Sofia Zobel-Elizalde's ballet group takes steps closer to the people

My hope is to shed light, pro-voke thought, entertain, and move through dance,” the American artistic director and contemporary ballet choreographer Dwight Rhoden once said. And observing the reactions of the crowd in Angeles City’s Marquee Mall as they watched the ballet dancers from the Steps Dance Studio perform, it crossed my mind that he was absolutely right.

“Ang galing! Pwede palang i-ballet ang kantang Pinoy,” remarked a teen-aged boy with brown and yellow stippled hair. His friends remained in rapt attention as the dancers twirled to “Pinoy Christmas,” a dance interpretation of the Philippines’ most popular and loved holiday traditions. They hooted admiringly as the performers leapt gracefully onstage. “Kaya mo ’yan?!”

The performance at Marquee Mall was the culmination of Ayala Malls’ 2010 Bravo Filipino program. Recognizing that the malls have become an integral part of modern living, “Bravo Filipino” is a program that aims to make arts, music and dance more accessible to the public. This particular collaboration with Sofia Zobel Elizalde and her Steps Dance Studio is a means to allow more people to appreciate ballet. The dance, after all, has customarily been regarded as another form of “high art.”

What has the public’s response been like? “It has been wonderful!” exclaimed Steps Dance project director James Laforteza, who is also responsible for the choreography of “Pinoy Christmas.” “The Cebu performance, particularly, was very well received.” He related that an enthusiastic audience in Cebu was very voluble in their applause and appreciation.

But while the performances have enriched the cultural savvy of mall-goers who otherwise would not venture to places where ballets are traditionally held, the mall venues have been beneficial for the dancers, too.  Performing in a mall setting has improved focus and showmanship, especially because there can be many distractions.

“Kaya mo ’yan?!” asks a member of the audience, as his friends applaud the dancers leaping gracefully.

The commendable skill of the dancers is expected, however, since many of them are scholars of the Steps Scholarship Foundation. The foundation provides assistance, scholarships and grants to those who want to have serious training in ballet, modern, and jazz. With different dance courses for varying age groups and different levels of ability, plus a ballet program follows the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) syllabus, these young scholars are better prepared for professional dance careers in the future should they decide to follow that route.

Steps Dance Studio performers dance to “Pinoy Christmas,” a ballet choreographed by James Laforteza.

The ballet performance at the Marquee Mall started with “Pinoy Christmas,” with music from Ryan Cayabyab’s “Pasko I” and “Pasko II,” but the second portion of the show featured a more traditional theme. The Nutcracker with music by Tchaikovsky is a ballet that is almost always performed during the Christmas season. The dancers went through their steps with precision and grace.

However, what also caught my attention was that a five-year-old sitting in my row was visibly transfixed. Kindergarten student Frances Magsumbol sporadically exclaimed, “I love their pink dresses!”; or “I want to dance like that!”; or simply, “Wow!,” while watching with sparkling eyes. Her absorption in the ballet was evident, and she fidgeted in her seat only during intermissions since she was eager for the ballet to continue. 

“Art is not a handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling the artist has experienced,” the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy said. The love for ballet is reflected in the dancers’ movements; is effectively transmitted to the audience so that even a child is enamored. For us adults, there is an added gift: A child’s enthusiasm is so contagious that we are captivated all over again.