Soloist Rissa May Camaclang on how ballet has changed her life for the better
Though she wasn’t originally cast for the role in the white ballet Chopiniana (2019), Rissa May Camaclang’s performance ultimately earned her a promotion to soloist. Photo by Ian Santos
By Jv Ramos
Rissa May “Ris” Camaclang is one ballerina who can say that she’s spent half her lifetime being a professional dancer. Accepted into Ballet Manila as a company artist when she was only 15, preceded by years as a Project Ballet Futures scholar, our subject views her teen to adult career as a blessing.
Ballet Manila soloist Rissa May Camaclang always keeps in mind the advice given by the late co-artistic director Osias Barroso Jr.: “Listen, remember, apply, and treasure.” Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
“I’ve always known that a ballerina’s career is short so to reach 10 years and then still be dancing on my 13th year with the company is a real blessing,” expresses Ris. “I also think that my time in ballet is something that was meant to be. It wasn’t something that was forced. I wasn’t the type to say, ‘By this time, I have to be promoted or I should have danced this role. Masaya lang ako lagi tuwing sumasayaw, at tuwing ginagawa ko iyon, dumadating ang iba’t ibang opportunities.” (I was just happily dancing, and whenever I did that, opportunities would come my way.)
For instance, her transition from scholar to company dancer was not something she wished for. “Hindi ko talaga gusto ang ballet nu’ng mga unang taon ko sa PBF. Gusto ko pa nga sumuko noong bata ako, dahil di ko siya naiintindihan at na-a-appreciate.” (I really didn’t like ballet when I was going through my first years as a PBF scholar. I wanted to quit as a kid, because I didn’t understand and appreciate it.)
Ris was the queen to Mark Sumaylo’s king, who would eventually become parents to Princess Aurora, in Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s Sleeping Beauty (2026). Photo courtesy of Rissa May Camaclang
What made her change her mind about the dance form were the recitals. “They gave us the opportunity to dance the classics and even be the lead characters! Nu’ng nag-Corsaire kami sa recital, doon ko na-realize ang possibilities ng ballet, kaya naman ginanahan ako.” (Doing Le Corsaire in a recital was when I realized the possibilities of ballet and that experience motivated me.)
By the age of 11, Ris already knew that she’d like to turn professional one day as she was at her happiest whenever she’d perform. Little did she know that the opportunity to be a Ballet Manila company artist would come when she turned 15. “Na-promote ako after ng pagkapanalo ko ng silver sa Asian Grand Prix noong 2013. Grabe! Napaka-core memory iyon sa akin dahil hindi ko talaga in-expect na may chance akong manalo.” (I got promoted after winning silver in the Asian Grand Prix in 2013! Gosh! That was such a core memory because I didn’t expect to even have a chance of winning.)
Dancing as the female lead in Agnes Locsin’s Sayao sa Pamlang, a featured piece in Ballet Manila’s Greatest Hits in Malaysia (2024). Photo by Larry Salgado
This ballerina recalls that when her fellow PBF scholar, Jessa Balote, was awarded a certificate, she already accepted her AGP defeat. “Iniisip ko na na sana proud pa rin ang mga teachers sa akin dahil nakaabot ako ng finals. Kaya nagulat talaga ako nu’ng tinawag ang pangalan ko bago ang gold winner.” (I was already thinking that I hope I still made my teachers proud as a finalist. So I was really shocked when they called my name before the person who won gold.) In addition, she was also surprised by the novelty and impact of her achievement. As the youngest Filipino ballerina to have medalled in an international competition, she proved that consistent ballet training could open doors to kids who didn’t grow up familiar with the dance form and inspired young Filipino dancers to dream big.
From being part of the corps de ballet, Ris gets to dance as one of the Big Swans in Swan Lake (2025). Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
She stresses that her win wouldn’t have been possible without the strictness and dedication of the late Ballet Manila co-artistic director, Osias “Sir Shaz” Barroso Jr. “Hindi ako kinakabahan kapag nagko-compete ako. Na-e-enjoy ko rin ang pag-perform sa harap ng judges. Ang kinatatakutan ko lang noon ay si Sir Shaz tuwing rehearsals. Nakikita niya ang lahat ng mali mo, at maraming comment tuwing mag-pe-perform ka sa harap niya. Napaka-strict niya, pero bilang dancer, feel mo rin na sobrang love ka niya!” (I wasn’t the type to get nervous when I would compete. I even enjoyed performing in front of judges. What I feared was Sir Shaz during rehearsals. He would see all your mistakes and would give a lot of corrections whenever you performed before him. He was very strict, but as a dancer, you could also feel how much he cared about your success.)
Ris points out that everything he did was out of love for his students and the art. “The advice that I’ll never forget is his, ‘Listen, remember, apply, and treasure.’ Listening to your teachers and fellow dancers is the most important thing for him. Then, what we learn here would be useless if we don’t remember and apply. Finally, he mentioned treasure because he wanted us to always dance our best, because we never know when our last dance will be!”
The female lead in Eric V. Cruz’s Carmen (2018) was one of Ris’ most memorable roles, with Romeo Peralta as her Don Jose. Photo by MarBi Photography
Taking to heart Sir Shaz’s words, Ris as part of the company developed into an excellent corps de ballet dancer and performed iconic soloist roles, including Carmen in Carmen, Mercedes in Don Quixote, and the lead in Agnes Locsin’s Sayao sa Pamlang.
“My performance of Carmen as a company member is among my favorite memories with Ballet Manila! It’s special to me because first, Carmen had been my dream role ever since I saw Ma’am Lisa [Macuja Elizalde, artistic director] dance it when I was a kid. Then, I would never forget how Sir Shaz would be teary-eyed whenever he’d watch us rehearse and that “Bravo!” he shouted when we did the show. Carmen meant so much to Sir Shaz, so I was happy that we – my Don Jose was Romeo ‘Kuya Meong’ Peralta – were able to make him proud!”
Ris notes that being in the professional scene is more than just mastering the characters assigned to you. An artist has to be ready to step in when a colleague gets injured, needs to learn and practice multiple choreographies ranging from classical to contemporary, and be willing to take on roles that may not suit their style. “One of the most beautiful ballets I’ve done is Chopiniana – the white ballet that led to my promotion to soloist in 2019. That promotion was very memorable to me because I originally wasn’t cast for the role, and yet when it was offered, I was able to learn the dance and give a good performance.”
Going toe to toe with principal dancer Stephanie Santiago in Paquita Divertissement as part of The Pearl Gala (2025), Ballet Manila’s 30th anniversary presentation. Photo by Erica Marquez-Jacinto
Asked if she prefers to be part of the corps or be a soloist, Rissa May is quick to point that there’s nothing more fulfilling than to be part of a strong corps de ballet. “There’s really nothing like being able to move in sync, as one unit. It involves a lot of struggle and effort – and talks with the girls outside rehearsals – to get there, but when you’re able to achieve it, it’s such a good feeling.” She adds that she’s very proud to see Ballet Manila rebuild its corps after the Aliw Theater fire and after the pandemic.
“After doing Giselle and many shows of Swan Lake, I really feel that we girls are stronger and are ready for La Bayadere [Ballet Manila’s season offering in August]. Gosh! I really am thankful that I’m going through these ballets again as a veteran in the company. Yes, even after 13 years, I still get excited about my career. There are many roles and corps experiences that I really would like to revisit at least once before my retirement.”
Osias Barroso Jr. was the beloved mentor whom Rissa eventually had the opportunity to be partnered with, as Donya Valeriana to his Haring Fernando in Gerardo Francisco Jr.’s Ibong Adarna. Photo by MarBi Photography
And what advice would this Ballet Manila soloist give to the current generation of PBF scholars? Rissa May shares that one wouldn’t go wrong if he or she were to follow the words of Sir Shaz. “Always listen, remember, apply, and treasure! Ang i-a-add ko lang din ay huwag silang susuko! Marami kang pagdadaanan bilang scholar. Mahirap pero ballet has changed my life for the better, so ituloy niyo lang!” (One advice I’ll add is don’t ever give up. There are so many struggles that you’ll go through as a scholar. It’s going to be a hard journey, but ballet has changed my life for the better, so just keep training.)
Ris considers her 13-year career with Ballet Manila a blessing. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
