For Geri Francisco, dancing is in the heart
In Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Bloom, Geri displayed amazing energy and strength alongside dancers much younger than he is. Photo by Erica Marquez-Jacinto
By Giselle P. Kasilag
Fans of Ballet Manila had an extra reason to celebrate when the curtains rose for its 30th anniversary season-opener, The Pearl Gala last March. Co-artistic associate, principal dancer and resident choreographer Gerardo “Geri” Francisco Jr. was back on stage with the blend of strength, technique, grace and artistry that has come to be the trademark of his dancing.
Gerardo Francisco Jr. has taken on a wider set of responsibilities with Ballet Manila as its co-artistic associate. But also being a principal artist, he is far from hanging up his dancing shoes. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
“It’s the 30th anniversary so kailangan sumayaw ako! Sabi ko kay Ma’am Lise (artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde), sige, i-challenge mo ako. Ilagay mo ako sa Bloom (It’s the 30th anniversary so I should really dance! I told Ma’am Lise, okay, give me a challenge. Put me in Bloom)!” (Bloom is Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s throughtful and vigorous piece choreographed on Ballet Manila which has become a staple for the company.)
The next thing he knew, Geri was also suiting up for Pearls, a new choreography by Lisa with guest choreographer Martin Lawrance especially created for BM’s anniversary.
It is not that he has not been dancing. Last year alone, Geri delivered remarkable performances as Ali in Le Corsaire and Rodrigo in Mahiwagang Biyulin. But with his string of successful choreographies, the training of Project Ballet Futures (PBF) scholars, and overseeing company rehearsals, he has become more identified with work behind the scenes than on stage.
There is a different sense of fulfillment in watching the boys and girls he began teaching at the age of nine grow into capable dancers with the versatility to handle different roles. Thus, he has been enjoying the view from the rehearsal master’s chair – coaching and directing to push the dancers to evolve into and become better artists.
For Geri, seeing students he has mentored grow into better dancers is fulfilling. In photo, he rehearses scholar Juan Angelo De Leon who would go on to win the Youth Grand Prix award at the Asian Grand Prix in Hong Kong in 2023. Photo by MarBi Photography
“Safe ang future ng BM kasi (BM’s future is safe because) we have these talented dancers. You cannot just pick one person to dance a role. Lahat puwede mong pasayawin (They can all dance),” he says with an undeniable hint of pride in his voice.
He has taken particular notice of newly-promoted soloist Rafael Perez who has not only been dancing exceptionally but has been exhibiting the attitude and work ethic of an exemplary professional.
“Tama ang sabi ni Ma’am Lise (from the previous article: A year after Ballet Manila comeback, Rafael Perez gets promoted to soloist). Ang talent nandiyan na. Gifted talaga siya. Pero sobrang hardworking siya. Naaabutan ko siya na nakapag work-out na before class. Iba talaga! Sabi ko, ituloy mo yan (Ma’am Lise was right. The talent is there. He is really gifted. But he is also very hardworking. I would catch him already having finished work-out before class. He's really different! I told him to keep doing what he’s doing)!”
The one thing he is working very hard to impart to the young dancers is the importance of artistry in dancing. It is not about who jumps higher or spins faster. Ballet, after all, is an art form and not a sport.
“’Yun ang nami-misinterpret ng iba na akala nila na ’yun ang magaling. Kasi nakakaikot ka ng sampu, that’s already good? It’s not that. Lalo na ’yung mga PBF ko, siyempre nakikita nila na may umiikot ng ganyan kaya gagayahin din. Sabi ko, yung foundation muna ang ayusin. (That’s one thing that they misinterpret, they think that’s great. Because they can turn ten times, that’s already good? It’s not that. Especially with my PBF dancers, of course when they see someone turning that way they copy that person. I tell them, let’s focus on the foundation first).”
Geri rehearses the role of Basilio from Don Quixote in September 2023. Video by Mark Sumaylo
Recalling a conversation with BM’s former co-artistic director, the late Osias Barroso Jr., they talked about how difficult it is to teach the characters they are to portray to the dancers who tend to be more focused on the technique. The steps are the tools, but the character is the motivation for the movement.
“Nasa personality na ng tao ’yan. Kung ma-coach mo, then it’s fine. Pero ikaw ’yan eh – kung paano mo pinag-aralan at kung paano mo i-deliver ’yung role. Hindi puwedeng kung ano lang na steps ang binigay ko eh ’yun lang ang gagawin mo. Kailangan aralin mo kung sino ka (It really depends on someone’s personality. If you can coach them then it’s fine. But that’s all on them – how they study and how they deliver the role. They can’t just take the steps I give and that’s all they will follow. They need to study and find out who they are).”
That is what he loves about working with principal dancer Abigail Oliveiro. She goes beyond the steps. She studies the character. Citing her repeated performance of his choreography, Ibong Adarna, he finds it exciting to keep working on the role with her because she brings something new to the character every time.
These days, he has also adopted a more personal approach in mentoring the dancers, taking the time to talk to them individually about their strengths and weaknesses. Every dancer is different, he stresses. What works for one may not work for another. He encourages them to be more thoughtful about their performance, and to objectively study what they’re doing in order to identify how they can improve.
Twenty years after he first performed as Ali in Le Corsaire with Ballet Manila, Geri proved he could still take on the role with confidence. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
“Hindi puwedeng bira lang ng bira na hindi natatapos ng maayos ang sayaw mo. Pag ganyan, magiging habit mo ’yan because you’re doing it again and again. Hindi rin puwede ’yung nagagawa mo ngayon tapos hindi mo magawa bukas. You have to be consistent. Sabi nga ni Ma’am Lise, turn three and finish well. Mas okay ’yung matatapos mo ng maganda kay sa pipilitin mong lima pero hindi maganda ang pag-end mo. ’Wag niyo akong bigyan ng ganyang klaseng pagsasayaw na hindi naman maganda tingnan. Hindi kailangan at mapapagod ka lang! Mas maganda kung simple but beautiful and elegant (They can’t just keep striking without completing the dance well. Then it becomes a habit because they keep repeating it again and again. And it’s not acceptable that you get it done today but you can’t do it again tomorrow. You have to be consistent. As Ma’am Lise said, turn three and finish well. It’s better if you finish well than forcing yourself to turn five times but the ending doesn’t look good. Don’t give me that kind of dancing that looks bad. That’s not necessary and you’re just exhausted after. It’s better if it’s simple but beautiful and elegant).”
Simple but beautiful and elegant is tried and tested. He counts this among the reasons for the longevity of his career. While he can spin as fast and jump as high as the best of them, he has learned to do so cleanly, with finesse, and in keeping with his character’s motivation. Indeed, he has learned to work smarter, adapting to the changing needs of his body and the demands of his responsibilities.
While he is enjoying the view from the technical booth, Geri is far from hanging up his dancing shoes. He will be celebrating his 25th year as a professional ballet dancer in 2027 and continues to be excited about performing both classical and contemporary choreographies. As he continues to grow with Ballet Manila, he is embracing his role in safeguarding the company’s standards while turning three and ending well.
