From baseball to ballet: Jefferson Balute makes a detour and falls in love with dance
Going into ballet has given him many opportunies, says Jefferson Balute, such as participating in the 2018 Cultural Center of the Philippines Ballet Competition.
By Jv Ramos
Jefferson Balute had a funny start in ballet. A few days before his birthday in 2013, his mother and sister Jessa, now a soloist with Ballet Manila, pulled him out of the house, claiming that they're all going to watch a ballet featuring Jessa.
Jefferson Balute thought he was watching a ballet, but apparently, his mom Anita and ballerina sister Jessa had signed him up for an audition. Now, he is a Ballet Manila company member.
"Pero pagdating namin dito sa studio sa Donada, audition pala! Sabi ni Mama, 'Magbihis ka na, nandito ka na rin lang. Sayang naman kung hindi ka mag-audition.' Walang na akong nagawa kaya sinunod ko na lang," recalls Jefferson, who was asked to jump and stretch during the audition. "Kahit nandito na si Jessa at nag-ballet na rin si Kuya, wala akong kaalam-alam sa mga pinapagawa nila sa akin. Buti na lang, nakapasa pa rin ako, dahil sobrang nagustuhan ko ang ballet.” (But when we got to the studio in Donada, I found out that it was an open audition! Mom just said, ‘Change and join them since we’re here anyway. It’s the logical thing to do!’ They left me with no choice, so I just joined the auditions… Even if Jessa and my older brother were in ballet, I knew nothing about it. Fortunately, I got in, and I soon fell in love with ballet.)
Having started at age nineteen, Jefferson found himself training with boys who were just 11 or 12 years old; and compared to them, he had difficulties in being flexible. "Matagal kasi akong nag-training sa baseball noon, kaya pagdating dito, matigas ang katawan ko at mabigat talaga ako gumalaw." (I played competitive baseball for so many years, so when I got here, my body wasn’t so flexible and the way I moved was so heavy.)
In the 2019 staging of Ibong Adarna, Jefferson (second from left) gets to perform alongside mentors Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and Osias Barroso Jr. as the queen and king.
He, however, asserts that being a sporty person has its advantages. This dancer had the athlete’s reflexes, the muscle mass to lift just about any female partner, and most importantly, the disposition to listen and be obedient towards coaches whose counterparts in ballet are the teachers in the studio and anyone else more experienced than him.
Jefferson points out, "Sa studio, si Jessa ang Ate kahit nakatatanda ako! Ang tagal na kasi niya dito sa Ballet Manila at mas marami siyang alam." Jefferson notes that since the beginning, he has always followed what his teachers and co-dancers would tell him. "Ang laging nasa isip ko ay hindi mo nakikita ang sarili mo kapag sumasayaw. Kaya naman kapag may nag-ko-korek, ito'y dapat mo'ng sundin.” (In the studio, Jessa is the elder sibling even if I’m older than her. That’s because she’s been here longer than me and knows more about ballet than me… When being corrected by others, I just think that I can’t see all that I’m doing and they can. So if they tell me to tweak things, I apply without questioning.)
Asked what made him continue ballet when his first love was really sports, Jefferson shares enthusiastically, “Nakatatanggal ito ng stress!” (It helps remove my stress.) Ballet grants him a special kind of enjoyment and relaxation which he did not encounter in any extracurricular activity he was into as a child. “Nakatulong din ang nakita kong saya sa mga dancers dito. Tuwing magkakasama sila, sobrang saya nila at naisip ko na gusto ko rin ’yon para sa akin.” (It also helped that whenever I looked at the dancers here, they’re always so happy. I wanted that kind of friendly atmosphere for myself.)
Jefferson (left) performs with principal dancer Gerardo Francisco Jr. as Gamache and fellow company member John Carl Concepcion in a scene from Don Quixote during technical rehearsals last May.
“Nagustuhan ko rin na kahit sino man ang lapitan mo tuwing nahihirapan ka ay tutulungan ka,” he adds, underlining that the culture hasn’t changed since he began as a scholar. “Mabagal ako mag-pick-up ng mga sayaw, pero dahil sa tulong ng iba, nagagawa kong magkapag-perform kasabay nila.” (Another thing I really liked about ballet is, whoever it is you approach for help will help you. As a dancer, I don’t pick up steps quickly, but because I have kind and helpful colleagues, I’m able to perform dances well with them.)
Now marking his 10th year with Ballet Manila, this danseur shares how much he’s changed since he first stepped into the studio. Back then, he was afraid to try new things as a student. “Takot akong dancer, pero pinush ako nang pinush ni Sir Shaz [Ballet Manila co-artistic directo Osias Barroso Jr.]. May time nga na ako na lang lagi ang pinapa-demo para lang mas ma-push pa ako…Nakakatakot si Sir Shaz, lalo na kung magalit. Pero ngayon, nakikita ko na napaka-suwerte ko na tinutukan ako, dahil ang dami ko talagang natutunan sa kanya.” (I’m not the bravest of dancers, but Sir Shaz kept pushing me to go beyond. There was actually a time when he’d always pick me to demonstrate combinations, so he could push me more. Sir Shaz is very scary, especially when he’s angry with you. But now that I look at it, I consider myself very lucky to get that amount of attention from him. Though he scared me, I did learn a lot from him.)
What Jefferson (third from right, in Romeo & Juliet) likes about being part of Ballet Manila is that his colleagues are always willing to help him in learning and practicing steps.
Through his obedience and willingness to improve, Jefferson got to experience many things in the world of ballet that he never imagined. “Nakapag-compete ako sa CCP at nakaalis ng bansa dahil nagkaroon kami ng tour sa Israel!” (I was able to complete at the CCP and I was able to leave the country because we went on tour in Israel.) Here, this Ballet Manila company member is referring to Ballet Manila’s participation in the largest dance celebration in Israel, the Karmiel Dance Festival, where the company performed Ibong Adarna.
Jefferson fondly shares that he enjoyed performing in front of non-Filipino audiences around Israel, and the differences in territory and food culture. “May time na nag-aalala sila sa posibleng giyera na mangyari, pero sinabi pa rin ng lahat na ‘the show will go on.’ Tapos, hindi ko rin makalimutan ang paghanap ko ng kanin sa Israel! Makanin po kasi talaga ako na tao. Kahit dancer ako, malakas talaga ako sa kanin. Dahil walang kanin doon, puro manok na lang ako, at bumawi na lang sa pagkain ng kanin nang nakauwi.” (There was a time they were concerned about the possibility of a war happening, but they also noted that the show will go on. And then I won’t forget the time when I was searching for rice to eat. I’m a rice person even if I’m a dancer, you see. And since there was no rice, I just settled for eating lots of chicken. I just made up in eating rice when I got back home.)
Jefferson (left, with fellow company artist Noah Esplana in Munting Pangarap at Star City) says he’d like to enjoy dancing for as long as he can.
Clearly happy with his work family, Jefferson says he knew he would continue his dance journey when the pandemic happened. “Nagbuhat ako ng semento at pumasok din sa construction para makatulong sa bahay. Pero walang beses na hindi ko naisip ang ballet. Alam ko na ititigil ko ang lahat kung magbukas ulit ang ballet.” (I carried cement and got into construction to help my family. I didn’t stop thinking about ballet though. I knew that once the studios opened, I’d drop everything and dance.)
Jefferson shares that since he was serious about continuing ballet, he would still make it a point to attend company classes in the morning before jumping into his difficult job of carrying cement bags. “Mahirap talaga ang mga panahong ’yon! Sobrang hirap magklase sa bahay dahil masikip. May time nga na nasanggi ko ang aming electric fan! Kaya naman pagbalik ko sa studio, sobrang saya ko!” (Times were very difficult back then! It was so hard to do company classes online because of the limited space. I even hit our electric fan while dancing at home, so when the studios opened, I was so happy because of the big space we can dance in.)
After the long periods of lockdown, Jefferson says he’s now more conscious of bringing out his best in any role he’s assigned. “Kapag mayroong role na pina-aral sa akin, sinisiguro ko na pinag-aaralan ko ito agad. Hindi mo kasi alam kung kailan mo ito masasayaw o kung masasayaw mo pa.” (Whenever I’m asked to learn a role, I make sure that I attend to it right away. You never know when you’ll be able to dance it or if you’d actually be able to.)
For his contemporary piece in the 2018 CCP Ballet Competition, Jefferson danced Rudy De Dios’ boxing-themed choreography, In the Red Corner.
“Ingat na ingat na rin ako ngayon,” asserts Jefferson who’s closer to his 30s. “Dati nag-ba-basketball ako tuwing may free time pero bigla kong naisip na puwede akong ma-injure doon.” (I’m now very careful with the things I do. Before, I used to play basketball when I have free time, but then I realized that there’s a chance I might get injured.)
He then notes that he stopped basketball because he has a responsibility towards the company to take care of his body and to perform the multiple roles he has been given to the best of his ability. “Gusto ko rin talaga ma-enjoy ang pagsasayaw hanggang makakaya ko pa. At hindi mo ito magagawa kung may injury ka.” (I also want to enjoy dancing for as long as I can. And you cannot do this if you have an injury.)
The company artist concludes, “Kung gusto mo talagang mag-ballet, dapat may disiplina ka. Kailangan na aralin at gawin mo ang lahat ng tinuturo sa iyo dahil ito lang ang paraan para mag-improve ka.” (If you really want to be in ballet, you need to have discipline. You have to study and do what is taught you because that’s the only way you’ll improve.)
Photos by Giselle P. Kasilag
Discipline and willingness to learn are the two traits one must take to heart if one wants to be in ballet, shares Jefferson.
