It was summer school break of 2013 and we’re trying to find an activity to make our daughter’s summer vacation productive. She was almost six years-old then and since she loves dancing, we decided to enroll her in a ballet class. She was shy at the beginning but eventually made friends with her co-little ballerinas. They’re all so cute wearing their ballet uniforms, head with bun, keenly listening to their teacher and trying to do splits, flex and point, pliè, and other ballet techniques.

With the help of her coaches and co-students, she gained her confidence and started competing in both classical and contemporary ballet. She started competing in 2014 and has won multiple awards since then. She has also joined international competitions and gained scholarship grants and workshops from international ballet schools. A very big thanks to her coaches who believe in her.

Though she spends over 20 hours a week on the studio rehearsing, she still fares well on her academics. And that’s another thing we are proud of her, that she’s able to juggle her love for dancing and keeping up with her studies.

Ballet can be an expensive art, as you have to invest in costumes, training, event fees, competition fees, etc. But for as long as we see that she’s enjoying and improving, we will be supporting her in her chosen craft. As nothing compares to the excitement we feel when we see her on stage performing and enjoying her dance pieces.

By: Genalyn Cagatin