If you're a fan of classical music in Manila, you must have heard of the Philippine Philharmonic…read moreOrchestra. They're the resident orchestra group of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and have regular shows at the Main Theater. Headed by Maestro Olivier Ochanine (yes, he's French, and he's quite the looker by the way), the orchestra has performed works from the bigwigs in music history, like symphonies from Brahms, Beethoven, Wagner, Mozart, and Strauss. They often invite some international and local guest musicians to join them on stage, like famous opera singers to complete their operatic suites, or renowned pianists and violinists. It's wonderful hearing classical music played live, and even more so when fused with other forms of art. If you manage to catch the PPO performing live with companies like Ballet Philippines, you're in for a real treat, so don't miss it and come to the theater! :) Tip: If you follow Maestro Olivier on Facebook, he occasionally gives out complimentary tickets to their performances, as long as you can answer some trivia questions about classical music and composers and show avid appreciation for the music and history behind it all. :)

Ballet Philippines is widely known as the premiere dance company of the country. It's one of the…read moreoldest dance institutions in the Philippines, so nearly all the major dance companies and dance schools in the country can trace their roots back to Ballet Philippines. The company's season ranges from full-length classical ballets to modern and contemporary dance featuring choreographies by some of the country's best. Their last season opened with Giselle, the mother of all Romantic ballets, and ended with Manhid, a local superhero musical set in an alternate Filipino reality. Their shows are always something to watch, and seeing some of the best dancers on the stage eyes - some of whom have already performed on the international stage (and made headlines with it) - with your own two eyes puts a smile on your face as you leave the theater. If you'd like to try dancing yourself, you can enroll yourself in one of the various ballet or modern dance classes at the CCP Dance School, the training arm of Ballet Philippines. I was a company scholar for several years with the company and received the best ballet training. The lessons I learned performing with the company are invaluable, even to this day and even outside the world of dance. If you can't get enough, you can subscribe to Ballet Philippines' season and receive premiere tickets to all the shows for a year. The company also performs in various venues, festivals, and mini-shows throughout the year, and has local and international tours. However you see them perform, one show is all it takes, you'll definitely fall in love with the ballet. :)

You know how little girls are always made to do ballet by their parents? Well, this was where I…read moreexperienced that as a kid, although it was also partly because I wanted to do it myself (I was heavily into the princess-pink-ballerina-tutu fantasy as a 9 year old). Although I moved to a different ballet school when I got older, I credit this place as where my ballet dreams started. The school is located inside Vermont Park Subdivision along Marcos Highway in lower Antipolo, so it's quite accessible. It's a converted house where the entire first floor is the ballet school with a reception/waiting area, smaller classrooms for music classes (they also teach voice, piano, and guitar I think), and then the main dance studio with the mirrors and barres. It's quite tight inside, but good enough to hold a class of 10 or so. Although it's a small ballet school, it's given students the opportunity to perform recitals at the CCP main theater itself in Manila. At least during my time. They also have a really good costume supplier who would make the prettiest tutus, which is what I remember most from my time there, haha! Many of their students, especially those who really stayed on, went on to dance in their own groups at school and elsewhere. Some have also come back to teach. It's a pretty tight-knit community there and a fairly decent place to start your kid out for ballet.

The University of the Philippines is known for pushing the boundaries in various fields. The UP…read moreDance Company is made up of the students of the Dance program in the College of Music. They perform inside and outside the campus, and join dance festivals locally and internationally as well. A group of young dancers and aspiring choreographers, the UP Dance Company specializes in contemporary dance and improvisation. Their dancers are trained intensively in classical ballet, contemporary and modern dance. Most of their company members are also adept at Philippine folk dance and incorporate it in their dances. As their campus encourages, the themes of their pieces are usually statements on important issues in society and culture. Their shows are often unconventional and on the radical side of the dance world, and not your typical proscenium stage productions. The UP Dance Company holds shows regularly to train and expose their dancers to the life of a professional artist. Their shows are usually very affordable, especially within campus grounds. Be sure to catch them if you're ready for something different in dance!

My friend Rye invited me to watch Ballet Philippines's Young Choreographers and Dancers Showcase…read moreand I've always had a great experience with them and was pretty excited. I was prepared for a cold theater in the CCP, so was taken aback when we arrived at Studio 1 where the show would take place--it was basically a container van at an empty lot beside the CCP complex. I was thankful I was wearing a tank top under my cardigan, but worried when the people started to trickle in. It turns out that the place was actually also the actual studio used by the dancers to train in, which is actually a pretty punk thing to do, working it out of a container van. I just hope they have air conditioning--it was quite breezy by the nighttime seaside, but I couldn't imagine it during the day. It was also a weird feeling having to reach the bathroom by going through the area where the dancers were hanging out. I guess if you like your stage performers to seem a little more human, it would be nice to pass by them and discover that ballet dancers eat fried chicken--just like you and me! I'd surmise they weren't expecting so many people, but the studio did get packed. Bleachers aren't exactly the best kind of seating in general, but they were fine and gave you the feel of the raw environment and young talent being displayed. I was expecting the ballet to be a little more pompous and uppity, but they gave me a lot of grit with my culture, which I enjoyed and I'm looking forward to returning for more.

If you interested in learning several styles of dance and if you live in the south, check out…read moreSymmetry Dance Studio. They offer ballet, jazz, hiphop, bellydance, contemporary dance, cheerleading, poledancing, and gymnastics, and remains to be one of the most versatile dance studios. Their directress, Venus Basas, is a former dancer whose credentials include Ballet Philippines, Hotlegs, and Steps on Broadway in New York. The studio is located right across Pergola Mall in BF Homes. The teachers at Symmetry come from notable dance companies, including Airdance, Hotlegs, and the Philippine Ballet Theater. Most of their students enroll in several kinds of dance, making them able to switch styles quickly. They also have a wide range of students, from little girls enrolling in ballet classes to boys wanting to learn hiphop and even some mothers who take up poledancing. They'll give out free trial classes occasionally, so lookout for announcement on their site! :)

The best pointe shoe fitter around. They really know their stuff…read more Lots of cute items in their store too. The best store to buy gifts for ballet dancers and ballet enthusiasts. Prices are very reasonable.

Danse Boite is a dance store inside the residential area of Valle Verde I. It's a lot of effort to…read moreget to, because you can only get to the store via car, taxi, or by foot, but majority of ballet dancers in Metro Manila still do. Why? Because they stock just about every brand of pointe shoe there is, along with the right garters, ribbons, toe pads, foot paraphernalia you need as a ballet dancer. Most importantly, they offer consultations and assessments on pointe shoe fitting for first timers, provided by Desiree Peralejo, a dance lecturer at the UP College of Music and alumnus of the National Ballet School of Canada. Owned by the Peralejo family, patrons of the arts, Danse Boite also has a dance school and studio, the DBCISAS Conservatory. They offer ballet, music, and creative writing classes, and remain to be the only ballet school in the Philippines that teaches the Italian Cechetti Ballet Syllabus. Keep a lookout for Danse Boite sales too! Selected pointe shoes can go as low as P1,500 - that's almost 70% off the original price! :) (I bought 3 pairs during their last sale! Woohoo!)

One of the pioneers in the contemporary dance scene here in the Philippines, Airdance is one of the…read morego-to companies when the said genre comes to mind. Their style of contemporary dance is more acrobatic than other companies, incorporating gymnastics and various stunts in their dances, and even (true to their name) aerial silk and aerial hoop exhibitions (rather adventurous forms of dance). Many of their choreographies have been performed overseas for festivals and choreography competitions. The Airdance company members all come from different dance backgrounds. Because of this, the company as a whole is adept at different dance styles, from classical ballet to contemporary, hiphop, and even poledancing. Airdance also offers regular classes in contemporary (basic and advanced), ballet (basic and advanced), hiphop, improvisation, and is the one of the few places in Metro Manila where you can learn aerial silk and aerial hoop yourself. (And arguably, they are among the most advanced and competent at it!) Airdance holds their own shows about once every quarter and are usually present in many of the art shows and festivals in the metro.