MANILA, Philippines - As the young ballet dancers from Steps Dance Studio headed for the Asian Grand Prix last August, they realized that the competition was not only a chance to prove their skill and talent on the world stage. It was also an opportunity to show a unique quality they believed set them apart in a field of 170 equally talented dancers from all over the world: Filipino heart and artistry.
Sofia Zobel-Elizalde, managing director of Steps and a former ballerina herself, has long placed emphasis on, and is very vocal about, honing this “very special and innate performance quality” that sets apart Filipino dancers. Believing that a lack of opportunity should never stand in the way of one’s dreams — a belief instilled in her by her parents —she set up the Steps Scholarship Foundation and engaged family, friends, and other generous institutions to support gifted dancers and champion Filipino talent in international competitions such as the Asian Grand Prix.
The six young dancers — Megumi Nishimori, Rudolph Capongcol, Sean Kevin Pelegrin, Samantha Margauz Libao, Monica Amanda Gana, and Julio Laforteza — are all top scholars of Steps. Wide-eyed with idealism, their youth belies the steely commitment to dance. According to Elizalde, they were selected to represent the school and the country in the Asian Grand Prix for their strong technical ability, right physique, and performance quality, and because they enjoyed the challenge of competing.
Still, all except one were competing internationally for the first time. For the girls, preparation for the AGP coincided in part with an intensive summer workshop with the American Ballet Theatre in New York, which meant rehearsals with Elizalde even on their free days. For six months, the 15- to 19-year-olds expertly danced the duet of schoolwork and footwork, showing up at daily rehearsals with preternatural maturity and a desire to test their limits.
It was an intense period of tough love and even tougher training under their coach Jeffrey Floyd Suico Espejo, who had danced with the Buryat State Academic Ballet in Russia and the Hong Kong Ballet and studied under ballet masters and coaches such as Viktor Saveliev, Sergei Vikov, Ira Sitnikova, Tom Mayer, Tatiana A. Udalenkova, and Surgei Vikulov. He cannot overemphasize the benefits of international exposure to a young dancer. Dancing abroad — to a foreign audience and on a stage one is not familiar with — takes one out of his comfort zone, he says, and allows oneself to measure his performance on a different level.
For Elizalde, it is the preparation for the competition that may be most beneficial for building not only proficiency but also character. “They improve tremendously and become mature as dancers and performers. Competing can bring about many different emotions; they learn how to manage these emotions and turn them into positive feelings.” Sitting with the rest of the audience during a competition, she admits to going “through the same roller coaster ride of emotions as they do!”
It helped that the young dancers could focus on their training after receiving support from the Steps Scholarship Foundation as well as from individuals including Francisco R. Elizalde, Gisela Montinola, and Elaine Marden, and other institutions such as the Pacita Madrigal Scholarship Program.
Espejo told the Steps scholars that they would see a lot of their peers at the Asian Grand Prix who were similarly prepared and determined to win. He saw wisdom in letting them choose their own variations because “it’s hard to train dancers who don’t like their dance piece.” To set themselves apart, he told them “to find their own light so that they can shine and the judges will notice them.”
And find their own light they did. All six dancers from Steps received awards and dance scholarships from the prestigious competition. Megumi, 15, and Rudolph, 19, won silver and bronze medals in their respective divisions. Monica, 18, and Sean, 19, both placed eighth while Samantha, 15, placed seventh. Julio and Megumi were awarded scholarship to the Asian Grand Prix Summer Intensive Program, which also means a free preliminary round at the competition next year.
“I was pleased with their performances,” says their coach. “Watching them onstage, I was really proud. They handled the pressure very well.”
Adds Elizalde: “Our Filipino dancers, as I saw in the Asian Grand Prix, are on a par with, and in some cases stronger than, the other students from top schools all over the world.”
Exhilarated by their recent success after all the hard work, all six say they look forward to tougher challenges. Says Sean: “Every day I want to get better. Every day I want to see improvements. Until I am old. This is my passion.”
And the committed group of teachers and staff at Steps, says Elizalde, will continue to nurture that passion and talent among young Filipino dancers as they prepare for the global stage. “We never stop learning and we can still improve in many ways. Our training is definitely moving in the right direction.”
Founded in 1994, Steps Dance Studio is one of the most innovative and creative dance studios in the country. Its ballet program follows the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus. For inquiries, call 757-2984 or (02) 843-8472.