Ballet Manila’s Nicole Barroso won the silver medal at the 6th Asian Grand Prix, repeating her feat last year in the same ballet competition.

As part of her prize, Barroso also received scholarships from the Elmhurst School for Dance Summer School and the Shanghai Shanghai Dance School at the awarding rites held Friday night (August 12) at the Y-Theater in Hong Kong.

Also notable was the performance of Sharia Comeros who placed fifth in her category. She brought home the Most Promising Female Award.

Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and co-artistic director Osias Barroso also celebrated the triumph of the following BM competitors in their respective categories:

Alvin Dictado, 6th Place, Junior B

Ana Andes, 5th Place, Senior A

Raymond Salcedo, 4th Place, Senior B

Rodney Catubay, 5th Place, Senior B

Loraine Gaile Jarlega, 5th Place, Pre-competitive 2

Raymond Salcedo was also given a special award, the Fonteyn Prize.

Shortly after the awarding ceremonies, Macuja-Elizalde enthused: “The Asian Grand Prix has certainly evolved over the six years it has been in existence and I am so happy and proud that Ballet Manila and our delegates have grown together with this competition.”

Tapped this year as a jury member in AGP’s Pre-Competitive category, she said: “For the first time, with an inside look into the job of the jury, I saw the meticulous attention to detail in giving the scores and the criteria for the decisions involved in giving these much coveted awards and prizes.”

Herself a winner of several international ballet competitions, Macuja-Elizalde stressed: “I am, of course, greatly pleased that our dancers have danced well and reaped honors for Ballet Manila and for our country. But more so, I am touched by the sincere comments of the jury in their praise for the high quality of training that we give our competitors. They had the strength, technique and style necessary to get those points. But at the end of the day, the fact that they all danced from the heart was the quality that brought them home!”

Barroso who personally led the training of the dancers for the AGP, noted that throughout the week, he has been receiving positive feedback about the schooling of the Ballet Manila competitors.

“A lot of people noticed how BM dancers simply seemed to sail to the finals,” he said.

Eleven out of BM’s 18-member delegation made it to the final roung of AGP.

The other BM finalists were Joshua Enciso, Danielle De Guzman, Ashley Salonga and Lyssa Apilado.

Making it to the semi-finals were Jayrald Magat, Kayla Coseteng, Marinette Franco and Monic Valera.

The BM participants who completed the elimination round were Abby Bonifacio, Regina Gonzalez and Tiffany Claire Lau.