After healing from a first-time ballet injury, Marinette Franco is happy to be back dancing
Company artist Marinette Franco (right, with apprentice Shamira Drapete) dances one of the technically challenging variations in Paquita for The Pearl Gala last March. Photo by Erickson Dela Cruz
By Jv Ramos
Marinette Franco grew up with Ballet Manila, so anytime a performance calls the dancers to showcase their Vaganova training, she’s always one of those to get excited about the process. “There’s just a different kind of fulfillment to dancing something so classical and very technical, and when you’re able to do it with the rest of the corps,” she comments. It’s no wonder why this company artist was very disappointed to have to give up dancing Giselle in last year’s performance season due to an injury.
Marinette Franco stands beside a poster of Ballet Manila’s 2005 Swan Lake which she recalls was the first show of the company she ever watched – and inspired her to try ballet. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
It all happened one Friday rehearsal. As the girls were reviewing Tony Fabella’s Dancing to Verdi for their upcoming performance in Malaysia, Marinette’s toe slid under the linoleum, causing her to fall forward. “I got to stand up after the fall, but when I did, I realized that I couldn’t move around so much, so the boys came over to help me to the side,” recalls the ballerina.
“When I fell, I did hear a pop! And I thought it was just a simple pop, like when you play with your knuckles, or when you overstretch.” But when she underwent an X-ray, as advised by coach Robert Osorio of Ballet Sports Science, the results revealed a fracture. “At first, I couldn’t believe it, because I felt that I could move myself around. I mean, something was painful, but I could manage to slowly walk around. I guess I expected a fracture to hurt more than what I was feeling? It was difficult for me to believe the results, since I’d never even been sprained.”
As it was her first time to experience an injury, Marinette didn’t know what the next steps were. She went from asking herself “Ano nga ba ang gagawin ng isang dancer kung injured?” (What does an injured dancer do?) to realizing and accepting her fate. “There was frustration the moment the fracture was revealed, and I knew already at that time that I wouldn’t be able to make it to Giselle. But I also made it a point to make that the end of my frustration. I told myself: This is just an injury. Once it heals, I’d be back dancing again.”
Performing in her first Swan Lake in 2017, Marinette (fifth girl from left) is thrilled to be part of the corps again when the ballet classic returns in May. Photo by Erickson Dela Cruz
Determined to start her healing, Marinette brought her X-ray results the following Monday to Dr. Antonio Rivera. Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s orthopedic surgeon has become the go-to doctor to consult when such injuries occur. “I wanted an ortho’s certificate and to know how long I’d be away from dancing, and when I had my appointment, Dr. Rivera gave me an air cast which was a big help in my getting back quicky.”
The ballerina notes that since her fracture was at the fifth metatarsal, she could move her ankle and other parts of her foot. “Compared to a cloth cast, the air cast was not restrictive to the other areas and could be removed when needed. Dr. Rivera noted that it’s better to not restrict movement on my ankle area.”
As it turns out, Coach Robert echoed the same thing. “He told me that since the rest of my body isn’t out of commission, it’s best to continue working on other areas after a week’s rest while waiting for my fracture to heal. Gusto niyang ready ang buong katawan pag gumaling na ang injury at talagang na-appreciate ko ang advice niya.”
Marinette (right) enjoys playing multiple roles in one production, as she did in Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (2024). Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Marinette adds, “What’s also great about having Coach Robert around was, he made a clear plan with me. Since we knew that I won’t make it for Giselle and Malaysia [for Ballet Manila’s Greatest Hits tour anymore], we spent our weeks training hard to target BM’s performance in Dumaguete as my return to the stage,” shares the ballerina. “Having that plan and having all my questions answered by him and other dancers (who’ve gone through an injury) kept me going. I didn’t feel bad about not being able to dance as I watched my fellow dancers rehearse, because I knew that I just needed to heal to be able to join them again.”
What also helped in her healing was teaching at the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet. Other than helping her forget the seemingly slow passage of time, the activity exercised her mind. “I’ve taught before, and I do appreciate it. As a teacher, I’m really proud when the students remember and are so confident about knowing the steps you’ve taught. I’m also very proud to see that they still know what you’ve taught, even if they’re already being handled by a different teacher,” comments the company artist, who values taking class well and the retention of knowledge, as both are crucial in pursuing a career in ballet and in passing down ballet performances.
Marinette (leftmost) in 2018’s Le Corsaire: “There’s just a different kind of fulfillment to dancing something so classical and very technical, and when you’re able to do it with the rest of the corps.” Photo by Lorelei Casing Photography
As planned, Marinette made her return to performing in Ballet Manila’s Cinderella performance in Dumaguete, which was then followed by a tour in Indonesia for Le Corsaire, both in November. “There was no hesitation to jump for me. I also didn’t have any trauma from being injured. I was just happy to be back dancing and performing with the company. If there was any adjustment, it was the size of my pointe shoes. My size is bigger now compared to my pre-injury shoes.”
Asked if there were any complications since her return, Marinette replies that she felt a bit of pain as they were approaching theater week for The Pearl Gala which opened Ballet Manila’s performance season last March. “Since there was so much corps work, Coach Robert noted that my foot was probably experiencing fatigue. As a result, we had to change things.”
Marinette opens up, “The hardest part about having to do a solo is knowing that the variation was tweaked, so that you’d be able to do it!” Always one to stay true to how the original ballet was done, she felt a bit guilty changes had to be done because of the pain she was feeling. But in the end, she accepted that it was what the situation called for. “Ma’am Lisa told me that it’s better to go out there with the confidence that you’d be able to finish your variation than going out there wondering if you can actually finish it. I still had to dance in Pearls after Paquita and there’s still the rest of the season.”
That’s Marinette front and center, balancing wrath and grace as the Queen of the Wilis, the spirits of wronged women, in Giselle (2019). Photo by Erickson Dela Cruz
Here, she points out that as a company artist, one must be sensitive to what the whole company is going through. “While I could have probably made it to the premiere of Florante at Laura [last October], I didn’t push it because I didn’t want to stress out the choreographers and fellow dancers with waiting for me. I didn’t want to see them rehearse and leave space for me and then get stressed later as I catch up on learning the steps. You have to know when it’s the right timing for everyone.” Likewise, in Paquita, Marinette knew that it was right to perform a tweaked version of her variation first, so she could join the corps work in Pearls and be with the company in upcoming performances.
“Definitely, I’m looking forward to Swan Lake as it’s pretty sentimental to me,” declares Marinette. “It’s the very first thing I saw BM do. And while it was only Rothbart’s death scene – with a red light and fake flames – that became very vivid to me, it’s the ballet that made me want to try ballet. It’s also the ballet wherein my parents realized what is possible in ballet.” Years later, she would find herself dancing Swan Lake in her first recital, and being part of the corps for the 2017 performance as a member of the second company.
Marinette animatedly describes how she was injured during rehearsals last year, sidelining her from dancing for a few months. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
“During my first Swan Lake, I remember hearing ‘Marinette, wala ka sa linya’ and having to correct my head tilt many times. It’s very, very classical and technical, so a lot of corrections will come; rehearsals may have a lot of changing and yelling. For those who have danced it like me, the process will be easier, but for those dancing Swan Lake for the first time, it may be difficult.”
Marinette points out that the pressure to do well as a corps contributes to the difficulty. “Ballet Manila has always done Swan Lake well, and we’d like to honor that. Swan Lake also hasn’t been done here in a while – no company is attempting to stage it, especially in its very classical form – so we’d like to prove that it can be done.”
Apart from relearning Swan Lake with new members of the company, Marinette is also looking forward to working again with former BM principal and guest artist Katherine Barkman who’s now with San Francisco Ballet. “I remember Katherine to be very hardworking when she was here. She wouldn’t stop rehearsing until she got what she wanted back then. Now, I’m curious to learn how her experiences in other companies have changed her dancing and of course, to see how she would attack Odette/Odile with her current technique. Of course, I’m also interested in how she achieves work-life balance, which is also very important.”
