By Michele T. Logarta
Ballet Manila alumna Christine Rocas is in Manila on her break from Joffrey Ballet, the renowned American ballet company based in Chicago where she is a company member. But it’s a working vacation as is always the case for Rocas, who always takes the opportunity to return to her roots in Ballet Manila.
“Ballet Manila is home. Coming back reminds of the basics and going back to square one. I am quite lucky to have the opportunity to come back and dance. I am grateful to Teacher Lisa. She has always created the opportunity for me. To come back home and share with everybody the art. Other people are not offered that opportunity and I’m very lucky in that regard. As dancers, we are always hungry and looking for the chance to be onstage. It’s always a great feeling to be reunited with colleagues from long ago.”
“Teacher Lisa” is Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, BM founder and artistic director, from whom Rocas earned her stripes as a dancer. When she got the opportunity to join Joffrey Ballet (a prize that came with her silver medal finish at the New York International Ballet Competition in 2005), she hesitated.
“It was a big leap of faith. It was a place I had never been to and I was quite happy here. I was well taken care of. So to go out of the comfort zone and explore the unknown… to anyone, it would be a scary notion. But, it was also quite exciting at the same time.”
With her Teacher Lisa’s encouragement, she made the decision to leave. And, it’s been 11 years since then.
This June, Rocas will be seen at Dance.MNL: The Philippine Dance Festival which, for the first time, brings together Ballet Manila, Ballet Philippines and Philippine Ballet Theater in a collaborative showcase aimed at uniting the Philippine dance community.
“It’s about time the Philippines has a huge festival like this. I think that all the companies coming together is an amazing idea. It will be a feast. It’s impossible that you will leave a performance feeling empty. It’s going to be a great buffet of dance.”
For Dance.MNL, she takes on varied personas on stage. She will be Helena in Amid Shadows by Martin Lawrance (The Winners’ Circle, June 21), a snake in Aspis by Gerardo Francisco (Dance Diaspora, June 25) and Juliet in Bam Damian’s Romeo and Juliet (Ballet Filipino, June 26), with all shows scheduled at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
Rocas’ ability to adapt to a wide range of dance styles is something she credits to her training at BM. “I think that the training of BM has a very pure classical background. And with that, I could be a pure slate, a blank canvas. You can do essentially whatever you want with that canvas. I’d like to think that applies to me. The BM technique is so pure, there’s no affectation in the dancing. And that made it easier for me to adapt.”
Amid Shadows, which is specially created for her, is a gift from Macuja-Elizalde. “It’s a very generous gift to be created on… and it’s a beautiful piece for BM to put on their repertoire.
Working on Amid Shadows also marks her first time to work with British choreographer Martin Lawrance. The story is a “complicated love square,” according to Rocas.
Rocas has always enjoyed the process of choreography. “The creative process is something a dancer needs. Also, I think choreography is the bloodline of dance. Martin is a brilliant choreographer. I love that he allows me to be responsive so that I can have my own inputs in the process. You are able to put your stamp on it. Unlike a piece that you perform that’s already been done before and that’s just taught to you.”
BM’s Gerardo Francisco choreographed Aspis for Rocas where she has to dance as “an extremely poisonous viper,” as Francisco terms it. He credits Rocas for being open to dancing in this modern style which is different from one she is used to at Joffrey Ballet. “Although this is not her forte, she was challenged, and she said she could do this. From our rehearsals, I can say that she is looking good,” Francisco assesses.
“It’s a solo and his inspiration is a snake. It’s slithery, with contrasting dynamics. There’s no story to it. Just movement,” Rocas describes the piece.
Rocas, who was a spider in the original cast of Arachnida by Agnes Locsin, says that modern dance is always a challenge to her. I like a challenge… it helps me get to know my body a little bit more.”
Rocas will do Juliet in Bam Damian’s version of the classic love story. Juliet is a role she has always loved.
“My ultimate dream role, I have already done. It is Juliet in Romeo and Juliet,” she reveals. “It has such a huge arc and huge emotional range. As far as the classics are concerned, I’m content with the repertoire I have done. I want to explore the human aspect of anything, whether it be abstract or a story. Especially in a story, I like the process of thinking where intention comes from… how to execute a certain movement, how to deliver the statement you want to come across with.”
The past season with Joffrey was an exciting one, she recounts. She played Cinderella and one of the Fairies of the Four Seasons in Cinderella. In The Nutcracker, she did several roles including the Sugar Plum Fairy. She was Diana, a leading role in the American premier of John Neumeier’s Sylvia.
She doesn’t play favorites when it comes to roles. “I think every role brings a different experience that you can’t compare to the other one. Each experience is as valuable as the one before. I definitely enjoyed all those experiences.”
But she does single out her experience in Sylvia. “I am always interested in doing John Neumeier’s work, especially after the experience in Sylvia. He is one of the most revered choreographers of his time.” This, she says, is certainly something she would like to explore further.
For the younger generation of BM dancers, Rocas is someone to emulate.
“There’s a lot about me as a dancer that has changed over the years. But my work ethic is still the same. I am open to criticism. When it comes to rehearsals, I am always there, 100 percent. If something is aching or hurts, I tell someone in advance. I don’t like drama. I do what I’m told but if there’s something to be discussed, then we discuss it as colleagues. It’s a collaboration of ideas.”
Having become a seasoned dancer herself, Rocas offers sound advice to those who wante to enter or are new in the field. She cites “hard work, determination, complete focus on work, and not taking opportunities for granted” as great things to have. “As an aspiring dancer, you should realize that your experiences are necessary to your artistry. Your journey in life and your experiences will fuel your artistry.”