Putting on weight is soloist Rodney Catubay’s biggest challenge
By Jv Ramos
Ballet dancers are often referred to as performing athletes. They must have the strength and stamina to withstand the demands of their profession and yet also possess grace and poise to make it seem like what they do on stage is easy. In this series, Ballet Manila’s ballerinas and danseurs share how they stay in tip-top shape, following a fitness, diet and wellness regimen suited to their specific needs.
For Ballet Manila’s Swan Lake in Dumaguete last July, Rodney transforms into the villain Rothbart. Photo by Ryly Pontino/ Silliman University Culture and Arts Council
As someone who has always been tall and thin, soloist Rodney Catubay is used to hearing the comment, “Kumain ka pa nga!” (Go eat more), and this would always make him laugh as he really does eat! In fact, his eating habits are very different from most professional ballet dancers.
Soloist Rodney Catubay, who has always been tall and thin, follows a personalized program under coach Robert Osorio’s Ballet Sport Science where one of the goals is to build muscles. Photo from Rodney Catubay’s Facebook page
“Parang dalawang cups of rice ako lagi. Dalawa sa umaga, sa lunch, at sa gabi. Mahilig kasi talaga ako sa kanin, pero ayun nga, kahit ganito ang kain ko araw-araw, hindi dumadagdag sa timbang ko ang kinakain ko.” (It’s like I eat two cups of rice all the time. Two in the morning, for lunch, and in the evening. I really like eating rice, but despite my daily intake, it doesn’t add to my weight.)
Asked if being tall and thin runs in family, Rodney shares that his sibling has a hefty build, so he cannot completely attribute his lanky frame to genetics. “Siguro, dahil na rin talaga sa trabaho ko na sobrang physical. Kapag nakaupo lang siguro ako, baka medyo may laman din ako. Pero dahil nga napadpad ako sa ballet – at sobrang heavy din ang load ng Ballet Manila – hirap talaga ang katawan ko mag-gain.” (Maybe, it’s also because my work is very physical. If I were just sitting all day at work, I’d probably have more weight in me. But because ballet is demanding – and Ballet Manila has a very heavy load – it’s difficult for me to put on weight.)
To address this issue of his, Rodney continues to eat full meals with his usual two cups of rice. For breakfast, he goes for the usual “silog” meal with meat bought on his last grocery run. “Bumibili naman ako sa karinderya tuwing lunch at kapag hapunan naman, puwede itong bili or galing lang sa bahay.” (I buy food from the carinderia for lunch, and for dinner, I either buy or something from home.)
This danseur has his food preferences. While he’s drawn to eating his rice with meat dishes like liempo and sisig, he makes it a point to regularly have soup. “Lagi akong naghahanap ng sabaw katulad ng sinigang. Doon na siguro pumapasok ang pagkain ko ng gulay. Sabi kasi ni nanay, ang lahat ng sustansiya daw ay napupunta sa sabaw.” (I always look for something with soup just like sinigang. I guess this is where vegetables come in. My mother says all nutrients go to the soup.)
Even though he eats a substantial amount – usually consuming two cups of rice at every meal – Rodney says it doesn’t add to his weight. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Santiago
In addition, Rodney tries to incorporate more protein-rich food into his diet. “Nagdadagdag ako ng yogurt at isang tray ng egg kapag nag-grocery dahil ito ang in-advise sa akin ni Coach Robert (Osorio) ng BSS (Ballet Sport Science) para ma-build ang muscle ko.” (I add yogurt and a tray of egg whenever I buy my grocery because this is what Coach Robert advised me to take to help build more muscle.)
Rodney expresses that while he’s still a long way from his ideal body type, the BSS program – which he started on in 2022 after an invitation from fellow Ballet Manila dancers Pearl Dames and Sean Pelegrin – has been very effective in improving the way his body looks and moves. “Nakikita kasi nila akong nag-wo-workout mag-isa, at parang naging concerned sila na walang program ang workout ko, kaya nag-suggest silang i-try ko ang BSS.” (They would see me work out alone and got concerned that I didn’t really have a formal program, so they suggested that I try BSS.)
Initially, Rodney thought of trying out BSS for only six months, but he ended up retaining Coach Robert’s personalized program, involving a three-day workout program weekly. “Nag-improve kasi talaga ang mga talon ko nu’ng nag-start akong mag-BSS. Tapos nandiyan din ang improvement sa physical na itsura.” (My jumps have really improved since I started BSS. And then the program also improved my physical appearance.) He shares that since he started BSS, his body isn’t as skinny; Rodney has gained some muscle, and his body cuts are more defined.
Regarding his ability to lift ballerinas, Rodney notes that while BSS has improved this skill of his, what really helped him deal with weights was his time with the Tuloy sa Don Bosco Foundation. “May mga activity kami dati na kahit payat ka o kahit babae ka pa, kailangan mong magbuhat ng semento at gravel, at naging magandang foundation ito sa lifting ko.” (We’d have activities that required everyone – no matter the physical built or gender – to carry cement and gravel, and this became a good foundation for all the lifting we have to do.)
Rodney co-hosts the Ballet Podcast with good friend and fellow soloist Rafael Perez, an activity that he enjoys as they discuss ballet-related matters with guest dancers. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Santiago
When confronted with hard times in ballet, Rodney’s solution is to look for other ways to busy himself, which include reading, a hobby that he shares with his girlfriend, Ballet Manila principal Stephanie Santiago. It has proven useful as he gets to figure out how to play character roles like Rothbart in Swan Lake and Gamache in Don Quixote. Then, there’s cleaning every corner of where he lives and recording the Ballet Podcast with co-soloist Rafael “Paeng” Perez.
“Nu’ng na-busy akong pag-aralan ang role ni Rothbart, binabasa ko ulit ang Harry Potter kahit sobrang dami ko nang beses binasa ito! Sobrang favorite ko kasi ang kuwentong ito at talagang nakakalimutan ko ang stress at pagod ko sa ballet,” recalls Rodney. (When I got busy with learning the role of Rothbart, I re-read Harry Potter even if I’ve read it so many times before. It really is my favorite and it really helps me forget the stress and exhaustion of ballet.)
“Kaya naman namin sinimulan ang podcast ni Paeng, gusto kasi naming mas maintindihan ng iba ang pagiging isang professional ballet dancer,” Rodney says. “Maraming ballet content, pero hindi na di-discuss ang mga topics tulad ng ballet politics, favoritism, talent versus hard work, etc. Matrabaho ito pero talagang nag-e-enjoy kami ni Paeng na gumawa ng content, makipag-usap sa ibang dancers, at makahanap ng iba’t-ibang paraan para mag-shoot at edit.” (Paeng and I started our podcast because we wanted more people to understand what it’s like to be a professional ballet dancer… There is plenty of ballet content out there, but it doesn’t discuss certain topics… Producing a podcast isn’t easy, but Paeng and I really enjoy working on content, discussing the profession with other dancers, and finding ways to shoot and edit.)
He summarizes what his Ballet Manila life is like: “Kapag napapagod ako sa ballet, lagi kong sinasabi na magpapahinga lang ako sa day-off ko, pero hindi ’yon ang nangyayari. Dahil sanay sa maraming trabaho ang katawan ko, naghahanap ako ng ibang magagawa tuwing may break kami.” (Whenever I get tired from ballet, I always tell myself that I’ll just rest during my day-off, but that never happens. Because my body is used to doing a lot of work, I look for other activities to do whenever we have a break.)
In Ballet Manila’s Don Quixote last August, Rodney serves as the comic foil dancing as the vain nobleman Gamache. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
As a professional dancer in his late twenties, Rodney admits that he has reached the time in his career when “humahabol na ang age at marami na akong nararamdaman” (his age is catching up and he’s starting to feel all sorts of aches) when he gives ballet his 100% for consecutive days. When this happens, Rodney reminds himself that it’s okay to rest and enjoy doing other things. More notably, he considers feelings of aching as a reminder to continue the habits he has developed, so he could work on strengthening his body and prolong his career.
“Very personal din ang fitness. Kahit matangkad kami nina Kuya Mark [principal dancer Mark Sumaylo at ni Kuya Balagot [soloist John Balagot], iba’t-ibang workout program ang ni-re-recommend ni Coach Robert sa amin,” underlines Rodney. “Iba-iba rin ang paraan naming mag-relax at alagaan ang mga katawan namin.” (Fitness is also very personal. Even if I’m tall like Kuya Mark and Kuya Balagot, we’re given different workout programs by Coach Robert. We also have our different ways of relaxing and keeping our bodies healthy.)
