My Friend Martin

I made a new friend recently backstage at Ballet Philippines‘ SHOES++. Twelve-year-old Martin Rallos has a smile that can light up the whole Main Theater stage, and he dances with so much heart. "D’yan po ako sa right side," he beamed. "Panoorin niyo ako, ha?"

Martin is one of two dozen kids from the Quezon City Performing Arts Development Foundation Inc. (plus six from a similar program in Manila) that joined the artists of Ballet Philippines in the show’s rousing, standing ovation, bring-the-house-down finale, Tony Fabella’s Tambol at Padyak, danced on bakya, traditional wooden shoes (not fancy modern adaptations) bought for, if I heard right, the princely sum of P16 a pair at the palengke.

The thrill of performing lights up Martin’s big eyes. He’s been with the qcpadfi since 1999 and is now at Level 3 (two rungs from what must be equivalent to principal dancer). His elder sister Precious has been with the group since 1993 and has traveled with them to Sarajevo and Tokyo. Martin is a freshman at the Manuel Roxas High School, where the group’s dance studio is located. He proudly relates that his class adviser came to watch one of the performances.

Martin is luckier than many of his fellow dancers at qcpadfi–he has a home to go home to everyday after school, and parents and a sister and brother who love him. Some of the kids in the group are street kids, with no home to speak of, no future–and not much of a present either. Joining the qcpadfi not only gives them training, it teaches them the value of discipline and hard work, of commitment and responsibility (mentors Tony Fabella, Eddie Elejar and Luther Perez will not tolerate bad habits and attitudes–to stay in the program the kids must follow rules) and gives them a sense of being part of something worthwhile. Franie Medalla found out that the world was more than the "back streets where I used to hang out with kids like me" when he auditioned for and was accepted into the group; he is now one of its outstanding performers.

How many other kids like Martin and Franie are roaming the streets, sniffing glue to kill hunger pangs, getting nasty looks when they tap at car windows? Sometimes all they need is a break, a chance to do something good, to realize that they are worth somethng. Then watch the absolute glow in their faces, the light in their eyes.