Ballet Manila apprentice, scholar win top honors in Asian Grand Prix Manila Regionals
Ballet Manila apprentice Shamira Drapete won the gold while Ballet Manila scholar Angelou Gamayon scored the silver in the Senior division of the Asian Grand Prix (AGP) Manila Regionals held over the weekend at Aliw Theater.
Both are advancing to the AGP Finals in August, also to be held in Manila, which likewise is a milestone event for the international ballet competition as it marks its 15th anniversary.
The Lisa Macuja School of Ballet team after the Asian Grand Prix Manila Regionals at Aliw Theater: (standing from left) Teacher Eileen Lopez, Nia Baltazar, Bea Panigbatan, Angelou Gamayon, Stephen Garrovillo, Shamira Drapete, Sofia Torrecampo, Nina Nuñez, Julianne Keiko Bañez, Teacher Sofia Peralta, Bernice Allenda, Natsumi Dionisio, Laicell Reize Dulay and Teacher Robert Peralta; (kneeling, from left) Caitlin Ma Ong, Amber Torrecampo, Bianca Vega, Arianne Sibayan, Louisa De Guzman and Valerie Raymundo. Photo courtesy of Sofia Peralta
Drapete, who danced the Satanella variation, also won the chairman’s half-scholarship.
Gamayon performed the Franz variation from Coppelia.
The two represented the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet (LMSB) along with 15 other students, with faculty members Eileen Lopez, Sofia Peralta and Robert Peralta as coaches.
Nina Nuñez and Natsumi Dionisio bagged the gold in Junior A and B, respectively. Nuñez danced the Lise variation (La Fille Mal Gardee) and Dionisio the Franz variation (La Fille Mal Gardee).
Bernice Allenda won the silver in Junior B for Lise variation (La Fille Mal Gardee) and Louisa De Guzman in Performance B for Soloist 4th variation (Paquita).
Named bronze medalists in their respective divisions were: Stephen Garrovillo, Junior B for Gulnara variation (Le Corsaire); Julianne Keiko Bañez, Junior B for Soloist 6th variation (Paquita), and Valerie Raymundo, Performance B for Soloist 11th variation (Paquita).
All gold, silver and bronze medalists are competing in the AGP Finals.
Also advancing to the AGP Finals are two recipients of the Distinction Awards:
Bea Panigbatan in Junior A for Talisman variation (Le Talisman) and Nia Baltazar in Performance B for Princess Florine variation(The Sleeping Beauty).
The following students won Merit Awards: Caitlin Ma Ong, Junior A (Cupid variation, Don Quixote); Bianca Vega, Junior B (Soloist 11th variation, Paquita), Arianne Sibayan, Junior B (Odalisque 2nd variation, Le Corsaire); Laicell Reize Dulay, Junior B (Princess Florine variation, The Sleeping Beauty); and Sofia Torrecampo, Junior B (Medora variation, Le Corsaire).
Amber Torrecampo meanwhile received an Encouragement Award, performing Candide Fairy variation (The Sleeping Beauty).
Over the past 15 years, LMSB students — including those who have been performing with Ballet Manila — have done well in AGP, romping off with top honors and citations for their training based on the Russian Vaganova method. In 2015, Katherine Barkman won the Asian Grand Prix Award while scholar Juan Angelo De Leon won the Youth Grand Prix Award in 2023.
