Pirouetting in the right direction

Ballet class was a memorable part of my childhood. I remember my mother holding my tiny hand as we walked to ballet class. I was five. With intent eyes, she watched my every move. She was the moving spirit for an only daughter. I remember that it was Ricardo Cassell who taught me all that I know about ballet. He was a strict teacher, training us, in a most unusual way. For instance, in perfecting the arabesques, he would put a lighted cigarette under my legs so I wouldn’t put them down, a technique that seemed torturous even as we knew he wouldn’t really burn us.

Years later, in grade school and high school, conservative Maryknoll sisters frowned at ballet altogether and prohibited us from learning it, for the same reason that girls were discouraged from wearing bathing suits. But my love for dancing was unstoppable and I secretly continued going to ballet.

Back to Cassel and Yvonne delos Reyes and daily classes that began with warm-up exercises at the barre. We were taught to focus on a single point as we did our pirouettes. During my first ballet recital, I was in a red and black lace tutu, my hair pulled back in a bun. The Far Eastern University had the biggest stage back then. I was a lady from Spain at 12 years old. With the energy of a youngster, I memorized each step and with a long neck, which was never on the floor, I attempted each turn and made each little leap, holding my black and red fan.

Now, I am back to adult ballet class. My mother no longer holds my hand each time I go to Toni Lopez Gonzalez-Garcia, but I remember Mommy. No tutus. No more lighted cigarettes under my thighs. No fear of castigation if I miss the pirouette. What is still there is the eagerness to dance. I appreciate ballet as an outlet to heal an aching spirit, and as I feel my heart throb, I am young again with my parents and obedient brothers Ramon and Martin at our home.

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A real and wonderful feat was last Sunday’s performance of Swan Lake, directed by Sony’s daughter Toni Lopez Gonzales-Garcia, which made me very, very proud to be her pupil.

The patient and diligent ballet teacher Toni presented 50 of her pupils, comprising tiny tots and teens, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Little Theater. Here are testimonies by the mommies to honor Toni, a jewel in the field of dance.

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Let me tell you about the tiny Daniella Rodriguez, my classmate. To quote her Dad: "Daniella’s early years were ones typical of many children. She was timid, moving from one interest to another. Over the years, however, we’ve seen her transform into a confident self-motivated individual with a positive outlook and passion for life. From my perspective, being continuously immersed in an environment where she regards her ballet contemporaries as sisters and their mother hen as her coach, Teacher Toni, confidante and surrogate mother. She has required discipline, confidence and passion, while having a great time in the process."

From Dan and Tess Moran: "It gives us so much pride and joy to see how gracefully our daughters dance ballet. What is also equally impressive is the realization that they enjoy dancing after many years of constant drills, practices and intense preparations for their recitals.

We thank Toni for having given them this opportunity to bring out the best in their efforts and talents through ballet. She has remained a constant inspiration to our girls year after year."

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And who is Teacher Toni? Here’s what Liana Lim, Mica Maronilla and Rica Aldecoa, students of Teacher Toni have to say: "When you look up the word ‘Superwoman’ in the dictionary, do not be surprised if you read: ‘su-per-wo-man. See Toni Lopez Gonzales, Superwoman. ’Teacher Toni is the perfect teacher, dancer, mother, daughter, and friend.’"

"Toni’s journey into the world of dance began at the very young age of three. Thanks to Tita Sony’s kakulitan, her obedient daughter didn’t stop dancing from thereon. As many of you may know, Teacher Toni became the youngest ever company member of Ballet Philippines at 12. This was the beginning of a whole range of achievements in the International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria where she was a semi-finalist. Critics said: ’She could easily captivate even the most reluctant member of the audience." But the best compliments come from her very own students who say: "Teacher Toni is my idol. She is breathtaking and truly inspirational."

"Teacher Toni shares a love for children, too! In 1992, she bravely put up First Step Ballet School in order to pass on her grace and talent to the next generation of young ’Toni’s." Alongside her dancing and teaching, she is also a loving wife to Tito Mike and doting mother to Jamie, Zach, and Marianna. Teacher Toni is animated and talkative, thoughtful and caring, graceful, talented, and young at heart. She is all things wonderful rolled into one, an inspiration on and off the dance floor. Unknowingly, she has touched the hearts of many, young and old. Let us hope she continues to save the world… through dancing, And us? We dream of Odile and Odette, Sleeping Beauty and the Sugar Plum Fairy."

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From my daughter Liaa: "I remember having to take ballet lessons as a child and dreading each day that I would have to get into my tights and leotards. After awhile, my Mom Ting-ting gave up pushing my sister and me to take up ballet because she must have been so sick and tired looking at our long faces. My mom loved to dance ballet and couldn’t imagine why none of her five daughters had the same passion for it."

"When I eventually had my own daughter, I thought the right thing to do was to enrol her in ballet class to teach her proper posture and grace. It also seemed that most of my friend’s daughters had at one time or another taken it up. It was a surprise to me that my daughter loves her ballet lessons! She can’t wait to put on her ballet outfit and start her classes with Teacher Toni. My daughter’s face totally lights up when she’s learning her steps and feels ecstatic when she is able to answer Teacher Toni’s bonus questions."

"How can my daughter be so different from me? I finally came to the conclusion that it must be Teacher Toni’s rapport with her students and manner of teaching that has gotten my daughter hooked on ballet." That’s from Martina’s Mom, Liaa Cojuangco Bautista.