Ballet scholar Germaine Dawal on how setbacks turned him into a better dancer
At 17, Germaine Dawal is enjoying all opportunities to dance, including in the LMSB recital production, Clara’s Journey (2023), inspired by The Nutcracker. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
By Jv Ramos
“Still can’t believe what just happened.”
Germaine Dawal, a scholar of Ballet Manila’s Project Futures program, has come quite a long way since he unexpectedly entered the world of ballet several years ago. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
This was the first sentence of an appreciation post that Germaine Dawal – a scholar of the Project Ballet Futures program of Ballet Manila (BM) and a student of the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet (LMSB) – shared on the night of June 9.
There was indeed a surreal feel to what he had experienced just hours before when, at the close of the International Ballet Grand Prix (IBGP) Philippines competition, he ended up winning the major awards in the Senior 15-17 Division. He not only scored the first prize and Grand Award in both the Ballet and Contemporary categories in his age bracket, he also received six scholarships and an apprenticeship from various dance schools abroad.
“Hakot!” (A sweep!) was the exact description of Eileen Lopez, LMSB faculty member and BM co-artistic associate, who witnessed what happened at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater. At the awarding ceremonies on finals night, Germaine’s name kept getting called that he would return to center stage again and again to receive each new accolade. So can anyone blame him if he felt like it was all just a dream?
Germaine’s parents, Katherine Dawal and Gener Dawal, celebrate with him on his big night after he swept the awards at the International Ballet Grand Prix. Photo by Eileen Lopez
In his Facebook post, Germaine enthused: “Thank you so much @ibgps! I am incredibly thankful to receive these awards and scholarships. An honor that I will cherish deeply.” He also expressed gratitude to his teachers and mentors, citing LMSB school director and BM artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde, BM co-artistic associate Gerardo Francisco Jr., LMSB modern dance teacher Martin Lawrance who choreographed his contemporary piece, and LMSB faculty members Eileen Lopez and Sofie Sangco-Peralta “for being with me and guiding me throughout this competition.”
Summing up his post, Germain wrote: “Words can’t express how grateful I am. Maraming salamat po sa inyo!”
Turning 17 just last June 30, this dancer has come quite a long way since he first unexpectedly entered the world of ballet several years ago. “Unang-una, hindi ko po talaga gusto ang ballet,” Germaine candidly shares. Here, he’s recalling the time when LMSB representatives visited his school to recruit the next batch of kids for BM’s scholarship program. “Pumayag lang ako na mag-audition dahil narinig ko na puwede akong makapunta sa ibang bansa kapag natanggap.” (At first, I really wasn’t into ballet. I just auditioned because they said that you might have the chance to go to another country if you get accepted.)
What Germaine didn’t realize was that the road to performing abroad would actually entail years of training in the studio and sacrificing fun times that boys his age would normally engage in. He admits that learning the Vaganova technique – which is espoused at LMSB and BM – is difficult. “Tinuloy-tuloy ko lang talaga dahil naibahan ako sa technique. Bilang isang hip-hop dancer, na-challenge ako sa technique ng ballet. At kapag na-challenge ako, hindi ako tumitigil hangga’t makuha ko.” (I just continued my training because it was something different. Being a hip-hop dancer, the Vaganova technique challenged me, and when I get challenged, I don’t stop until I get it.)
In Ang Prinsipe ng mga Ibon, one of the stories in Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, Germaine (leftmost) and fellow scholar John Stanley Alamer join their leader, the Bird Prince (Romeo Peralta), in rescuing a kingdom in peril. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
As the months passed, Germaine would find that it wasn’t just about the thrill of challenges anymore that made him go back to the studio daily, after his regular school. He genuinely began enjoying ballet and dreaming of himself, along with his Project Ballet Futures batchmates, transforming into dancers just like the artists of Ballet Manila that they got to see rehearsing.
“Siyempre, mas nag-seryoso ako nu’ng dumating na ang oras na mamimili na raw sila ng mga bata para sa competition! Pinagbuti ko talaga ang mga klase ko dito, at nag-behave na rin,” he says, laughingly admitting that he tended to be called out repeatedly in class for his mischievous ways. (Of course, I became even more serious when they announced that they were going to select boys to join a competition. I really gave it my all in my classes and became a behaved student.)
From being the naughty kid in class, Germaine was determined to develop his technique and artistry, and soon was enlisted for his first Asian Grand Prix in 2018. “Pero noong nag-compete na ako, nadulas ako at hindi na nakapag-finals. Iyak ako nang iyak noon. Ang sakit na hanggang doon lang ang narating ko!’ (But when I competed, I slipped in my performance and failed to make it to the finals. I cried and cried. It was unbearable to only make it that far in a competition.)
Still a newcomer to Ballet Manila at age 11 in 2018, Germaine already showed remarkable flexibility. Photo by MarBi Photography
Germaine only felt better when Osias “Shaz” Barroso, the late co-artistic director of Ballet Manila and one of the PBF scholars’ mentors, hugged and assured him that other chances would come his way if he continued putting in the work. “Nasisigawan ako lagi ni Sir Shaz dahil nga makulit ako. Pero siya rin ang unang lumapit sa akin nu’ng di ko mapigilan ang iyak ko,” the teen danseur recalls. (Sir Shaz used to shout at me often because I would misbehave in class. But Sir Shaz was also the first one to comfort me at my lowest.)
Touched by the kindness and the hope that his teacher had for his students, Germaine worked even harder, and tries his best to abide by the words of Sir Shaz – “Dapat may disiplina sa sarili sa loob at labas ng studio.” (You need to have discipline in and out of the studio.)
Soon, Germaine would become one of the noticeable young danseurs in performances and competitions. “Tuloy-tuloy lang ang pag-angat namin sa ballet, pero nu’ng dumating ang pandemic, may mga oras na talagang iniisip ko na i-give-up na ang ballet. Hindi kasi kami nakakapunta ng studio, at sa bahay, hindi mo magawa nang maayos ang steps.” (We enjoyed working to get to the next level, but when the pandemic came, there were times that I just wanted to quit ballet. Because we couldn’t go to the studio, and at home, we couldn’t do the steps right.)
Thankfully, the scholar managed to weather the discouraging lockdowns as he and his peers encouraged one another. “Sinasabihan namin ang isa’t-isa na ipagpatuloy lang, dahil may mararating naman ang training namin.” (We would keep telling each other that we should continue because our training would lead somewhere.) Indeed, they soon found themselves filming variations and submitting these to the Asian Grand Prix for its online competition and, in the past two years, competing in person again and dancing with Ballet Manila company artists in season productions back in the theater.
As Project Ballet Futures scholars, Germaine (second from right) and Juan Angelo De Leon are page boys delivering an invitation from the palace to the wicked stepmother (John Balagot) in Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s Cinderella (2018). Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
“Nakakatulong talaga kapag sinasabihan ka na kaya mo! Hanggang ngayon, nawawala ang kaba ko kapag nababasa ko ang mga mensaheng pinapadala ng company members!” (It also helps to hear from others that you can do it. Until now, I forget how nervous I am in competitions when I read the words of encouragement of the company members.)
Germaine adds that he also appreciates their frankness. A year ago, in the Asian Grand Prix, he missed the finals and his disappointment showed in the photos taken at the event. “Masakit makita ang mga kasama mo na manalo kahit sobrang masaya ka para sa kanila,” Germaine opens up. “Sabay-sabay kasi kaming umangat kaya pakiramdam ko na napag-iwanan ako noon. Na-down ako pero ito rin ang nagpagana sa akin na mag-push pa!” (It’s difficult to see your peers and friends win, even if you’re very happy for them… We went through the levels together, so not making it to the finals made me feel that I was being left behind. It really got me down but it also motivated me to push harder.)
He acknowledges that at the time, he may have lost his focus because his attention was divided between ballet and basketball varsity. “Sinabihan ako nila Kuya JC [company artist John Carl Concepcion] na nasa tamang edad na ako para piliin ang tama o ang talagang gusto ko.” (JC reminded me that I was already of age to choose what’s right or to prioritize what I really wanted to do.)
Cast as one of the guards in Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s Le Corsaire last February, Germaine (left) helps carry the Pasha (Sean Pelegrin) in one of the pirate ballet’s scenes. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Realizing that ballet meant more to him, Germaine later opted to let go of his place in the varsity team, and pushed himself to put in more hours in the studio. He also thought basketball might put him at risk to injuries that could derail his progress in ballet.
Germaine notes that every setback is actually an opportunity for a dancer to figure out what he can improve on, and that it can also be a reminder to change certain things. Asked what’s the best way to come out of competitions successfully, this teenager says that one should apply corrections once the teacher gives them. The body basically must get used to moving the right way, because in competitions, “mag-isa ka lang sa stage at wala nang magbibigay ng corrections sa iyo, (you’re alone on stage and no one will be there to offer you corrections anymore),” he reasons.
He also stresses the importance of finding a space in the competition venue where one can get rid of all worries and just focus on executing variations the best way you can. “At siyempre, importante sa competition at pati na rin sa mga performances na ngumiti ka!” (Of course, it’s important in competitions and also in performances that you smile!)
Called out repeatedly for being naughty in class by his late mentor Osias Barroso Jr., Germaine says he has reformed and always recalls the words of Teacher Shaz: “Dapat may disiplina sa sarili sa loob at labas ng studio.” (You need to have discipline in and out of the studio.) Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
After being cast in LMSB’s recent recital show, featuring Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s Cinderella, Germaine is rehearsing for BM’s show in Malaysia in September. Germaine says he doesn’t mind the long days and the stress that come with balancing academics (he’s now in Grade 11) and ballet. He considers everything he does as an opportunity to become a better dancer.
“Dream role? Marami ako! Gusto ko ma-experience ang malalakas na roles kagaya ng Basilio [in Don Quixote], [Conrad in] Le Corsaire at Acteon [in Diane and Acteon], at pati na rin ang mga nakakalungkot na roles kagaya ni Romeo sa Romeo & Juliet at Albrecht sa Giselle. Gusto ko iba-iba para ma-push ko pa ang sarili ko.” (I have so many dream roles! I want to experience the powerful roles like Basilio, Corsaire and Acteon, and also the dramatic roles like Romeo in Romeo & Juliet and Albrecht in Giselle. I want to be able to dance a variety of roles so I can push myself to be better.)
