The Dream Balletcenter Cebu

Balletcenter Cebu
Suite 302, 3rd Level Ayala Center Cebu
Cebu Business Park, Archbishop Reyes
Cebu, Philippines
Gregory Aaron and Nicolas Pacaña, Artistic Directors
Balletcenter has been the focal point for classical and contemporary dance in the Visayas for sixty-nine years. Founded by Fe Sala Villarica, countless generations of dancers and dance enthusiasts are experiencing ballet in Cebu, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Under her leadership, Balletcenter was able to send the first student ever, Mr. Nordin Jumalon, to Russia to train. In addition, she was responsible for enabling the Cebuano pride, Nicolas Pacaña, to go abroad which began his illustrious career.
Internationally recognized premier danseur Nicolas Pacaña and choreographer Gregory Aaron assumed directorship of Balletcenter in August 2006. Mr. Pacaña is known the world over for his interpretations of the lead roles in the classics including Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty Coppelia, and The Nutcracker, as well as a wealth of Balanchine, neo-classical and contemporary works, having worked with many of the world’s finest choreographers as a premier danseur of The Honolulu City Ballet, the Boston Ballet, and the Atlanta Ballet. Gregory Aaron brings his versatility of dancing from prestigious companies such as Oregon Ballet Theater, The Hartford Ballet, and the Boston Ballet, as well as co-directing Atlanta Festival Ballet with Nicolas Pacaña for twenty-six years to the helm as Artistic Director.
Since assuming the directorship both directors have choreographed a myriad of ballets, such as The Nutcracker, The Little Mermaid, Alice in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, Swan Lake, Giselle, Cinderella, as well as neo-classical ballets such as Eclipse, Bella Amore, Paganini, Outcast, Tchaikovsky, Back to the Fifties, Sing Sing Sing, and Symphony in C.
In 2007, the directors introduced the International Summer Series wherein dancers from all over the country have been invited to attend. Valuable Partnerships have been made with Girlie S. Royeca of The Royeca School of Balle in Davao and General Santos City, Henedina Rocamora of Jete Dance Studio in Dapitan City and Dipolog City, Abraham Montessori, and Sonshine International School. In 2007, Balletcenter introduced the OUTREACH PROGRAM to students at Pasil Elementary School. Over the course of the next few years, the program has continued to grow to include the children of Barangays Tisa, Labangon, Banilad, Subangdaku, Tipolo, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu City. Plans are geared to invite dancers from all over Asia to make Cebu the Dance Mecca of Asia.
Gregory Aaron and Nicolas Pacaña directed Atlanta Festival Ballet School and Company for twenty-six years, annually producing two full-length ballets and two repertory series. As directors of Atlanta Festival Ballet school, they were responsible for training students for acceptance and to receive scholarships to schools and companies across the United States of America. They are the Artistic Directors of Balletcenter, Cebu Philippines, and serve as Artistic Associates for the Lipa Ballet School of Batangas, Jete Dance Studio of Dapitan and Dipolog City, and The Royeca Schools of Ballet Davao City and General Santos City.
2013 saw Balletcenter’s first international tour to Penang, Malaysia to perform for I-Media Educational Group, and principal dancers Mhynard Etis and Genette Terez were engaged to guest perform for ACTS of Performing Arts in Kuala Lumpur.
In July 2013, a partnership was signed between Balletcenter and The Russian Ballet Society of Thailand, which will have far-reaching results for the exporting of ballet teachers. To date, eight ballet dancers have been accepted to teach in the Kingdom of Thailand.
The fall of 2013 saw the premiere of the full-length Swan Lake with guest dancers Jasmine Pia Dames and Rudolph Capongcol from Steps Dance Studio, with Artistic Director Sofia Zobel Elizalde, alternating with Balletcenter principal dancers Rollaine Nuez and Mhynard Etis in the lead roles. In 2014, Balletcenter presented Cinderella with alumni and International Director Benjie Diola performing with Nicolas Pacaña as the step-sisters.
2015 was a whirlwind year for Mr. Aaron; he set Little Mermaid for performances held at the University of Malaya performed by Roche Dance Studio headed by Artistic Director Zse Ye and Equinox Dancing Studio headed by Artistic Director Mei Lin Ng. A new friendship was formed with LayNa Ballet, Artistic Director Kuching, Sarawak, and Borneo where Mr. Aaron taught as a guest teacher. December saw the premier of Mr. Aaron’s ballet Mulan that was performed by A La Pointe Ballet Academy, Janice Khoo Artistic Director, and Gwen School of Dance, Gwen Teoh Villenguez Artistic Director, at the Dewan Sri Penang