Inspired by a cartoon ballerina, apprentice Shamira Drapete is now making her own ballet dreams come true
Ballet Manila apprentice Shamira Drapete (center) is happy with her fourth-place finish at the 2023 Asian Grand Prix in Hong Kong last December where she competed in the Junior B division with Ballet Manila scholars John Stanley Alamer (left) and Juan Angelo De Leon. Photo courtesy of Shamira Drapete
By Jv Ramos
A mouseling who loves ballet has introduced millions of little girls all over the world to classical dance. Ballet Manila apprentice Shamira Drapete is no exception. Indeed, picture-book character Angelina Ballerina not only inspired her to take up ballet – at the tender age of three and half – but it also sparked what is now turning into a serious career for the 16-year-old dancer.
At 16, the world is at Shamira Drapete’s feet. Interviewed at the Ballet Manila Archives, the apprentice says she is excited about the company’s 26th performance season as it means more opportunities to dance.
Proof-positive was her recent performance in the 2023 Asian Grand Prix (AGP) International Ballet Competition in Hong Kong where she placed fourth in the Junior B division, a big leap from her eighth-place finish the previous year. “She made a grand jeté to 4th place!” remarks Eileen Lopez, Ballet Manila co-artistic associate and faculty member at the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet (LMSB) which Shamira represented in AGP.
And it all began with a dancing mouse with big dreams.
“Honestly, I got into ballet because of Angelina Ballerina. When I was kid, because I liked what the character did, I kept telling my mother that I’d like to try ballet,” she discloses. Since Shamira just kept bringing it up, her mom Shiela obliged and brought her to the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet, and in no time, the curious child got hooked and would spend most of her free time there. Even when she was attending regular school already, she kept taking ballet lessons and would enroll in summer classes in tap and jazz.
“I really liked that they exposed me to other kinds of dance. I think all the variety they introduced has made me a better dancer and not just a ballerina,” Shamira says.
Company artist Alvin Dictado partners Shamira in Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s Cinderella, Ballet Manila’s Christmas offering last December where they performed as one of the dancing couples at the palace.
When she entered her teen years, she heard about auditions for the Philippine High School for the Arts and applied. She got in and pursued the ballet track. As a PHSA student, Shamira stayed in a dormitory on the Makiling campus, going home to Quezon City only on weekends. “Were my parents worried about me being away from home? No. I guess, growing up, they really saw my interest in dance, so they kept supporting me. Hindi nila ako pinigilan kahit maraming klase akong sinasalihan!” (My parents never stopped me from dancing even when I was taking so many classes.)
Shamira notes that it was in one of her extra classes that her connection to Ballet Manila began. “When I wasn’t tired yet from my travels from Makiling to Quezon City, I’d still take class under Teacher Sofie (Peralta) at (LMSB’s branch in) Fisher Mall.” This was in 2019. Seeing her potential, a recommendation was soon made to school directress and Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde.
Even when the pandemic hit, Shamira and her friend decided to continue taking online classes with LMSB. “To make things a bit comfortable, my mom did a lot of adjustments at home. She bought a barre and covered the living room with linoleum just so we could take classes properly.” Though the set-up was good but far from ideal, she persisted.
Shamira (right) and company artist Elyssabeth Apilado are cast in the OPM Suite presented as part of Ballet Manila’s The Silver Gala in Baguio City last October.
Asked why she kept continuing her training, Shamira replies, “Every little thing attracts me about dance. Gusto ko ang mga nangyayari on and off stage. Gusto ko ang mga corrections na ibinibigay tuwing rehearsals. Grabe! Ang specific ng ballet! Ang akala mong puwede na, may igaganda pa pala.” (I like what happens on and off stage. I like it when corrections are given during rehearsals. I’m just amazed at how specific ballet is! You realize that what you think is already good can still be improved.)
For her, it’s a great satisfaction to get a reaction from people she is dancing for. “It’s so fulfilling to be able to perform well and see the audience truly enjoying your performance after going through many rehearsals.”
Though disappointed with how the lockdowns took away studio and stage time, Shamira did her best to keep up with her training, which resulted in participating in ballet competitions – online at first, of course – and when the lockdowns were done, an invitation to take part in Ballet Manila’s performances. Getting a taste of being part of a professional ballet company, she eventually decided to sign up as an apprentice after finishing junior high school.
Shamira feels that the daily training she has been getting has helped her hone her skills, a contributing factor to her marked improvement in last December’s AGP Finals. Apart from leveling up on technique and artistry, she points out it’s equally important to strengthen one’s mental fitness. “Competitions really are a mind game!” she says, noting that it involves learning how to dance one’s best in a short period of time while not giving in to the jitters.
Before flying to Hong Kong for the Asian Grand Prix, Shamira performed her competition piece Paquita, 6th Variation, Act 2 from Paquita for the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet’s year-end recital.
For Shamira, what has worked is not watching the other AGP participants – and getting a little help from back home. “Before competing, I messaged Ate Abi (Abigail “Abi” Oliveiros, Ballet Manila principal dancer) and asked for backstage pep talk.” Among the things that Abi reminded her, says Shamira, was to calm down because she already knew the dance well, that she was well-prepared because the teachers rehearsed her, and that she’s still a great dancer no matter the result of the competition.
“Ate Abi is one of the dancers I really look up to, and she really has a calming presence, so her pep talk really worked! Of course, I also wanted to do well for Teacher Eileen, because she really worked hard to prepare us for the competition.”
Shamira recalls there was a euphoric feeling among the Ballet Manila delegation in Hong Kong. Aside from her landing in fourth place, Ballet Manila scholar Juan Angelo De Leon had bagged AGP’s Youth Grand Prix award while scholar John Stanley Alamer won the bronze. All three had competed in the same division with finalists from various countries.
“Dahil nanalo si Gelo (Angelo de Leon) ng Youth Grand Prix, nagpakain siya! Sobrang saya namin na kumakain kaming sama-sama sa 12th floor,” Shamira relates. “Masaya rin kami dahil alam namin na pagbalik naman dito, may rehearsal na kami agad para sa Cinderella. Back to work na ulit kami!” (Because he won, Gelo treated us all. We were overjoyed just eating together on the 12th floor. We were also happy knowing that when we returned to Manila, we would immediately be joining the Cinderella rehearsals. We were going back to work!)
In Gerardo Francisco Jr.’s Ibong Adarna, Shamira (left) is one of the palace maidens in the ballet epic’s opening scene.
With much eagerness in her voice, Shamira shares how she is looking forward to the 26th season of Ballet Manila which starts later this month with Le Corsaire. “We have a busy lineup and I’m excited. That just means there are more opportunities!”
Asked if she has ever reached a point wherein she got tired of dancing, the ballerina replies, “When that happens, I just remember why I started and what I want from ballet. I really want to dance so many roles. There’s Juliet, Giselle, and Carmen due to their tragic deaths and the acting required for the classics. Mercedes from Don Quixote and the stepsister from Cinderella because I think I could really play and experiment with those characters, and from BM’s contemporary dances, I wanna be in Arachnida, MAZN, and El Adwa.”
The Ballet Manila apprentice concludes, “Siguro hindi rin ako madaling ma-discourage dahil nag-e-enjoy ako sa ginagawa ko at marami pa akong gustong abutin dito sa ballet!” (Maybe I don’t easily get discouraged because I’m really enjoying what I’m doing and I have so many things in ballet that I’d like to achieve!)
And it’s all thanks to a tiny dancing mouse that Shamira is now making her own ballerina dreams come true!
Photos by Giselle P. Kasilag
Shamira counts Juliet, Giselle, and Carmen among her dream classical roles.
