The Dance Goes On

It is said that life is a journey. A lonely journey, because we are individually on  our own in going through it. And sad, because we know that we each exist on borrowed time whose end continuously draws nearer, beginning right from the day we were born.

From time to time we want to veer away a little from our taken paths, in order to momentarily forget our fated solitude and the ticking away of our existence. We invent interesting diversions.

Some people seek simple fun. Others pursue endeavors that not only indulge the senses but stretch the human possibilities as well. The arts, for instance, is one of the greatest and most satisfying of human inventions.

No field of human endeavor appeals to everyone and crosses boundaries to the various other fields quite like the arts does. Businessmen, clergymen, politicians, scientists and other professionals each have their own favorite art. Some of them not only appreciate the arts, but even practice a particular art on the side.

And still there are those who have chosen to devote themselves totally to their art. Special people whose artistic pursuits define their very being. They who would not think of doing something else or be in a different field even if they were to live their lives all over again.

Last week I went to see one of these special few, eager to hear artistic ideas or plans for an art project. And, indeed, there was a lot to hear from Madame Fe Sala-Villarica – the leading exponent of classical dance in Cebu, if not in the whole Philippines.

Madame Fe is presently setting up the Metropolitan Ballet Theatre, a dance company composed of young dancers who have undergone world-class training in ballet and have vast experience in performing. “We are not a ballet school,” she stresses repeatedly. Instead, their group provides professional performance venue for the top students of the ballet schools around.

The Metropolitan Ballet Theatre aims to rekindle – and keep alive – the public appreciation for classical dance. They plan to present regular ballet performances, at least six productions a year. They also intend to hold outreach performances in outlying communities, purposely to bring ballet to a bigger audience.

The group’s core artists are to be under contract and paid decent salaries. It’s being fair and realistic; artists do get hungry, too, and have bills to pay as well. It’s really a shame to get artists to perform for free, just because they love to do it anyway.

The apprentice dancers, to be called in to augment the lead performers, will have a chance to rehearse with top-notch guest performers and expert choreographers who will be tapped for the productions now and then. Learning from the masters will be a valuable addition to the basic benefits like poise, grace, and confidence that dancers get from ballet training; aside, of course, from the great physical form.

Classical dance may appear like all fun on the surface, but it is actually a serious discipline. It requires more mental focus, physical energy, and emotional involvement compared to the common professions. Professional performers spend innumerable long hours at practice.

For a kickoff, the Metropolitan Ballet Theatre has scheduled a performance at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel on July 19th, at 8:15 p.m. The repertoire is meticulously chosen, the objective being “not only to entertain the audience and inspire aspiring dancers, but also to challenge the performers through an eclectic blend of classical, neo-classical, and original contemporary masterworks.” (For inquiries, contact phone number 0905-553-9082.)

Apparently, the hands of the artist who has long claimed to be retired are still quite full. Madame Fe has done a lot for the Cebu arts scene: She opened the pioneering ballet school in Cebu in1951, founded the Arts Council of Cebu in 1960, all along grooming dancers that eventually made their marks in the world ballet arena, and doing yet more other art projects. In fact, the lady should already be taking it easy – she’s in her 90s!

But there’s just a lot more to do, like discovering and developing new talents, stimulating popular taste for classical dance, boosting up the dance reputation of the city and, thus, contribute to making Cebu truly deserving of its title as “ASEAN Seat of Culture”, and – very importantly – to persuade both government and private sectors to actively support artistic initiatives.

Madame Fe is not taking it easy. She’s not even slowing down. Retirement is just a word. She’s born for this... and so the dance goes on.

Such intense devotion to the arts may seem incomprehensible to some, but it is celebrated by those who understand the great value of the arts in the human experience. The arts do not make life easy — the arts make life beautiful. (E-MAIL: [email protected])