Soloist John Balagot sustains his dancing with intense ballet classes and workouts – and heavy dinners
John – seen here in Agnes Locsin’s Sayao sa Pamlang for Ballet Manila’s 2024 Malaysia tour – fuels his body with food, with dinner usually his heaviest meal. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
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.
Ballet Manila soloist John Balagot has always been lean, but he follows a consistent fitness regimen to build stamina and strength. Photo by Missy Macuja Elizalde
Having been born lean and growing up exposed to all sorts of sports, John Ralp Balagot never faced difficulties in managing his weight. Despite this, the Ballet Manila soloist points out that danseurs with slender frames could still find ways to improve their body and mind to get through their hectic schedules feeling better.
John notes that his body had been firm even before he entered ballet, having taken up modern dance in college. But it improved even more when he was exposed to daily ballet classes. He recalls the very first time he stepped into the studios of Ballet Manila in 2015 for a summer intensive program. “Si Sir Shaz [the late co-artistic director Osias Barroso Jr.] ang nag-handle sa amin noon, at dahil intense siya mag-klase, pagkatapos ng dalawang buwan, napansin ko talaga ang pagkakaiba ng katawan ko, pati na rin ang posture ko.” (Sir Shaz handled our classes and because they were intense, after two months, I really noticed a difference in my body and even in my posture.)
Underlining the importance of actively participating in everyday ballet classes, John says dancers should learn how to fuel their bodies in order to do company classes, rehearsals and even performances well. “Para sa akin, ang food ay para sa recovery, kaya naman tuwing nararamdaman ko ang pagod o alam ko na puwedeng nakakapagod ang mga araw namin, kumakain talaga ako.” (For me, food is for recovery, so whenever I feel tired or know that our days will be tiring, I really eat.)
Dancing in Osias Barroso Jr.’s Ecole, John (center) credits the late Ballet Manila co-artistic director for the intense daily ballet classes that helped improve his physique and posture. Photo by Erica Marquez-Jacinto
This talent from Cagayan de Oro shares the eating schedule that has worked for him as a professional dancer. His breakfast is usually light, with black coffee as the necessary element that gets him functioning. He usually eats a banana, other times a pancake, bacon or whatever viand is left over from the previous night. His next meal is merienda, at mid-afternoon. “Doon ko kasi nararamdaman na bumababa na ang sugar ko sa katawan, kaya sumusubo ako bago ang Ballet Sport Science workout namin.” (Because that’s when I feel that the sugar in my body is already getting low, so I take a bite before starting on our BSS workout.)
He sheepishly adds, “Sa dinner ako talaga bumabawi ng kain! Kung mahaba nga ang araw ko, nauubos ko ang niluto ko na para sa dalawang kain. At hindi talaga ako nagtatakal ng kanin. Maganda ang gising ko kapag kumain ako nang mabuti, parang well-recovered ang feeling bago mag-start uli ang work!” (It’s at dinner when I really catch up on eating! If our day is very long, I end up finishing what I’ve cooked for two meals. And I never measure my rice. I wake up refreshed when I eat well at night, the feeling is like being well-recovered before starting work again.)
John’s poodle Luke is a constant source of joy for the danseur when he’s not in the studio or on stage. Photo from John Balagot’s Facebook page
Asked if he does takeout, John replies that he's always preferred dishes he prepares himself, which include stir-fried ground pork and mixed vegetables, air-fried chicken, chicken tinola and nilagang baboy. “Hindi naman sa conscious eater ako. Gusto ko lang na nagagamit ko ang stock ko na grocery, at siyempre nakakatulong din ang pagluluto ng sarili mong pagkain sa budgeting.” (It’s not that I’m a conscious eater. I just prefer using the grocery items I have in stock and of course cooking your own food also helps with budgeting.)
John notes doing errands, such as restocking his pantry and doing laundry on his day off, helps his body and mind recover from the busy week. “At siyempre, hindi mawawala sa pag-refresh ng katawan at isip ko si Luke!” (Of course, my body and mind won’t be refreshed from the stress if it weren’t for Luke!) Luke is his poodle companion, who loves to go on walks and is always happy to be involved in any activity his owner does.
Even if he is thin, John has never ignored incorporating gym time into his routine. Though he already used to work out before, he achieved better results when he started doing workouts as part of his BSS program under coach Robert Osorio. “Na-mo-monitor kasi ni Coach Robert ang progress ng katawan ko, at napansin ko talaga ang paglaki ng muscles at ribs ko, at na-feel ko na lumakas ako.” (Coach Robert is able to track the progress of my body and I really noticed how my muscles and ribs have strengthened, and I feel that I’m stronger now.)
John lifts weights as part of his workout. Looking on is fellow soloist Sean Pelegrin. Photo courtesy of John Balagot
He is quite thankful to Coach Robert as he’s able to share his wealth of knowledge with the dancers. “Marami na akong tips na nakuha sa kanya para mas ma-improve pa ang katawan ko. Sobrang suwerte ng mga mas batang dancers dahil ngayon pa lang, na-de-develop na ang mga katawan nila.” (I’ve received so many tips from him about further improving my body. The younger dancers are so lucky because they’re already able to develop their bodies correctly now.)
Despite missing out on starting ballet at a young age, John proves that self-discipline, love for one's work, and interest in self-improvement allow one to climb the ranks and be the best artist he can be.
For John (center, in Augustus Damian III’s Reconfigured), errands such as getting the grocery or doing the laundry help his mind and body recover from a busy week. Photo by Larry Salgado
