By Susan A. De Guzman

Like his character in Ibong Adarna – Don Juan, the youngest brother among three princes – danseur Joshua Enciso feels he still has to prove himself to his elders in Ballet Manila. Finding himself in an interview together with four other principal artists, all older and more experienced than him, he is unusually quiet and his words measured. He is diffident, referring to them as Ate (Abigail Oliveiro), Kuya (Mark Sumaylo) or Sir (Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Romeo Peralta Jr.).

In his debut as Juan in the full-length ballet, Joshua is no doubt feeling the weight of his role. If the hero in the story must undertake the search for the magical bird where his brothers leave off, the dancer must show he can give justice to the lead character that has been thrust upon him.

“Pressure rin, kasi mga seniors ang kasama. ‘Yung choreography hindi ordinaryong modern, medyo strict. So kailangang sumunod para hindi mapahiya. Veterans na sila eh, bago ‘yung role sa akin kaya kailangan ko talagang pagbutihan,” he notes. (There’s also pressure because I’m working with senior dancers. The choreography is not an ordinary modern one, it’s quite strict. So I need to conform so I won’t lose face. Since they’re veterans and the role is new to me, I really need to be good at it.)

That Joshua has been entrusted with this key role is already a huge vote of confidence for the young man who recently turned 23 and who was just promoted to principal dancer end of last year. When Ibong Adarna premiered in 2017, he was still a member of Ballet Manila’s junior company and was assigned to the corps. In that initial run and in succeeding ones since as a soloist, he has taken on a variety of roles as part of the corps.

He was among the dancers in the palace, played one of the monkeys and was also a hunter. “Naging bamboo holder din at saka naging feather,” Joshua adds, referring to the props used to depict Juan’s journey across mountain and sea and being part of the Adarna’s wings. “Kaya brand new, fresh start; ibang role na because you’re in front compared sa corps na hindi nakikita ‘yung iba.” (That’s why this is brand new, a fresh start; it’s a different role already because you’re in front compared to the corps where not everyone is seen.)

Joshua admits to feeling anxious about assuming the mantle of Juan. Medyo kabado na excited naman,” he shares. (A bit nervous but also quite excited.) He is thankful that his peers in the lead cast, as well as choreographer Gerardo Francisco Jr., have been supportive and encouraging of him throughout their rehearsals. From the outset, Geri reminded him to be physically ready for the role. ”Kung wala kang stamina dito, hindi magwo-work. ‘Yun ang una kong sinabi kay Joshua,” says Geri. (If you don’t have stamina for this, it won’t work. That’s the first thing I told Joshua.)

Romeo recalls telling Joshua what the pacing is like in Adarna. “Sinabi ko sa kanya nu’ng nag-start, sa first part, relaxed ka diyan, entrance lang ‘yan. Pero sa second part, ikaw lahat ‘yan from start to end, so dapat ready ka. Tuloy-tuloy na ‘yan. (I told him when we started that in the first part, he can still relax because he only has to worry about the entrance. But in the second part, that’s you from start to end, so you should be ready. It’s non-stop.) 

What Joshua has going for him, says Mark, is that he’s very capable. “He’s very open-minded so it’s also easier to work with him.”

As for his “Ate Abi” (Ibong Adarna) whom he is partnering for the first time, Joshua can get somewhat intimidated. But the ballerina is the first one to allay his fears, stressing, “I trust him completely. I’m always just like, let’s go for it!”

With a pas de deux in Act 2, representing Don Juan pursuing and eventually catching the Adarna, Joshua and Abi have been figuring out how they can work most effectively together. This is, after all, Abi’s first time to be partnered by Joshua too. “It’s wonderful that I don’t know Joshua that well, and never had that level of characterization with him before. It helps to have a new cast member (in the lead) because the feelings are different, the reactions are different. When you’re in the zone together, it creates something else. I’m having a great time with Joshua!” Abi enthuses.

Since the part calls for a lot of mime, Joshua has also been getting pointers on how to project himself better as Don Juan. Romeo advises him to make his movements bigger and more pronounced, especially when he is alone on stage, so that the audience’s attention remains focused on him. Joshua is realizing that there are times when he should temper his miming so that he can turn in a more nuanced performance.

“Feeling ko nag-mature na rin ako sa movements at sa mime. Pero minsan parang sumosobra which Sir Geri corrects. Like ‘yung sa umpisa, sa palace, sasabihin niya konti lang muna. Huwag gigil na gigil,” Joshua laughs. (I feel I’ve also matured in movements and in miming. But sometimes, maybe it’s too much so Sir Geri corrects me. Like at the start, in the palace, he would say just give a little first. Don’t go all out yet.)

Asked how he is handling the much heralded fight scene in Act 2, Joshua ruefully replies, “Malinis na ‘yung sahig! Mino-mop ko na sa sobrang pawis.” (The floor is already so clean! I’m already mopping it up with so much sweat.) This is the part when Pedro and Diego plot against Juan, agreeing to snatch the Adarna from him so they can take the bird to the palace and be regarded as the heroes who saved the king. Juan is outmatched and takes a severe beating in this scene that unravels at a heart-stopping rate.

Joshua now understands the physical toll Ibong Adarna exacts from its dancers. “Galing ako sa corps. Noon, maraming time between dances na puwede ka uminom ng tubig at maka-recover. Pero eto, dire-diretso talaga. Hinahanap ko ‘yung parts na puwede akong huminga. Kailangan kong huminga nang malalim kasi nga dire-diretso siya.” (I came from the corps. Before, there was a lot of time between dances that you could drink water and to recover. But here, it’s continuous. I’m finding the parts where I can breathe. I need to breathe deeply because it’s really continuous.)

Fortunately, Joshua seems to have found a winning combination that has primed him for the challenge. He has been supplementing Ballet Manila’s Vaganova training in daily company classes with a strengthening and conditioning program designed for him by coach Robert Osorio of BalletSportScience. The program is based on a dancer’s specific needs at a given time. Joshua followed one in preparation for his turn as Romeo in last February’s Romeo & Juliet. Lately, he has been doing a different regimen for Ibong Adarna.

“The intensity of the fight scene is really high that I need to push my movements to be more explosive and powerful,” Joshua states. “Dancing alongside Kuya Mark and Sir Romeo who have really good physiques, I need to push myself and gain more muscle mass and toning. So I can look better as Don Juan.”

Coach Robert modified Joshua’s peaking approach with more power exercises and floor exercises to keep up with the physical demands of the role, particularly of the fight scene, and to increase muscle toning exercises for the arms, shoulders and upper body. Nutrition was also modified and food intake was increased for body recovery and muscle mass development and to keep the energy level high.

Early this year, Joshua weighed around 66 kilograms. Now, he has been able to push towards 72 to 73 kilograms. “I gained more muscles while keeping my body fat level low. That gave me more definition in my upper body. I’m also more explosive in my movement and definitely stronger in partnering lifts,” cites Joshua. 

After the Adarna shows, he will transition to a different program in preparation for a Romeo & Juliet performance in September, with an aim to scale back to a range of 67 to 69 kilograms and to also highlight his abs.

Joshua says he takes his dancing seriously that he is willing to go to such lengths to ensure he is in top form to tackle the role given him. “(Being Don Juan) is hard; first time ko gagawin. Kailangan as a dancer, maipakita mo ‘yung fresh version, ‘yung steps, sa audience. Mas ma-e-enhance pa naman. May time pa para malinis lahat.” (Being Don Juan is hard; it’s my first time to do it. As a dancer, you need to show the fresh version, the steps, to the audience. But it can still be enhanced. There’s still time to polish everything.”

Photos by Giselle P. Kasilag

Related links:

Ballet Manila’s ‘Ibong Adarna’: A virtual exhibition

Perfecting Adarna: Gerardo Francisco Jr. takes his masterpiece to the next level

Ibong Adarna: A legendary tale borne on the wings of good old family values

Mark Sumaylo embraces each role as if it was his last

Romeo Peralta Jr. leaps into villain territory once more in ‘Ibong Adarna’

Abigail Oliveiro is ready to make Ibong Adarna soar