BP Beautiful People
The BP Beautiful People program develops collaborations with talented individuals from outside the ballet sector. Providing a diverse range of tips and tricks that range from lifestyle, well-being and nutrition to fashion, beauty, costume design, and more.
Ballet Philippines Rehearsal Master Emmanuelle Guillermo and Principal Dancer Ma. Regina Magbitang traveled to Baguio for a memorable masterclass
Ballet Philippines recently held a Ballet Masterclass in Baguio City, during the IBAGIW Creative Festival 2023. Aspiring dancers made their way to the Ballet Baguio workshop on November 12, and were given the option to participate in an advanced level or intermediate level dance class. Leading the masterclass was Ballet Philippines Production Assistant and Rehearsal Master Emmanuelle Guillermo and Principal Dancer Ma. Regina Magbitang.
In the spirit of camaraderie, Ballet Baguio invited other local dance companies to participate in the masterclass. Dancers lined the barre as Emmanuelle and Regina demonstrated movements such as the Plié, Pirouette and Arabesque. It was a fun and rewarding day for those passionate about the art form of dance.
Emmanuelle, known to his friends as Chabi, started his formal dance training at the age of 12 at Steps Dance Studio under Sofia Zobel-Elizalde, where he was presented with the school’s Best Ballet Dancer Award. In 2009, Chabi joined Ballet Philippines as an apprentice, and quickly was promoted to the company a year later. He has danced a variety of roles including a solo in Gopack, the Blue Bird Pas de deux in Sleeping Beauty, Basilio in Don Quixote, and the Rat King in The Nutcracker. Today, he works closely with Ballet Philippines Artistic Director Mikhail Martynyuk as the company’s Rehearsal Master.
Working with Chabi for the Baguio City workshop was Principal Dancer Ma. Regina Magbitang. Regina began dancing as early as 8-years-old, as a protégé of Dance Educator and Artistic Director Shirley Halili-Cruz of the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet. She participated in all the company’s performances both locally and internationally. Regina joined the Philippine Ballet Theatre in 2012, where she has performed numerous classical roles. Her glowing resume includes gracing the stage in the Stars of the Philippine Ballet in 2013, a 3rd place citation in the 2012 NAMCYA Competition, and 2nd place in the CCP National Ballet Competition. Since joining Ballet Philippines in 2020, Regina has truly made her mark in the company. Most recently, she played the principal roles of Marie in The Nutcracker and Swanhilda in Coppelia.
