Start 'em young! Kids as young as 4 years old can start learning ballet. CONTRIBUTED IMAGE/Ballet Philippines photo by Jojo Mamangun — Start ’em young! Kids as young as 4 years old can start learning ballet. CONTRIBUTED IMAGE/Jojo Mamangun

This summer, explore the art of dance with the Ballet Philippines Dance School in its annual 7-week intensive training program, the Summer Dance Workshop. Students from the age of four to pre-professional and professional levels, as well as adult beginners can take courses in Classical Ballet, Modern & Contemporary Dance, and Hip Hop.

Workshop participants may choose to focus on their preferred genre, or expand their dance vocabulary further by enrolling in the Full Course package, which places them in both classical ballet and modern dance classes for their age and skill level.

Students will have the chance to learn from BP alumni such as Nonoy Froilan, Gina Katigbak-Garcia, Rhea Dumdum-Bautista, as well as current dancers Jean Marc Cordero, Gillianne Gequinto, and Erl Sorilla, just to name a few.

In keeping with the BP Dance School’s holistic approach to dance education, the Summer Dance Workshop also includes a weekly Lecture Series. Through these sit-down talks, students have the opportunity to interact with artists of different fields and learn how aspects of their art form can relate to and enhance one’s dancing.

The 47^th CCP Summer Dance Workshop starts on April 4, 2016 at BPDS-Aura and on April 5, 2016 at BPDS-CCP. Students attend a minimum of 3 classes a week (for pre-ballet and elementary ballet students) to as much as 5 classes a week, including workshop rehearsals for its culminating performances at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) on May 21 and 22.

Scholarship auditions for the 47^th CCP Summer Dance Workshop are scheduled on March 19 at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and on April 5, 2016 (for provincial applicants only) at 1 pm and 2 pm.

Take part in Ballet Philippines' tradition of excellence at the 47th Summer Dance Workshop. Photo by Jerome Bonto — Take part in Ballet Philippines’ tradition of excellence at the 47th Summer Dance Workshop. Photo by Jerome Bonto

Scholars are given wide access to intensive dance training, aside from paying discounted fees. Intermediate and Advanced students who reach Company Scholar status become part of Ballet Philippines II, BP’s junior performing company. These scholarships are supported through donations made to the Noordin Jumalon Scholarship Program.

The Ballet Philippines Dance School is the professional training ground of the country’s most promising young talents in dance. With a unique curriculum that encompasses various dance styles and techniques, the systematized method and approach to instruction takes highly into account children’s anatomy and psyche at various ages and levels so that the training is physically safe, technically effective and artistically enriching for all students.