PERSONALITIES
TEACHING BALLET IN FLAMENCO COUNTRY by Dheza Marie Aguilar Photo by Robin Kuijs
L
ike a true ballerina, Aileen Gallinera remains graceful while showing 20 over enthusiastic kids the proper way to execute a grand plie. After years of performing in different parts of the world, alongside the Philippines’ prima ballerina Lisa Macuja, Gallinera has found her new home in Barcelona, nurturing the talents of Catalan’s future ballet dancers at the Escuela Ballet David Campos. Burned out in 2003, Gallinera made a life-changing decision of moving to Spain. She was previously travelling the world with the Philippine Ballet Theater and Ballet Manila, enjoying the perks of following her passion. One day, she woke up feeling exhausted, unsure of her future as a ballet dancer. “I was too tired, waking up every day doing the same thing. I didn’t know where I was going,” she recalls. MOVING TO SPAIN She stopped dancing and for two years drifted between teaching, trying to fit in the corporate world and working part-time at PBT. Then, she received a call from an old acquaintance, David Campos, who previously choreographed for Ballet Manila. Would she like to move to Spain and continue dancing there? She said, “Yes,” in a heartbeat, expecting nothing. In January 2005, on her birthday month, she officially became
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The Filipino Expat Magazine
a Filipino expat in Spain. The language proved to be a tough challenge that even her Spanish courses in college did not do much help. But the warmth of the Catalan sun, the many similarities of Spanish and Philippine cultures plus her friends who were already living in Spain made integration a little bit easier for her. For eight years, Gallinera was performing different characters in different productions of David Campos Ballet Company including Sleeping Beauty, Giselle and The Nutcracker, not only in Spain but in other parts of Europe as well. She made lots of friends and found her sort of extended family within the company. She even found the love of her life while dancing in Spain. PASSING THE TORCH However in 2013, the company succumbed to the global financial crisis that greatly affected Spain among other countries. Funding for classical dance has been reduced and without much support from the Spanish government, the company could not sustain itself. It stopped staging shows but retained the school. For 25 years, the David Campos Ballet Company mounted productions that attracted large crowds that included the young in a country where flamenco is more popular. It was the only known professional Catalan ballet company in Spain. Gallinera feels strongly about the lack of government support.
“They were saying that there’s no audience for ballet but there’s an audience and people are asking for it but the government does not support us,” says Gallinera. The ballerina however understands that between the arts and food for its people, the latter will have more the attention of the Spanish government. Gallerina finds hope in teaching kids the classical art to keep it alive in the hearts and minds of the young. “That’s why we are pushing for the school because they [students] are the next generation of classical dancers.” SUCCESS AS A FILIPINO ARTIST When Gallinera moved to Spain, her mentor Irene Sabas, wife of David and co-director and ballet mistress of the school, told her to be an inspiration to her fellow Filipinos. “I need to show them especially the Spanish audience that we, Filipinos, have earned our place on the stage and our talents are worth bringing abroad.” According to her, striving for excellence in whatever you do and working hard for it can lead to success. She advises Filipino expats to stay true to themselves. “If you are not true to yourself, others will see it. If you value yourself, the people around you will see that,” she finishes.