Ballet Manila danseurs win top honors at Taiwan Regionals of 2025 Dance Open America
In character: Jos David Andes as Basilio (Don Quixote), Germaine Dawal as Acteon (La Esmeralda) and Sixto Dones as Ali (Le Corsaire).
Reinforcing its reputation as the home and training ground of strong and reliable young danseurs, Ballet Manila (BM) and the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet (LMSB) emerged triumphant at the 2025 Dance Open America Taiwan Regionals over the weekend.
Winning team: Ballet Manila artistic director and Lisa Macuja School of Ballet director Lisa Macuja Elizalde (second from left) and principal dancer and coach Romeo Peralta (fourth from left) together with danseurs (from left) Jos David Andes, Germaine Dawal and John Sixto Dones.
All three dancers that the two institutions fielded to the competition – company artist Jos David Andes, apprentice Germaine Dawal and scholar John Sixto Dones – all earned medals and scholarships at the end of the event held on July 19 and 20 at the Taoyuan Arts Center.
Their respective wins have secured for the three the chance to compete in the Miami Finals of the 2026 Grand Prix Dance Open America.
Moreover, the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet was given the Outstanding School Award, with LMSB director and BM artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde herself receiving the honor.
BM principal dancer and company manager Romeo Peralta received the Outstanding Instructor Award.
Ballet Manila company manager Romeo Peralta (third from right) with the three pairs of BM/ LMSB danseurs and their partners from Zhongli Youth Ballet.
Representing Ballet Manila, Andes won first place in the Classical Professional Division dancing the Basilio Variation from Don Quixote. He also won first place in the Classical Advanced Pas de Deux together with Yu-Chien Chen of Zhongli Youth Ballet for their competition piece, the Don Quixote Act 2 Wedding Pas de Deux.
Andes also received the Diamond Award, given to a dancer with the highest score – 475 out of 500.
Adjudged as Outstanding Classical Dancer, Andes likewise was given scholarships. With the Florida-based Gulfcoast Studio Company, he gets a trainee position for the September to December 2025 season where he can be part of an eight-performance cast of an unspecified ballet. From the Washington-based Evergreen City Ballet comes a 100 percent tuition scholarship and the opportunity to be part of its performing cast of The Nutcracker in October to December 2026.
Representing the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet, Dawal, for his part, bagged the first place in the Classical Senior Division. He danced the Acteon Variation from La Esmeralda. He also won third place in the Classical Advanced Pas de Deux, partnering Chia-Ying Chen of Zhongli Youth Ballet in the Blue Bird Pas de Deux from The Sleeping Beauty.
Lisa Macuja Elizalde conducts a masterclass at the Taiwan Regionals of Dance Open America.
Dawal received 50 percent tuition scholarship for the 2026 Summer Intensive at The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School which also runs the Gulfcoast Studio Company where he is also getting a trainee position for the September to December season 2025 and to be part of an eight-performance cast.
The danseur was also given 100 percent tuition scholarship at the Evergreen City Ballet for its 2026 Season, as well as a 50 percent tuition scholarship for the company’s Summer Intensive in October to December 2026 and the chance to be part of the performing cast of The Nutcracker.
Also representing LMSB, Dones meantime won second place in the Classical Senior Division, dancing the Ali Variation from Le Corsaire. He also won second place in the Classical Advanced Pas de Deux together with Pin-Chiao Hsu of Zhongli Youth Ballet for their performance of the Peasant Pas de Deux from Giselle.
John Sixto Dones, Jos David Andes, Germaine Dawal and a fellow competitor take a master class under juror Gonzalo Galguera, ballet director and chief choreographer of the Escuela Nacional De Ballet De Cuba.
Dones received 50 percent tuition scholarship for the 2026 Summer Intensive at The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School and a trainee position at the Gulfcoast Studio Company for its September to December season 2025 along with being part of an eight-performance cast.
A long-time Project Ballet Futures of BM, Dones was also given 100 percent tuition scholarship at the Evergreen City Ballet for its 2026 Season, as well as a 50 percent tuition scholarship for the company’s Summer Intensive in October to December 2026 and the chance to be part of the performing cast of The Nutcracker.
The Taiwan Regionals of Dance Open America was presented in partnership with Zhongli Youth Ballet and Dun Qing Dance Company.
A good haul: Jos David, John Sixto and Germaine celebrate with their coach Romeo Peralta after the awarding ceremonies.
During the event, Macuja Elizalde conducted masterclasses for participants and also served as a juror in divisions that did not include the three dancers of LMSB and BM.
The panel of jurors also included: Gonzalo Galguera, ballet director and chief choreographer of the Escuela Nacional De Ballet De Cuba; Prof. Wu Man Li, professor emerita of the Chinese Culture University Dance Department; Prof. Su Anli, chair and professor of the Chinese Culture University Dance Department and choreographer at Ku & Dancers; and Prof. Lin Wei Hua, associate professor at the University of Taipei Dance Department.
