Ballet Manila names newest soloist after ‘Sleeping Beauty’ opening night
Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde announces the promotion of Shamira Drapete to soloist, becoming, currently, the company’s youngest soloist at 18. Video by Missy Macuja Elizalde
Shamira Drapete was visibly stunned when Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde announced her promotion from company member to soloist at the close of her debut as Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty last March 13 at Aliw Theater.
Shamira Drapete makes her debut as Princess Aurora in Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Missy Macuja Elizalde
Recovering after a few moments, the 18-year-old ballerina embraced her artistic director, bowed before a cheering crowd and her Ballet Manila colleagues, and then was congratulated by her Prince Desiré, principal dancer Joshua Enciso.
“Our youngest soloist… well done!” said Macuja Elizalde enthusiastically as the audience and the artists on stage continued clapping.
Her announcement came as a surprise to many familiar with Ballet Manila as promotions are usually announced at the close of the season or at the end of the year.
Sleeping Beauty, Macuja Elizalde’s choreography, was the first offering in the company’s Prima performance season that featured live music by the Manila Symphony Orchestra.
Drapete joins Rissa May Camaclang, Jessa Balote, Anselmo Dictado, John Balagot, Sean Pelegrin, Noah Esplana, Rodney Catubay and Rafael Perez in Ballet Manila’s roster of soloists.
Shamira (left) at the curtain call for Sleeping Beauty along with her Prince Desiré, principal dancer Joshua Enciso, and Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Last October, Drapete was named as a last-minute replacement to perform as Laura in the restaging of Florante at Laura opposite Rafael Perez who was also making his debut as Florante. It was the first time that both were doing a full-length ballet, one co-choreographed by Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Martin Lawrance.
Drapete stepped up to the challenge by getting inputs from principal dancer Abigail Oliveiro who had performed as the original Laura, watching a black-and-white Florante at Laura film, contacting her Filipino teacher to ask how she can further flesh out her character, and rehearsing with Perez even on days off.
Shamira (center) finished fourth in the Junior B division of the 2023 Asian Grand Prix in Hong Kong, competing alongside then Ballet Manila scholars John Stanley Alamer (left) and Juan Angelo De Leon.
“One of the things that got me through my worries at the beginning was trusting the idea that the teachers saw something in me, which is why they cast me as Laura. I just needed to put in the work to be able to meet their expectations, and I’m glad that I got their approval after our show,” Drapete said in an interview then.
She had also previously been tapped to play the lead roles of Giselle, Cinderella and Ibong Adarna in excerpted numbers for Ballet Manila guestings.
Drapete had been promoted from company apprentice to company member just last July at the end of Ballet Manila’s staging of Swan Lake in Dumaguete.
In 2023, she finished fourth in the Junior B division of the Asian Grand Prix in Hong Kong.
