From moving across the US to across the world: Francesca Raypon’s ballet journey
With Ballet Manila, Francesca Raypon (center, in Augustus Damian’s Sotto Voce) gets to experience dance in its many forms. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
By Jv Ramos
Having been born to a mother who was a principal dancer with Ballet Philippines and having a grandmother who was part of the Bayanihan dance company and taught Filipino folk dance in US-based universities, Filipino-American Francesca Raypon naturally gravitated to dance at a very young age.
Company artist Francesca Raypon may be a newbie in Ballet Manila, but she’s quickly learned to adapt to its quick pace and packed schedule. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
She was only three when she started her training in ballet, and after just a few months of dancing, she found herself wanting to participate in her kindergarten talent show. “That must be my earliest memory of performing. My mom had choreographed steps around the music I liked, but I ended up forgetting all those when I was on stage. That didn’t stop me though – I just moved and moved according to the music I heard,” recalls the ballerina. “I guess that moment was a testament that I had it in me to dance and perform.”
From training in the classical style with her mom, Grethel Domingo Raypon, until her teenage years, Francesca moved from California to North Carolina to further her ballet training. “I was only 15 back then, but since I was always independent-minded as a child, my parents trusted me to move across the country on my own, and then to Canada when I was 17 to 18,” informs the ballerina. “And it was in those years – when I was doing and working for everything for myself without being affected by external factors – that I realized I really wanted to have a career in ballet. Before those years, I honestly was still open to going to college, but being on my own made me figure out what I really
wanted.”
Determined to be a professional ballerina, Francesca enjoyed a two-year stint with the Toronto-based National Ballet of Canada. After graduating from high school in Canada, she then joined the junior company of Orlando Ballet in Florida.
“I just love the way I feel when I dance,” enthuses Francesca (left), performing in a scene from Giselle which Ballet Manila staged in August 2024. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
“Yes, there were times when ballet would turn very stressful and you tend to even experience burnout. I think I experienced this when I had to do a lot of auditions – but I found that the only way to get through my struggles as a dancer is (to power) through (them),” expresses Francesca. “I will show up in the studio, even if I don’t feel like it and keep doing so until the spark comes back. Because for me, the spark I get from dancing always comes back. Maybe, it has a lot to do with still being young, but really, I just love the way I feel when I dance.”
How she found Ballet Manila had to do with her taking a vacation in the Philippines back in 2023. Since she had shows to do with the Orlando Ballet as soon as she returned to the US, Francesca decided to take a few classes in Manila to stay fit. “My mom recommended that I take classes with Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s company, and though I was only a guest at her studio for two days, it made a big impact on my technique and dancing. I remember that the people here were very attentive to what I would do, and they gave me insightful corrections. I was very grateful for it.”
In 2023, while on a break from the US, Francesca took classes with Ballet Manila under artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde. Little did she know she would soon join the company. Photo from Grethel Raypon’s Facebook page
Little did she know that Ballet Manila would be the next stop in her dance journey. Fast forward to June 2024, Francesca would officially join Ballet Manila as a company artist. She had to adjust to learning choreography quickly, rehearsing for different performances, always being ready to step into roles in case a female dancer needs to be replaced. “I admit, the way they do things here took a bit of getting used to, but I’m so grateful for the challenges I’ve been through.”
Francesca (sixth from left, as a wili in Giselle) finds corps work rewarding. “I like the whole idea of dancers working hard together in the studio to be able to perform as one on stage.” Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Francesca elaborates, “I really am grateful to be here and dancing alongside like-minded and fantastic Filipino dancers. There’s something so heartwarming about it. People here are very welcoming, which is great, but I also appreciate the challenge that comes with dancing with peers who work hard and strive for things. This kind of environment encourages me to strive for those things as well.”
Among her favorite moments with Ballet Manila so far is learning to dance as one of the willis in Giselle. “There’s just something so rewarding about doing corps work. I like the whole idea of dancers working hard together in the studio to be able to perform as one on stage. There’s really nothing like it when you’re able to achieve something together,” she comments.
Francesca is also very thankful that the company has given her the opportunity to be part of its performance tours. “Here, I’ve experienced many firsts,” she attests. After just a few months of being with the company, she already took part in Ballet Manila’s Greatest Hits in Malaysia and Le Corsaire in Indonesia.
Francesca (center, in Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s La Traviata) unwinds by listening to music, reading books and crocheting. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Asked how she’s adjusting to life in Manila, the ballerina shares that since she grew up with her Filipino relatives, she’s used to the culture and food. “My dad’s mom would always cook for us growing up, and that made me love having rice all the time! I also think that the bustling city fits my personality. I’m grateful to be here to dance, and live with my family, who have relocated here in Manila even before me.”
If there’s anything that she particularly dislikes, it’s the holiday traffic, which made it impossible for her travel from the studio to her home daily last Christmas season. “I just had to work with it and stay at the girls’ dorm for the month of December, since we had a lot of holiday shows.”
Regarding the roles she dreams to play, Juliet from Romeo and Juliet is a standout as she loves the emotional journey and chemistry shown by the lovers in their pas de deux. There’s also the neoclassical Blake Works II, which ballet artists dance to electronic music.
Her interest in ballet began at age three, and it’s a passion Francesca has embraced since. Photo by Giselle Kasilag
“There’s really so much that one can do with ballet, and I just want to experience many of its different forms!”
And what does this ballerina do outside the studio? Francesca claims that reading books, crocheting, and listening to music help her unwind and stay calm when ballet tends to be a little too much. “Doing something else for a bit helps in dealing with the pressures of being a dancer, even if it’s just listening to other kinds of music. I listen to a variety – alternative, older rock, K-pop, electronica. Music is what helps me a lot.”
Now preparing for the company’s 30th season, which starts with The Pearl Gala on March 7 to 9 at Aliw Theater, Francesca is just excited to learn more of Ballet Manila’s repertoire and work once more to be part of the corps in dancing the classics. “I’m very excited to work with the girls for Swan Lake and to be challenged more,” she enthuses. “Over all, being here with the company has been great!”
