Ballet of the dolls

When God sprinkled pixie dancer dust across the world, I was probably under a huge corporate-giveaway umbrella. It seems I have been given zero talent for dancing. I can’t dance. I can’t dance even if someone put a gun to my head. I was born without a dancer’s bone in my body. I have two left feet that were made purely for walking and scampering away from stray dogs and speeding cars. I dread disco pubs and rave clubs like the plague. Once, I tried dancing with a girl in high school and ended up flailing miserably across the dance floor like an albatross on acid. The girl walked out on me in the middle of a Milli Vanilli song. I was pelted with snickers and sticky stares. I completely forgot about that proud moment in my loser history until it all came tumbling back the day my editor asked me to write about a local ballet school’s participation in a dance competition in Singapore.

Ballet?

Yes, ballet.

Er...as in BALLET?

So goes the conversation in my head. To be honest, you could write what this skinny, grungy, longhaired writer knows about ballet on the head of a pin. Besides, the only dancing I’m familiar with takes place in mosh pits or sleazy joints. But the students of the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet (HCSB), who competed at the 4th Asia-Pacific Dance Competition in Singapore last July 20 and 21, taught me this: one doesn’t need to be an expert (or even a dancer) in order to appreciate the passion, grace and fire of ballet. It can be a transcendent thing to watch lithesome ballet dancers flitting their way from one end of the stage to another. Especially when the music, the motion, the facial expression come together in one flickering image onstage. You could even call it poetry-made-flesh.

Energizer Bunnies In Ballet Shoes

I met the artistic director of HCSB, former-ballerina Shirley Halili-Cruz, the night before the contingent (composed of 72 students, 48 parents, four teachers, Shirley’s staff of four, plus two terrible dancers from The Philippine STAR – myself and photographer Jun Mendoza) left for Singapore. Consider their tight schedule: Shirley and company had just arrived that afternoon from a successful stint in Perth, Australia; the group was booked on a 10:30 PAL flight to the Lion City the next morning; and there they were at the HCSB campus along Quezon Avenue around 10 in the evening rehearsing for the Singapore stint. Talk about dedication. Talk about energy. Talk about them being Energizer bunnies in ballet shoes.

The next day, I saw the kids in identical HCSB T-shirts, pants and jackets at the airport. They were very lively. Same with the parents who beamed with pride because their kids were going to participate in an international event. I, on the other hand, tried to snap my way out of the state of unsleep I was in. It didn’t help at all that the literature I had in my backpack was a Sandman graphic novel.

We boarded the PAL plane which the kids promptly turned into probably the world’s first-ever "school plane": the kids exchanged seats, checked up on friends and generally scampered about. Shirley was one untiring lady as well. The woman who walked the aisle of the plane to see how the kids were doing every now and then was the same woman who traveled all the way from Down Under barely a day ago. And to think I was already slouched on my seat, tired, spiritless, with empty eyes pinned to the sea. The kids kept me amused, though.

After the three-and-a-half-hour flight, we reached Changi Airport which was beautiful in an antiseptic way. We put our bags into two small delivery trucks and boarded two busses. Our tour guide, Debbie, pointed out the landmarks on the Singaporean landscape, talked about eclectic buildings and taxi fares, and dispelled the bubble gum myth along the way. ("Importing chewing gum is illegal; chewing a packet is not.")

We reached our hotel, Fort Canning Lodge, and the horror of sorting out which room goes out to which guest fell on the shoulders of Shirley. But not once did she get flustered by this organizational hell and I wasn’t at all surprised. What made my jaw drop was the announcement about 5 p.m. dress rehearsals at the site of the competition, the Overseas Family School along Patterson Road.

Ah, the spartan life of ballet dancers.

Tiny Dancers, Smashing Success

I got to talk to Singaporean Agnes Yeow whom Shirley called a "serious ballet mom." Agnes waited patiently at the school auditorium in order to convince Mrs. Cruz to establish a ballet school in Singapore.

"Last year I came to watch the competition and I was really impressed by the dancers of the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet," said Yeow, adding that her daughter is now studying ballet. "I hope we could have it here in our country."

It seems that the Philippine ballet contingent that competed last year made quite an impression. The HCSB bagged 51 awards and six trophies after two days of intense competition. The aggregate trophy (read: the MVP award of ballet tilts) went to a sprightly 24- year-old named Caron "Cookee" Balahadia, who got the highest number of points in the event organized by the Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing (CSTD).

On the first day of competition, I watched Cookee, an HCSB teacher, rehearse with 25-year-old Margaret Ferriols and was blown away by their duo performance of Czardas from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. The dance starts out languidly but soon climaxes into a gaggle of twists and pirouettes which must be literally a stretch for novices. But not for two dancers seasoned by stints in China, Japan, Australia and New York. The synchronicity the two seem to share is quite amazing; Cookee even has a term for it – magkapulso. Do they ever get nervous at all, considering how good they’ve become through practice and monkish training?

"Everytime I would perform, kinakabahan talaga ako. Mas nakakanerbiyos nga ‘pag ‘di ka ninenerbiyos," said Teacher Cookee.

"Something would go wrong ‘pag masyado kang confident," Margaret added. ‘Pag kinakabahan ka, you would strive to do better, to do more."

"Ang tension at pressure nangyayari lang naman sa backstage. Once you make the first step, nawawala na ‘yung kaba kasi you’re into the dance already," shared Balahadia.

The other teachers – Grace Garalde and Anna Lissa Tuazon-Balmadrid – also joined in the conversation and gave this writer Ballet 101 lessons. (A sidelight: Anna was my classmate in college – that period in my life I would characterize as a beer-and-gin-induced blur. I think she remembers me as the longhaired guy who dozed off in theology class a lot.) The two, along with Cookee and Shirley’s daughter Anna Kathrina, were responsible for teaching the students the tricky dance steps, a harrowing task considering that they had to deal with girls with ages ranging from nine to 26.

Before 5 p.m., a bus took us to the Overseas Family School with its glass facade and wide grounds. Jun and I found the group in the downstairs gym which was converted into a dressing room. Girls in tutu were everywhere. Some were fiddling with fans and bamboo sticks. Some were practicing twirls, twists and variations. Apple Lozada was eating a chocolate bar. Tricia Encarnacion was caught up in a paperback. The very friendly Althea Geronilla was posing questions to this writer ("Why do you always wear black?").

Mothers were dabbing makeup and eye shadow on their daughters, hairspraying locks in place or taking snapshots of their dear daughters. Motley-colored costumes cluttered the place; there was purple in one corner, gold in another. Shirley, in the middle of this chaos of colors, gave the girls valuable lessons.

Girls, always remember to smile. Always have a nice smile when you’re dancing.

It’s okay to make mistakes.

The important thing is to have fun.

I asked Teacher Shirley what the philosophy behind those tips were. She said she doesn’t feel this Singapore stint should be considered cutthroat competition. "Our minds are not on winning because we’re here to perform, to have fun and ma-enjoy ng mga foreigners ang ating dancing. That’s why relaxed ang mga bata. The honor of being invited here – that alone is enough. Winning is just a bonus."

And win big in this year’s tilt they did. The HCSB won 62 out of the 80 awards given, winning four perpetual trophies including another aggregate award for Cookee (whom I teased as the Michael Jordan of this year’s batch). Shirley’s angels won in all the categories they participated in the under nine, under 12, under 15 and open groupings – classical, neoclassical, national, demi-character, modern and jazz.

Not only did the HCSB dancers beat their Singaporean, Chinese, Indian, Sri Lankan counterparts, they also outdid themselves this year.

Spotlights And Sidelights

Shirley kissed a couple of girls goodbye before the first set of dancers (the under 15 kids) climbed onstage for their rendition of Gounod’s Les Nubiennes. At first, I thought I was going to be bored by two days of seemingly infinite ballet, but Shirley’s dancers were truly entertaining and a joy to behold as part of a duo, trio or group and as solo performers.

Twelve-year-old Lourdes Estrada, wearing a white pussycat suit, was especially endearing in her demi-character portrayal of Puss ‘N Boots. So kittenish. Cheka Cabreza, who swept all her solo events, was particularly stunning in her performance of an Enya original, Only If. Dancing with a freely flowing pink sash in her hand was a stroke of genius. Bea Tolentino (who’s like a mini-version of Vanessa Del Bianco) and Rachelle Go (who proved she could go toe to toe with the likes of Cookee and Margaret in their Verdi number) also showed promise. Seven-year-old Patricia Degollado, the youngest among Shirley’s angels, was sooo cute.

As expected, Cookee and Margaret showed fine form in Chardaz. In the neoclassical solo open category, Margaret’s brilliant performance of Babae Ka by Inang Laya was second only to Cookee’s flawless rendition of Tanging Yaman. I absolutely detested that song until I saw Balahadia interpret it through breathtaking ballet. At the end of the piece, even the Singaporeans were clapping.

For the group performances, the one that really stood out for me was the Padayaw number featuring the music of neo-ethnic group Pinikpikan. It was a case of the violins, the bongos, the wailing guitars of the song merging with the gestures of the dancers. Music in this case became an extension of the movements, and vice versa. Great costumes, too.

I also like the Bulaklakan, Sakuting, Waltz in A Flat and The Nutcracker performances. Shirley’s angels also proved they’re not classical or folk dance snobs; their Not Wicked modern dance number was very entertaining, winning first place and perpetual award honors. It could very well cure my phobia for disco inferno.

Some interesting sidelights. Two Singaporean boys in Shazam costumes danced to Twist and Hawaii 5-0. An awkward Caucasian kid from a Singapore school was dancing when her music stopped abruptly, leaving her staring blankly into space. Her awkward waltz also made her lose her blue wig in her demi-character number. And the dude who danced to Tenessee Waltz had an Eddie Peregrina hairstyle. He won first place by the way.

Adjudicator Shirley Halliday from Australia was generous with tips for the competitors ("Don’t forget the lines and spacing" "Good work, girls!"). But the anarchic announcement of winners on the first night of competition nearly ruined an otherwise orderly and well-run event. Names overlapped leaving everyone dazed and confused. Good thing it was sorted out the following day.

And, oh yes, Ambassador Ernesto Llamas watched the competition and was visibly impressed with Shirley’s angels.

Daddies, Mommies, Mishaps And Other Meanderings

Cheka’s dad, Bogie Cabreza was visibly proud of his daughter’s performance despite the fact that the girl was nursing a fever. "Kinakabahan ako noong una," said Bogie. "Kung talagang hindi gagaling si Cheka uuwi na sana kami. Pero ayaw niya, gusto niyang mag-ballet. She told me, ‘Dad, I don’t feel well but the show must go on.’" Cheka, by the way, has a pending scholarship to the American School of Ballet in New York.

Dennis Reyes, who works at the PNOC, had very interesting things to say about his daughters, Deborah and Hadassah. Same with Fe Balbuena and her son Christopher who accompanied shy Kristine to Singapore. Very pleasant people to be with.

Congressman Jun Lozada (the father of Charmaine and Apple) met us at the NAIA upon our return. The solon is thinking of instituting a program that would bring ballet to the grassroots; that way more children will reap the benefits of learning the art. DPWH Undersecretary Mabini Pablo (Lia’s dad) couldn’t imagine how Shirley was able to take care of all the children. "I don’t know how she does it. There must be something in Teacher Shirley that inspired the kids to give their very best."

Another parent, Cynthia Reyes, told me about her daughter Madge’s disappointment in Perth. "She cried when she lost. Madge felt she deserved to win because of the effort she exerted. How did I console her? I wasn’t able to – kasi umiyak din ako." The day after the event, I saw Madge (who won first place honors in the Classical Solo category in Singapore) reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. She told me, "In Australia, Harry Potter is pronounced as Harry Potah."

Lourdes Estrada, ever the gregarious one, also shared her experiences in Australia, Singapore and ballet in general. "Ballet is a way of life. Mas disciplined na ako, mas punctual, mas confident, stuff like that."

I also met 20-year-old Anna Kathrina Cruz, Shirley’s daughter and one of the HCSB teachers. Anna K. broke her leg during a technical performance at the Meralco Theater. "I was taken to a hospital in my tutu complete with matching headdress pa," laughs Anna K., who showed me the deep gash below her right knee. I also got to touch the tip of the screw the doctors placed inside her leg. Lucky me.

What’s amazing about Anna K. is that she had a part in the Not Wicked number, performing with a knee brace that could’ve passed for Darth Vader’s android arm. The way that girl danced you wouldn’t think she had surgery months ago.

Of course, there was Cookee. There was a tense moment in her Pas Classique performance when her leg buckled. But rather than lose heart, the dancer did more dizzying and difficult turns. She won the perpetual trophy for that one. "Actually, ‘yun ang pinakakabado ako na sayawin because it’s technically demanding. But after I was able to do my variations, okay na sa akin ‘yun, whatever the adjudicator thinks. Basta na-please ko ‘yung sarili ko – and si Mrs. Cruz, of course."

And for Balahadia’s Tanging Yaman performance, adjudicator Shirley Halliday remarked, "I can see that (Cookee) dances from the heart."

Last Waltz

The day before we left Singapore, the HCSB dancers were invited to the Singapore Chinese Girls’ School in commemoration of Racial Harmony Day. They performed two sets – one at the Alice Lee Hall for grade school kids and another at Khoo Auditorium for those in high school. The Singaporean kids were ecstatic.

On our way to the airport on the fifth and final day of the trip, I expected the kids to be drained physically and mentally after that harrowing sked. Even Energizer Bunnies reach that low-batt limbo. But not these girls.

Impishly cute Patricia Degollado and Bea Tolentino (who sported a kuliti) led the other girls in singing a laughable medley of Blurry, Someday We’ll Know and Jingle Bells. I also heard them belt out an Eminem rap somewhere between Orchard Road and Changi Airport.

Energetic, enthusiastic, cheerful, lively, fun-loving – call these kids what you will. I guess Teacher Shirley shared life-affirming lessons with them.

"These dancers have heart and soul," Shirley said. "And I have taught them not just about dancing – the steps, the techniques – but also about life itself. I always tell them, the most important thing in life is to love what you’re doing."

Life, in a sense, is but a long, protracted dance.