Ballet Manila scholars, LMSB students bag honors at AGP Manila Regionals
Ballet Manila co-artistic associate Gerardo Francisco Jr. (center) with four of LMSB’s AGP Manila Regionals medalists: (from left) John Stanley Alamer, Loraine Gaile Jarlega, Juan Angelo De Leon and Shamira Drapete.
Following up on their successful participation in last July’s International Ballet Grand Prix, Ballet Manila scholars Angelo De Leon and John Stanley Alamer bagged new honors at the Asian Grand Prix Global Regional Competition (Manila) held at Aliw Theater over the weekend.
De Leon was named Junior B gold medalist, dancing the Colas variation from La Fille Mal Gardée, and Alamer Junior B bronze medalist for his Franz variation from Coppélia. Ten other students of the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet (LMSB) also received medals and merit awards in the Manila Regionals.
School directress Lisa Macuja-Elizalde (center) and teachers Sofia Sangco-Peralta (leftmost) and Eileen Lopez (rightmost) join the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet participants for a group photo at the Asian Grand Prix Global Competition Regionals: (standing, from left) Nina Arabella Nuñez, Loraine Gaile Jarlega, John Stanley Alamer, Juan Angelo De Leon, Shamira Veronica Drapete, Jacinda Myrtle Gonzaga, (kneeling, from left) Ainslea Elizabeth Esplana, Julianne Keiko Bañez, Bea Marie Elizabeth Panigbatan, Louisa Micai De Guzman, Anne Bernice Allenda and Rosa Diana Macabunga.
The medalists and their respective competition pieces were: Loraine Gaile Jarlega, Senior silver, (Esmeralda variation from La Esmeralda); Shamira Veronica Drapete, Junior B silver (Soloist 6th variation from Paquita); Anne Bernice Allenda, Junior A silver (Lise variation from La Fille Mal Gardée); Julianne Keiko Bañez, Junior A bronze (Pas de Trois Girl 1st variation from Paquita); Nina Arabela Nuñez, Performance B, bronze (Soloist 11th variation from Paquita); Louisa Micai De Guzman, Performance B, Bronze (Silver Fairy variation, The Sleeping Beauty).
Merit awards were given to: Jacinda Myrtle Gonzaga (Bridesmaid 1st variation from Don Quixote); Ainslea Elizabeth Esplana (Pas de Trois Girl 1st variation from Swan Lake); Rosa Diana Macabunga (Peasant Girl variation from Giselle); and Bea Marie Elizabeth Panigbatan (Silver Fairy variation from The Sleeping Beauty).
LMSB participants were coached and guided by teachers Eileen Lopez, Sofia Sangco-Peralta and Gerardo Francisco Jr.
Aside from Manila, AGP Global Regional Competitions are also being held in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Mainland China, Osaka, Singapore, Sydney and Taipei.
Qualified candidates from the various Regionals will then move on to the Asian Grand Prix Finals scheduled on December 11 to 16 at Y-Theatre, Youth Square in Chai Wan, Hong Kong. The competition is returning to its original home in Hong Kong, after its first on-site Finals returning from the pandemic were held in Bangkok, Thailand last December.