it was time to prepare for her first major role, she was in so much pain.

 “Of course, nag-contribute din ang aksidente ko sa pain.” (A minor accident of mine also contributed to the pain.) The ballerina remembers that she badly sprained herself as she was walking along the streets near the studio. “Iyak ako nang iyak kay Pearl noon. Sabi ko, ayaw talaga yata ako ipag-Don Q dahil sobrang sakit talaga.” (I kept crying to my twin sister Pearl then. I thought maybe the universe just didn’t want me to dance Don Quixote because I was in so much pain.) And while she managed to pull through with dancing the role of Kitri alongside Gerardo Francisco Jr. in 2017, this ballerina thought that her career would soon be over.

“Stress fracture lang sa shin noong una, pero sumunod na ang pagkakasakit ng knee at Achilles,” Pia recounts. “Looking back, proud ako na nasayaw ko nang buo ang Kitri noon, pero hindi ako proud na sumasayaw ako na may masakit sa akin.”  (It was just a stress fracture on my shin, but soon, my knee and Achilles began hurting… Looking back, I’m proud that I was able to dance Kitri in full then, but I’m not proud about having gone through it with so much pain.) The pain was so intense at that time that this ballerina already accepted she would never be able to do proper fouettés again.

So, how did this ballerina recover? Pia shares that Coach Robert Osorio, a sports scientist who also happens to be her boyfriend, had a lot to do with it. When it had been suggested that Pia undergo surgery, Robert offered an alternative means to overcome her multiple injuries. “Ang advice niya, i-strengthen ko ang katawan ko para magawa ko ulit ang mga dati kong nagagawa. Very new noon ang concept na ito sa akin, dahil hindi naman kami sanay sa idea na pagkatapos ng mahabang trabaho, mag-wo-workout ka pa ulit.” (He advised me to strengthen my body so I could do the moves I could do before again. This concept of strengthening was new to me back then because we weren’t used to the idea that after a long day in the studio, you would still do a workout.)

Despite being unfamiliar with the method, Pia obeyed and months after, she noticed changes in her body. “Pero matagal din ang proseso,” she underlines. (The recovery was a long process.) On her road to recovery, she remembers finding it hard to do multiple squats and to finish company classes. Not to mention, there was a time when she’d experience anxiety attacks before going to the studio.

“Naiisip ko kasi na may mararamdaman ako ulit na sakit. Nu’ng nangyari iyon, dinala ako ni Robert sa psychologist at in-advise ako na magkaroon ng life outside ballet, para hindi lang sayaw at mga pinagdaanan kong injury ang nasa isip ko.”  (I kept thinking that I’ll experience pain again. When that happened, Robert brought me to a psychologist who advised me to have a life outside of ballet, so I wouldn’t have just dance and injuries I was going through on my mind.)

Seeing how everyday strengthening and conditioning exercises, plus the advice of the psychologist, have done wonders for her career, this Ballet Manila artist makes sure to integrate these into her routine. “Kahit pagod na ako sa rehearsals, pinu-push ko pa rin na mag-strengthening dahil ayoko nang bumalik ang dati. Tapos, sinisiguro ko rin na may life ako outside ballet.” (Despite being tired from rehearsals, I still push myself to do strengthening work because I don’t like to go back to the way things were. I also make an effort to have a life outside ballet.)

Pia shares that she’s taken up gardening and mixing cocktails, and sees to it that she and her twin sister Pearl, also a principal at the company, go out with family and friends and travel when their schedules permit. “Kahit simpleng bagay ang pagdilig ng halaman, malaki ang nagagawa nito sa mental health ko. Sobrang sumasaya talaga ako tuwing may nakikita akong bagong dahon ang mga halaman ko.” (Though watering plants is a simple task, this does wonders for my mental health. I feel very happy when I see new leaves sprouting from my plants.)

“Ang isang bagay din na nakapagpabago ng pagsayaw ko ay tulog,” adds Pia, who learned from Coach Robert that professional dancers, no matter the age, should complete eight hours of sleep so their bodies can recover from the hard training they do. “Actually, pipiliin ko pang matulog kaysa sa magpa-massage kung may free time ako!” (Getting enough sleep is also one factor that changed my dancing… I actually prefer sleeping to having a massage when I have free time.)

Now 28, the principal ballerina sees to it that she imparts all that she’s experienced through the years to younger dancers. “Gusto ko talagang malaman ng iba na kailangan na malakas ang katawan mo para magawa mo nang maayos ang mga steps sa ballet.” (I want younger dancers to know that they need to have strong bodies to be able to execute ballet steps well.)

Pia also expresses that talent should be partnered with hard work and the willingness to seek help from others. “Kung hindi ko siguro na-meet si Robert, wala na ako sa ballet ngayon. Siya talaga at ang Ballet Sports Science ang sumagip sa career ko.” (If I had not met Robert, I wouldn’t be where I am now. It’s really him and Ballet Sports Science that saved my career.)