I call her Tita P out of respect and love. In truth, there isn't much of an age difference between us. It just so happens that I had her as my mentor and close confidant in my journey as a dance artist. Perry Sevidal started her early dance training with Effie Nanas School of Ballet and then eventually ended up with what was then known as the CCP Dance Company (now Ballet Philippines). She paid her dues as a dance artist and reached her status as soloist. Chances are, if there was a need for demi- character roles, she would get it. She is fleet-footed and has the gift of a quick pick-up allowing her to learn her pieces in an instant. She was everybody's pixie, fairy, cygnet and columbine doll rolled into one. Roles she mastered through her stint until she eventually decided to bid farewell to the company.
Perry's love affair with dance stretches out through a few decades and she is still at it! I was delighted to get an invite to her recent dance recital at the CCP Little Theater and promised to see her show. When she left Ballet Philippines she decided to put up a small dance school in Makati. Her first venture was promising considering there weren't that many schools back then. From a converted warehouse near the railway close to Buendia, she transferred to another spot close by on the top floor of a building and then she moved to her current dance studio along Sampaloc Street in San Antonio Village, Makati. This one is her very own spot. Her studio has a viewing gallery above the dance floor where excited moms can watch their little girls in tutus twirl around to classical music. The studio is a marvel in design. She can elect to take everything apart and pack it away if she does decide to change location; which she hopefully will not do.
This recent recital of Tita P is rather special. It is her 24th Summer Dance Workshop Recital! Yes, the lady has never left the dance world. It's amazing for an independent dance school to survive for nearly a quarter of a century. Tita P has almost single-handedly run the operations of her school with the aid of important and current stars of the ballet-world. She was kind enough to give me the opportunity to design some of her recital costumes in the early years; a task which I took to heart because it gave me the opportunity to explore my creativity. Thank you for that, Tita P. This time around, it is her nephew Michael Miguel who designed her La Bayadere/Rio themed costumes.
The first part of the recital showed dance students of various levels dance to melodic strains of the tragic Indian love story of a doomed temple dancer (Nikiya) and a noble prince (Solor). The Minkus score is very dramatic with peaks at certain points that are highlighted by strong bravura variations. Thankfully, her soloists and leads were up to par with their dance technique. Nothing can be more disappointing than seeing knock-knee'd dancers and girls dancing off-center. But starting at a young age with Tita P as their dance instructress, these dancers have obviously been trained well. The baby ballet class and the two boys were lovable! There are some girls that are being groomed for bigger future roles and will probably end up in the big three dance companies of the Philippines if not abroad. Solor and Nikiya essayed their roles bravely despite the opening jitters. I see a bright future ahead of them.
The second part of the recital is where everybody tends to relax and just enjoy their performance. The contemporary/modern dance sections danced to the upbeat soundtrack of Rio. It was here where some of Tita P's former dance students paid it forward by being hip-hop, jazz, tap, modern ballet dance teachers along with Ballet Philippines dance artists Gia Gequinto, Earl Sorilla and Sarah Alejandro and Lester Requindin. Katsch Catoy's lighting is another marvel to behold while Teacher Marissa Aboitiz' rousing finale elicited animated applause from the audience. This is the part where kids dance all out gyrating and contorting their bodies to Brazilian beats. This was indeed fun, but at one point, in comes Tita P in her "duster" and laundry basin dancing to Pilita Corrales' "Dahil Sa Iyo" as choreographed by Earl Sorilla. That number brought the house down, although it only added to the high energy of kids doing their thing on stage. Obviously, everyone was having fun.
This is where Perry Sevidal Ballet stands out as a school. Everyone knows that ballet equals discipline! Tita P's love for children and her innate passion to share her art to the younger generation inspires them to dance well and do their best. I didn't see the usual baby ballerina bawling her eyes out on stage. No stage fright here! It's just Tita P drawing out the same passion she has from her "kids". If the kids love her, so do the mothers. Some of them have even enrolled in their Adult Ballet courses. Why shouldn't they? They're already there watching their kids learn to dance. It's a perfect mother-daughter bonding avenue.
From here, Perry Sevidal Ballet can only move forward... They start training again today, 16 June, 2018. This is the start of their 25th year as a dance school. No mean feat considering she has developed dancers to become members of the professional ballet companies in the country today. The others who, for some reason, could no longer become performers give back by teaching the younger basic ballet classes. And those of us, who neither perform nor teach have continued to keep in touch with her and watch some of her recitals. If there's anything I learned from her, it's that passion is contagious...
