The whole dance studio was abuzz.
The Queen City was up for a rare dose of NYC as the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Studio Company jetted in for a flying visit.
Cloister of disciplined energy, the mirrored walls of Cebu Centre for Dance (CCD) now zinged with excitement, activity, chatter. Advanced students swooned at the prospect of a master class taught by “Center Stage” film star slash Mandy Moore “I Wanna Be With You” music video heartthrob Sascha Radetsky, now ABT Studio Company artistic director.
Level 2B students were simply electric at the chance of performing during the CCD-hosted welcome dinner. Every orbiting dance fan was just eager to breathe the same air as ballet legend Stella Abrera, first Filipina ABT principal dancer.
Barely settling into the lightheadedness of big-name bliss—top-billed by power couple Radetsky and Abrera—a breathtaking sleight of hand takes place.
Pianist’s pianist Cecile Licad, unrecognizable as an off-duty virtuoso living the virtual life—replete with foodporn cameoing Cebu lechon—goes full on rock star mode when the moment calls. Come performance night, her sheer mega wattage hurtles ABT Studio Company rising stars to supernova status. Licad’s passion on the piano powering turns, sustaining jumps and punctuating emotion held the audience captive.
“Cecile and the dancers become one,” described Sofia Zobel Elizalde of the “Bravo! Filipino” production on marrying the music of Licad with movement. It is “inspiring for dancers to work with Cecile,” Elizalde added, who, force of nature that she is, brought Licad and Abrera together, paving the way for the fab collab.
“Stella found me in the Yellow Pages,” Licad jested. “Thanks for being open to my cold call,” Abrera retorted shyly. “I was surprised she wanted to collaborate!” Licad gushed back.
News flash: superstars fangirl too.
“These guys have taste,” said Licad of her creative partners.
Former ABT soloist Radetsky, not only has an “eye for seeing talent,” but an ear for what stirs, commissioning unexpected pieces for Licad to tackle, among them, a Rachmaninoff prelude “with 8,000 notes,” a Czerny etude and a Scarlatti opus for this show’s finale.
“I love learning new things. That is how you grow as an artist.”
Impressed by the CCD students’ heartfelt performance at the welcome dinner, Radetsky was touched to address our Cebu youngsters:
“You were saying we inspire you to keep dancing. Well, you inspire us to work hard. I think we want to steal some of your stage presence and bottle it up and take it back to New York.”
And there it is. Whether world-class performer or budding artist, inspiration grips both ways. Equally. Intensely. Absolutely.