Late-bloomer ballet scholar Angelou Gamayon steps up at his own pace
Mentor Gerardo Francisco Jr. describes Angelou Gamayon as having a good physique for a ballet dancer. He is seen here in a scene from the recent Swan Lake, with Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde as the Queen Mother. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
By Jv Ramos
The year 2025 is looking good for Project Ballet Futures (PBF) scholar Angelou Gamayon. In April, he did well at the Asian Grand Prix Manila Regionals, bagging the Silver in the Senior Division, which qualifies him to compete in the AGP Finals to be held in Manila in August. In May, dancing the Franz variation anew, he won the Grand Award Ballet Solo and 1st Prize Ballet Solo in the Senior (18-21) Category at the International Ballet Grand Prix, a competition held online.
Though he’s had to catch up with his contemporaries, Project Ballet Futures scholar Angelou Gamayon is grateful to be given numerous opportunities to dance in Ballet Manila productions and join the company’s tours here and abroad. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
“Natutuwa ako na bumabawi na rin ako,” comments the danseur, who shares that it wasn’t a fun feeling seeing his batchmates make it to the finals in a previous competition while he had to go home knowing that he wouldn’t be able to join them in their next endeavor. “Na-feel ko talaga na napag-iiwanan ako, kaya naman pinilit kong galingan.” (I’m glad that I’m also catching up. For a time, I felt that I was being left behind, that’s why I’ve been pushing myself to do better.)
Fortunately for Angelou, everyone around him has been supportive of his goal. His PBF batchmates Germaine Dawal, John Stanley Alamer, and Juan Angelo de Leon, who have been successful in competitions, would always remind him that he was capable of winning too. The scholars turned company artists would always lend him a hand. His teacher, Ballet Manila artistic associate Gerardo “Geri” Francisco Jr., would remind him that every dancer has his own time and therefore Angelou had to be patient and focus on his own growth. His parents, who had zero knowledge before about ballet, would knock sense into him whenever he’d entertain the idea of quitting.
“Ginusto kong mag-quit noong pandemic,” admits Angelou. “Nahihirapan kasi ako sa online learning, at sobrang naaawa ako sa magulang ko. Tuwing may klase kasi, binubuhat nila ang kama para lang magkaroon ako ng sapat na lugar.” (I wanted to quit during the pandemic. I just found the online training very difficult and it just wasn’t fair to the people at home. Every time I would have class, my parents would move the bed just so I could have enough space to dance.)
In Florante at Laura, Angelou (right) is the young Menandro to Juan Angelo De Leon’s young Florante who become best friends while in school in Atenas, with the former even saving the latter’s life. Photo by Giselle Kasilag
Thinking that his pursuits were a burden to the family, he proposed to stop his training, which his parents vehemently objected to. “Nagalit sila kasi ang layo na raw ng narating ko at nakikita nila ang pandemya bilang pagsubok lang. Alam nila na hindi laging ganu’n ang pangyayari sa training, na marami pa akong mararating dahil lang sa ballet.” (My parents got mad at me because they said I’d already come so far in my training and they saw the pandemic as just another challenge. They somehow knew that there was an end to the online training, and that I could still go far in ballet.)
He continues, “Noong pandemya, mga 2021, din ang time na muntik na akong matanggal sa PBF program, pero hindi ito nangyari dahil nilaban ako at si Sixto [Dones] ni Sir Geri. Nu’ng nangyari iyon, mas ginalingan ko pa sa ballet. Hindi ko kasi talaga inakala na may naniniwala pa sa akin!” (It was also during the pandemic, around 2021, that I was almost removed from the PBF program. This didn’t push through though as Sir Geri vouched for me and my co-scholar Sixto. When that happened, I really poured all the hard work that I could into ballet. I just couldn’t believe that someone still believed in me!)
As a new scholar of Ballet Manila’s Project Ballet Futures in 2017 when he was just 10, Angelou shows promise and potential. Photo by MarBi Photography
Geri recalls that time clearly, saying it had come to a point when Angelou’s progress seemed to be at a standstill. “But I said let’s give him another chance. And look at him now. He has won so many awards in competitions,” he proudly notes.
The mentor describes the teen scholar as having a ballet dancer’s physique, gifted with good lines, good feet and great turnout. “I would say Angelou is a late bloomer. But because of his dedication and determination, he was able to be at par with the others. He stays focused and is always eager to learn.”
Geri notes artistry is one aspect that Angelo still has room for improvement in, but he points out it is something that is learned along the way. “Kailangan lang niyang ma-expose lagi on stage para mas maging mature ’yung dating niya. (He just needs to be exposed more on stage so that he comes across as more mature.) Because experience is always the best teacher.”
For Angelou, it's important to be a better danseur as it’s the best way to repay the kindness his family and ballet teachers and peers have shown him.
Angelou (leftmost) strikes a danseur’s pose along with fellow PBF scholars Sixto Dones, Germaine Dawal and Juan Angelou De Leon in this scene from Swan Lake (2025). Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Asked how he got into ballet in the first place, Angelou relates that as a nine-year-old student, he willingly went to the PBF auditions in his school. "Hindi ko alam kung ano ang ballet noon, kaya naman tinignan ko kung ano ito sa Internet. Pinagtawanan pa nga ako ng kasama ko dahil ni-re-research ko ang ballet. Tapos tinakot pa niya ako! Sabi niya na masakit ang pinagagawa sa mga paa ng sumasayaw." (I didn’t know what ballet was then, so I researched about it on the Internet. I remember my schoolmate laughing at what I was doing. He even scared me about getting into ballet. He teased that what they would be asked to do with their feet would be painful.)
But the young Angelou wasn't discouraged by his schoolmate’s opinions. Given that he enjoyed dancing as a kid and that ballet was a form of dance, he reasoned that it may just be something he’d like. “Sobrang saya ko po nu’ng natanggap ako sa audition, pero hindi pala masaya o madali sa ballet lagi.” (I was so happy when I got accepted at the auditions, but soon, I realized that it’s not always happy or easy in ballet.)
In Prinsipe ng mga Ibon, one of the tales in Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (2024), Angelou (third from left) is part of the flock of birds that rescues a town in peril. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Angelou, who's now 18 and looking for a college to enroll in, expresses that he didn't expect for the first classes to be tough on the body. "Binabanat pa kasi ang katawan namin. Pero nu’ng nagtagal ako, nagustuhan ko na rin kasi laging may bago akong natututunan sa bawat klase. Ito talaga ang nagustuhan ko sa ballet kaya pinagpatuloy ko ito.” (That’s because they’re working on our bodies’ flexibility. But as time passed, I started really liking ballet because I always learn something new in every class. This is also the reason I decided to keep at it.)
Eight to nine years after he first started, Angelou still has the same sentiment. “Natutuwa ako na kasama na kaming mga scholars sa group dances ng boys (in Ballet Manila productions), na nakakapag-partner na rin nang kaunti sa group dances, na nasasama sa choreography ni Sir Geri, at nasasama na rin sa mga tours ng Ballet Manila.” (I’m happy that we scholars are now part of the boys’ group dances, that we’re able to do a little partnering in group dances, that we’re included in Sir Geri’s choreography and that we’re able to join the tours of Ballet Manila.) For instance, last year, this scholar played multiple roles in the company’s Florante at Laura and was part of the Ballet Manila’s Greatest Hits series of shows in Malaysia.
Dancing the Franz variation, Angelou Gamayon (standing, fourth from left) bagged the Silver in the Senior Division of the Asian Grand Prix Manila Regionals last April and will compete in the AGP Finals in August. Photo courtesy of Sofia Sangco-Peralta
“Mas kabado nga ako kapag may performances kami kaysa competition! Ang pangit kasi talagang panuorin kapag may nagkamali sa corps, apektado ang buong performance.” (I’m more nervous when I’m performing than competing. When one dancer makes a mistake, the whole performance gets messed up.) To control his nerves, he drinks an entire bottle of Pocari Sweat and stays in a quiet corner to talk to himself. There, Angelou reminds himself that he only has one shot to perform, so he’d better do it well!
And what would Angelou’s advice be for young boys who are pursuing ballet? The late bloomer’s reply is simple: “Makinig kayo lagi, lalong-lalo na sa mga magulang niyo at sa mga teacher.” (Always listen, especially to your parents and teachers.) Had this dancer not listened to his parents’ words when he strongly wanted to give up ballet, he would never have achieved what he is capable of. “Mahalaga ang mga payo ng magulang dahil ma-a-apply mo ito sa ballet at sa ibang bahagi pa ng buhay.” (It’s important to listen to parental advice because you can apply that to ballet and other aspects of your life.)
Angelou (rightmost) makes a big leap in this scene from The Nutcracker: Clara’s Journey, the recital showcase of The Lisa Macuja School of Ballet in 2023. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Angelou adds, “At sa totoo lang, talagang nag-improve ako dahil mas nakinig ako sa mga turo ni Sir Geri.” (To be honest, I improved a lot because I listened more to the teachings of Sir Geri.) Other than the tips on how to execute steps well, he was encouraged by his ballet teacher’s reminder that “hindi kayo sabay-sabay aangat” (you won’t rise all at the same time). Indeed, this young danseur has learned to stop comparing himself with others and to focus on his own journey instead.
At one point, Angelou thought of quitting ballet but his parents encouraged him to continue with it – and he’s glad he did. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
