The new stars of dance

I’m sure they will all cringe at the title. Not one of them expects to be called a star. I told them they will have to expect it sooner or later, if they choose to stay in the limelight that grabbed them from the comfort zone of anonymity.

Not long ago Ballet Philippines’ roster of principal dancers moved on to the life looming outside the possessive box that is the CCP. Some got married and pregnant, others retired or went abroad.

Irish Abejero, in his mid-twenties, became the oldest principal dancer when he should have been the youngest. The rest were untested members who were just baking in the range of soloist and corps de ballet. Where they were happily absorbing technique as it came by, without warning, they were plucked out to be the senior dancers. Today, they are the leads in the restaging of The Nutcracker (my version), dancing as Sugar Plum Fairies and Nutcracker Princes, no less.

It was only two years ago in Peter Pan when they tackled their first leading roles in a full-length ballet. Clark Rambuyon did Peter, Mica Bernas and Kris-belle Paclibar were the Tinkerbells, Irish alternated with Jojo Mamangun as Captain Hook and Hanedy Sala was one of the Lost Boys. In their rawness, I admit to staring at them wondering if they’ll survive the ballet I choreographed with seasoned dancers. That was their first brush with the thoroughness of principal status. The challenges didn’t stop there. Then came Cinderella, Darna and Icons/Carmina Burana, where they continued to hone, chisel and refine their dancing.

It normally takes a dancer about 10 years to rise from the ranks of corps de ballet to soloist and principal status. Now, it has taken but two years for these dancers to whoosh up like a rocket. How lucky they are, although they think otherwise. I’ve known dancers who were stuck in the corps for the duration of their career.

Watching them in rehearsals, I’m amazed at how fast they’ve grown as artists. There is spirit and determination, sheer will power, that’s what it takes to succeed in dance. Behind the typical reservations that audiences pay not to see is human frailty that readers pay to read. Let me share it with you.

Behind the tinsel and tassel of Sugar Plum Fairies, Nutcracker Princes, growing Christmas trees and Candy Land are regular guys in jeans going to school each morning. Eyes are set on them. Irish Abejero, Clark Rambuyon, Jojo Mamangun, Kris-belle Paclibar, Mica Bernas and Hanedy Sala are our future stars. Here is my candid interview with them.

PHILIPPINE STAR: Tell me your age and background in dance.

HANEDY SALA: I’m 19, a third-year student at St. Benilde taking up dance. I started dancing at the age of six with the CCP Dance School. I became interested in dance when I saw this Milo commercial with a young gymnast wearing a leotard. I told my Dad, "I want to wear that, too," and the next day he gave me a class card for the CCP Dance School.

IRISH ABEJERO: I’m 29, a graduate of business management in UE. I joined the UE Dance Troupe to escape the ROTC requirement. I became a member of the Chameleon Dance Company under Jojo Lucila, before I joined Ballet Philippines.

JOJO MAMANGUN: I’m 22, a fourth year dance student at St. Benilde. I auditioned at the Philippine High School for the Arts, music department, in Makiling by playing ethnic instruments only to be told it was not offered. Since no one was auditioning for folk dance, I was put there. I tried the theater, too, and passed both. I chose folk dance because a classmate in theater was too noisy. After I graduated, I went to Davao to study with Agnes Locsin in a summer workshop at the age of 18. After that, I went to Ballet Philippines with her.

CLARK RAMBUYON: I’m 20, a fourth year dance student at St. Benilde. When I was young, my idols were Gary V. and Michael Jackson. My mom worked with the CCP Radio Veritas, so she took me to some BP performances. I said, "Ay, iba ang ballet… ’yun pala ang tawag. Gusto ko ’yan." So, she enrolled me at the CCP Dance School at the age of 9. My only dream was to dance at the CCP Main Theater. I didn’t care if I was the only boy in class. My teacher was Perry Sevidal and she was teaching us to throw flowers, drink milk, etc. I didn’t mind that as long as I was dancing.

KRIS-BELLE PACLIBAR: I’m 23, a fourth year dance student at St. Benilde. When my Mom saw that I was interested in jazz, she took me to Carmen Locsin’s studio in Davao. There, I learned to dance at the age of 9. They told me not to do jazz yet, because I was too young, so I took up ballet first. In 1998, Agnes Locsin brought me to Manila and after one summer I thought I was done, finished. But dyahe naman to my parents who expected more of me, so I tried again. Now here I am.

MICA BERNAS: I’m 19, a third year student at De La Salle taking up organizational communication. I started dancing at 7 with Cristina Bichara at St. Scholastica’s. The first ballet I saw was BP’s Snow White with Sofia Zobel. My Mom found out that the CCP Dance School is good, so she enrolled me there with the RAD.

What were your initial reactions when you were told you will be doing the lead roles in The Nutcracker?

Hanedy: It will be my first grand pas de deux in a full-length ballet. I was expecting to be the lead in the corps! I cried when I was informed about it. I was frightened, excited, shocked. I didn’t want it. I felt I wasn’t ready… I’m too young.

Jojo: I doubted myself. Sana corps lang ako. I felt I still lacked the knowledge and training. I was so hilaw in Cinderella, yet I partnered two ballerinas, Kris-belle and Camille (Ordinario) when Irish was injured. But once there, laban na.

Irish: I more or less expected it since I started doing the prince roles in 1999. But I was worried about my back injury. I only performed in Cinderella once because of it. I’m more confident now.

Clark: I also expected it in a way. I’m more excited now after Cinderella. I was always the prince in the shows of the CCP Dance School. Besides, I danced all the roles in The Nutcracker: Children, rats, Russians, clowns, name it.

Kris-belle: Kinabahan ako. In Cinderella, I had senior dancers with me, Tinny (Crame) and Camille, telling me how to go about things. They corrected me, talked to me. Then the turnover was too fast. I feel I’m still not ready technically and there are no more seniors to listen to. I have to do it alone now. I felt I was also hilaw in Cinderella.

Mica: It was suggested that I study the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, but I worked on it hesitantly because I didn’t want to be disappointed. I wasn’t sure I’d be asked to do it. I did the Swanilda role for the CCP Dance School, but that’s different. With BP’s The Nutcracker, there’s a standard na.

Now that you’ve been rehearsing for weeks and the stage is being set for the performances, how do you feel?

Irish: On stage, iba na. Forget doubt. I just think at that particular time I’m dancing, I’ll just finish it.

Clark: I’m so pro-Pinoy. When foreign dancers come here I say, "Uy, kaya din namin ’yan… we can even be much better pa. Bakit hindi makakaya ng Pinoy ’yan? Dapat ma-push. There are not too many dancers here to look up to now.

Jojo: After knowing the sequence of the dances, I start looking internally for the character of the Nutcracker Prince, hoping to get his spirit. If you’re not technically-oriented, dapat daanin sa emote!

Kris-belle: I can’t seem to remove doubt. In Cinderella, inunahan ako ng duda. I thought too much of technique. I was told artistry is important on stage and to just bring out the story to the audience. My demon is… doubt. Also, my blisters – ang sakit. My toenails go in, bumabaon. They say it’s bad luck to cut your toenails before a show. Is that true? I also worry about weak ankles.

Hanedy: I can’t breathe sometimes. Before, one couple is running pa lang, I’m scared na. But slowly, nawawala ang kaba. If I know many are watching, I lose confidence. I will fight it with willpower and with the help of Tina (the young Valentina in BP’s Darna, which Hanedy essayed superbly).

Mica: Now that I’m doing it, at the start of the music, I think, don’t entertain doubt. Just dance. But it still grips me. Coming back from Japan (where she toured with CCP’s Realizing Rama), kulelat ako. I got mad at myself. Gawin mo na, I just said. Don’t think you got fat, lacked classes… just do what you have to do.

All: We think your choreography is too difficult, especially the corps work. But the steps for the leads are easy, madaling makuha with practice. We want to enhance our ability with more experience and rehearsals. We want to develop our artistry. Excited kami!

I know the feeling of going out there and charging. What do you say to yourselves before dancing?

Irish: Relax.

Kris-belle: Bahala ka na Lord.

Hanedy: I make the sign of the cross, then I say, Kaya mo yan. A miracle is going to happen (laughter).

Jojo: I psyche myself to finish and stay in focus.

Mica: I make the sign of the cross. Now, it differs daily. Sometimes, I think of a friend who had passed away and I offer my dancing. Sometimes I enjoy the music. It depends on what happened to me that day. But, I always offer it to the Lord.

Clark: For you, Mama. (Clark’s mother passed away last year when he was rehearsing for Cinderella.) I was called by my relatives in Laguna to go straight to the hospital because my Mom suffered a heart failure. When I arrived, she was already in the morgue. I still managed to go to CCP to rehearse my piece for the summer workshop. Even if I was devastated, the show had to go on. I performed believing that she was there on stage with me every night.

Parents play a vital role in one’s career. Their attitude to your profession, the words they speak can either make you or break you. Tell me your parents’ reaction to your dancing.

Irish: My parents are not really into my career as a dancer. I remember them scolding me for coming home late from rehearsals. They never watched me perform until I did the lead role in Carmen in 2000. Their reaction? Deadma. But with Carmina Burana, there was already a little reaction! Baka, ok na sa kanila.

Hanedy: My mom works in Saudi Arabia, so she never gets to watch me. But she would tell me, "Sabi nila ang galing-galing mo raw, anak!" (She shrinks warily.)

Kris-belle: I don’t want my parents to watch me. Nakakaconscious. My Dad’s a critic. He says, "Huwag kang ganyan mag-smile. When a boy lifts you, walang arte-arte. Just be lifted." My mom would joke, "Take up ballet na lang kaya!" I feel like crying when I think of what my Dad tells me: "Not all things are permanent in this world, so when you are given something, make the most out of it."

Clark: My Dad’s in na in sa arts. He’s very supportive, always guiding. He always reminds me to thank those who help me. My Mom was the founder of Teatro Bulilit ng Malaban in Laguna, a children’s theater group. She gave a speech to the children telling them to watch Cinderella. Then she walked home and suffered the attack. Those were her last words… "Go to the ballet."

Mica: My parents can be what you call stage parents. They’re both very appreciative of the arts. My Dad’s like a teacher and a coach. He even encouraged me to take up swimming to build my body. My Mom reminds me to pray the rosary and to always thank the Lord. She’d tell me how good I was but my Dad would add, you could’ve done better. I suspect it’s his upbringing. Ayaw niyang lumaki ang ulo ko. My Mom would bring me flowers and cards, parang baby ballet. My Dad would just say, "Nag-alangan ka sa isang ikot mo." It’s a good balance. Sometimes, if the comments are too negative, I go into self-pity. If there’s too much praise, it won’t work either.

Jojo: My parents are artistically inclined. My Mom’s into design, she was the assistant of Toto Sicangco (a well-known Filipino designer in New York). She’s a production lady of movies and plays, while my Dad helps out and does masks, sets and takes photographs. He’s into the visual arts. He never told me, "Magaling ka." He’s my number one critic.

All: We don’t want to be told, "Magaling ka." Siyempre, minsan pumapalakpak ang tainga, masarap pakinggan when you’re told you’re good. But we don’t want it to stay inside. In one ear, out the other.

What are your significant thoughts as a dancer?

Clark: I love everything about dance… modern, classical ballet, anything. Even if I’m injured, I’ll dance as if there’s no pain.

Jojo: I try to keep my feet on the ground. I have a tendency to believe praise. I always have to fight that.

Irish: Jojo Lucila told me in 1996 that he’ll watch me only when I do a solo role at the CCP. During Carmina Burana I was shocked that he remembered that. He said, "O ’di ba? I said I’d watch you ’pag nag-solo ka? Here I am!" I was touched.

Mica: Dad always says, "Give your best. Gagawin mo na lang, gawin mo na nang todo. Lahat makakaya mo. Your talent is God-given and it can be taken back from you any time, so always do your best."

Kris-belle: I will never give up. I started fighting na.

What about salaries?

Girls: We all love to dance. No one can stop us even if the pay is low.

Boys: Well, sana naman we can earn more. Sana people will help us maintain our career. Former BP dancers would tell us, "If I had a million, I’d give BP some money."

Girls: Our friends think we earn a lot. They say, "Wow! CCP! How much do you make? P40,000?" Sana!

Before a show, Yoko Morishita used to drink some beer and Natalia Makarova would take a swig of vodka to down their nerves. What are your rituals before you go on stage?

Kris-belle: I have a St. Philomena novena wrapped in a plastic that I attach to a belt, then I wear it under my costume. Except in Darna, where I had a problem, I didn’t know where to hide it! There’s a prayer room here in CCP. I once went there and prayed, "Lord, if my performance is good, I’ll always come back here." I inserted my written prayer under the cloak of the Sto. Nino. Si Tinny would sit and meditate, but I don’t know if she was serious or joking me.

Mica: I have a fixed prayer that goes: Oh my God, my heart and my soul, all my strengths and weaknesses, my successes and downfalls I offer to You, my Lord. Then I say Angel of God… then I pray for my personal intentions.

Clark: My Mom gave me a secret Latin prayer that she said will guide me no matter what, not only in dance but in everyday life and in everything I do. I’ll say it now… (No don’t say it, we cry. Baka mawala ang himala!)

Jojo: Physically, I go to the bathroom to unload (laughter). Spiritually, I pray to my guardian angel. Bantayan mo lang ako. I was a sacristan for three years and some people told me I was going to be a priest.

Irish: I pray directly to God. I ask for protection and alertness. I was also a sacristan for nine years, but I told everyone I wanted to get married.

Hanedy: I say a prayer to St. Jude the night before the performance. ’Di ba, he’s the patron saint of the impossible?

* * *

The interview ended when I saw their gaunt faces raring to feel the breeze outside on their night off.

Okay guys. Thanks a lot and rest!

Ballet Philippines’ The Nutcracker opens on Dec. 5 and will run everyday (except Mondays) until Dec. 16 at the CCP Main Theater.

It is set in the Philippines during the 1920s. It’s full of magic, with a Christmas tree growing, dancing fireflies and parols adding a local zest to the classical ballet. Original set and costume design is by National Artist Salvador Bernal. Special guests will grace the Rigodon section in Act 1 on the first two nights. They include: Sofia Zobel Elizalde (who played Clara once upon a time) and her sister, Bea Zobel; Kit Zobel; First Daughter Luli Arroyo; CCP board chairman and president Nestor Jardin; CCP artistic director Nanding Josef; UE president Baltazar Endriga; Spanish Embassy First Lady Aurora Lapus de Sagaz; Finnish writer Seppo Suomela; Nonoy Froilan; former BP members; and many many more.

It is rare nowadays to find a fully-dressed stage and scores of dancers, children and parents from the upper crust of the arts and society dancing in full regalia, a once in a lifetime occurrence in theater. Also, be the first to see the stars of tomorrow. Don’t miss it! It’s the best Christmas gift for family and friends.

For tickets, call Ballet Philippines at 551-1003 and 551-0144.