kEXT week, Ballet Philippines (BP) will open its 53rd season with “Dance Here and Now: Equus, Bolero and Other Dances.” A big comeback to be sure, BP Artistic Director Mikhail “Misha” Martynyuk assured they are fully prepared to give the best performance possible.

“We prepared our bodies for the big task ahead. After getting into our best shape — both mentally and physically — we began working on choreographies and dancing. We take endurance and musicality very seriously. This is why there is no stopping us now. We are ready. We can’t wait to dance and make our way to the stage,” Martynyuk said.

Last week, we talked to BP dancer Ian Ocampo. This week, let’s get to know our BP featured artist, Jemima Reyes.

Jemima began dancing at the age of 3 in her hometown, Nueva Ecija. Upon receiving her formal dance classes, she got accepted into the Philippine High School for the Arts and later on moved to De La Salle College of St. Benilde. It was in her college years that she joined Ballet Philippines in 2011 and got promoted to company member.

She has lead numerous roles in the company and her notable roles include Juliet in Alice Reyes’ “Romeo and Juliet,” Kitri in “Don Quixote,” Odette and Odille in “Swan Lake” and Sugarplum Fairy in the “Nutcracker” to name a few.

She continues to dance with her home dance company and hopes to share more of her passion and love for dancing to the Filipino audiences and patrons of the arts.

Below is our interview with Jemima.

What makes an excellent dancer?

An excellent dancer for me is someone who constantly seeks improvement of oneself at any given age. Someone who stays hungry for the art. That’s all on top of being a brilliant story teller with excellent lyricism and strong technique.

Also, I would think that any excellent dancer finds interest in hearing constructive criticism and would put it to a good use. An excellent dancer finds joy in going through the ups and downs of the dance journey. Someone who can embrace the good, the bad and everything in between. Because excellence begins with a good work ethic, discipline and love for dance.

Not many young people are given the opportunity to be with a respected dance company. What has BP done for you over the years and how do you plan to give back?

Ballet Philippines has done a lot for me through the years. From being able to go through college with a scholarship, to working as a dancer despite the pandemic. I believe it was all made possible by the people who has come and gone in the company. I owe each one of them.

I’d like to think that staying true to my art form and doing my part with all my best capability is a way to give back to the company. In time, if given the chance, I’d like to pay it forward by sharing everything I have leaned to the ones who will come after.

How do you motivate yourself to do good as an artist despite the current challenges?

This is a question I constantly ask myself every waking day. To be honest, I thought it would be hard to keep myself motivated. But during the pandemic, I had the opportunity to explore other things inside and out of dance. It kept me excited and it gave me another level of inspiration. I feel like I have unlocked a new sense of motivation. I have always looked forward to getting through the day because work felt lighter and more fulfilling.

On other days when dance isn’t the only thing I need to think about, when outside factors contribute to my lack of motivation, I set a goal for the day and push myself to achieve what I have set for myself. Because during these times that I lack motivation, I go back to discipline.

GGG

Catch Ballet Philippines 53rd season, “Dance Here and Now: Equus, Bolero and Other Dances,” on September 17 and 18 at the CCP. For more information, email info@ballet.ph.