6 July 2022
Ballet has always been an eye opener for most people who get a glimpse of a dancers’ graceful, water-like movements. Like most areas of dance, you would think that this form of art comes naturally to a person. Inasmuch as it takes innate talent to pursue such, it also requires a huge amount of practice, grit and commitment as well.
Zabrinna Santiago took that leap of faith to pursue her passion for ballet after years of trying to overcome stage freight as a little girl. Being trained under Maritoni Tordesillas, and working closely with big names like Tiffany Mangulabnan, Zabrinna has definitely owned this craft to turn this passion into something world-class and competitive.
In 2013, the aspiring ballerina entered Danspace Ballet School, and hasn’t looked back since. Besides regular dance classes, she participated in 4 recitals with the school, Aurora’s wedding (2014) Cinderella (2016), The Nutcracker (2018), and Carmen (2020). The year 2016 was a significant turning point for Zabrinna, as she made her way into international waters to compete at the Asian Grand Prix in Hong Kong. With her stunning solo piece from Sleeping Beauty, she finished 6th place ranking in the Pre-Competitive Division.
At what moment in your career did you realize that you wanted to pursue this craft further?
“My first international competition was at the Asian Grand Prix in Hong Kong in 2016. I performed a solo from Sleeping Beauty. I had no expectations since this was the first time I would try something internationally and only the second time doing a solo. I was so honored to get a sixth place ranking in the Pre-Competitive Division I had entered. From that time, I continued my dance training and competition training with Danspace. We eventually decided to try for the Youth America Dance Prix in March 2019 where I made it to the Top 12 Pre-Competitive Classical. I was 11 at the time.”
Are you interested in other forms of dance other than ballet?
“I do tend to lean more toward classical ballet but I enjoy contemporary dance as well. I am finding contemporary dance to be exciting and challenging as its movements give you a different form of expression.”
Do you have other skills or surprising talents other than ballet? What do you enjoy doing outside the world of ballet?
“Before the pandemic, life was school and ballet. With the hours required to train, I spent a lot of time in the studio. I enjoyed it because other than my school friends, I have a lot of really close ballet friends. Being at the Polo Club was convenient because after class we can relax and talk before we get picked up. I am also very artsy so I think I have a natural talent for art. I love to draw and paint. I self-study in this area and in my opinion, I am pretty good. I enjoy reading and watching movies on Netflix, Prime, etc.”
How far has the dance industry come in terms of diversity?
“The dance industry can be quite challenging, especially for women. The competition is enormous, however, it has been nice to see that the mindset of many Dance companies is changing. They are becoming more inclusive of different types of dancers. This inspires hope as there is so much talent out there that does not necessarily fit onto one kind of mold. The openness you are now starting to see speaks well of the industry.”
Describe your experience when you joined and placed in the Youth America Grand Prix.
“The first YAGP I joined was as a Pre-competitive competitor at age 11 I joined the San Diego, CA Semi-Final Regional. I was fortunate enough to have been ranked in the top 12 of the Classical Division. All the schools were US-based schools and I was the only one from the Philippines. The second YAGP Competition I joined was the Semi-Final in Osaka, Japan. I competed there as a Junior and was able to make the cut into the finals. I did not place in the Finals but it was a great experience to dance among such talented dancers. Danspace was represented in the Japan competition by 4 dancers. The third one was in March 2021, again in the San Diego semi-final. It was a challenging competition since all the preparation for that competition was done via Zoom. I was, however, happy that despite the challenges of training during the pandemic, I was able to rank in the Top 12 of the Junior Classical Division. It was after this March 2021 competition that we decided that I remain in the US to continue my dance training. I stayed in Southern California to train with Dimitri Kulev School of Classical Ballet. They helped prepare me for the March 2022 YAGP San Diego Semi-Final. My training increased as I had to prepare for two classical solos and a contemporary piece. It was such a wonderful experience. With pandemic restrictions lifted, the live competitions were full again with so many talented dancers returning to the stage. It was a challenge to prepare for it. I was so happy that not only did I rank in the Top 12 of the Junior Classical Division but I placed third and received an invitation to compete in the YAGP Finals in Tampa, Florida. To be invited to the Finals is such an honor. There were almost 12,000 competitors from the US and around the globe during the season and about 1,700 competitors were invited to the Finals. Dancing in the finals was a surreal experience. It was certainly my goal to make it there, and although I did not make the Final Round during the finals, the experience of being there was very enriching.”
How was your experience working with Tiffany Mangulabnan?
“For my contemporary piece, I could choose my choreographer so I decided to work with a Filipino choreographer. I was introduced to Tiffany Mangulabnan through work that I saw she had created for Tessa Tordesillas. I have never worked with her before so we were introduced via Zoom and the work created was all done over Zoom. I finally met her in person when I returned to Manila in December 2021 for the holidays. I enjoyed working with Tiffany. She is such a talented dancer with such high energy. She did not limit me but instead pushed me to do more which I appreciated. I improved greatly in my contemporary movement with her training.”
How do you usually prepare for the day of a big competition? Do you have any pre/post-show rituals?
“One of the rituals I have before a competition is to go off social media. I also go into a personal zone to keep my focus. All this is important for me to maintain my focus and confidence. I tend to get a bit anxious before a competition, but once I am on stage, I am different. It is a place where I can express myself.”
What has being a ballerina taught you in the greater scheme of things?
“Dance has taught me so much about who I am. It has taught me to be patient, hardworking, determined, persevering, and self-reliant. Dance can help with so many life skills.”
What do you want your legacy to be?
“The word LEGACY is such a big word. I am just starting out getting my feet wet. At this point, it is hard to think of what I would want to leave behind. I do know that to make good is not just about having the talent, you need to put in the work and learn to accept success with humility, and remain strong when you stumble.”
Just like Zabrinna, we should never put fear ahead of us. “Never give up on your dreams,” she shares to aspiring Filipino dancers. “To achieve them requires that you put in the work– train hard, listen well. There will be many challenges along the way to choose the right people to support you.” Indeed, we can always go back to her story and use it as inspiration to reach for the stars and go for our goals in the same way.
