50 years of dance from Cebu’s Ballet Center

They swayed and swirled. They glided and twirled. They could have danced all night; they actually did.

One recent evening at the grand ballroom of the Cebu Plaza Hotel, twinkle-toed alumni and their guests, with their dancing shoes on, gave their best performance – flawless, with lots of ooomph, a spectacle of dances that included excerpts from Broadway musicals, followed by a petit polka and the much-loved anniversary waltz.

The inspiration? The dinner dance, a trip down memory lane complete with the help of photographs and slides, celebrated the golden jubilee of the Ballet Center, an institution founded and nurtured through all these years by its prime mover, the always graceful, forever poised and lithesome Fe Sala Villarica.

Over half a century ago, Fe followed the calling of her soul and took up ballet at the Anita Kane School of Classic Dance in Manila. She then attended the National Academy of Ballet in New York. In time, she pursued special courses in TV production and staging at New York University and Hunter College, respectively.

In the hope of contributing to the enrichment of the island’s cultural environment, she opened her studio and she has not looked back ever since. Among her first students were nieces Ingrid Sala Santamaria and Chona Sala Montinola, the Richards sisters Margie and Gerry, Ginny Araneta, Purita Aseniero, Loleng Javier and Mary Faelnar Abad.

The first formal recital was held shortly thereafter and the succeeding annual presentations provided a great opportunity for Cebuanos to appreciate ballet as an art and dance form.

As everyone danced the night away, I caught up with one of Fe’s daughters, Maia Villarica Franco, who was all smiles. "My mom’s ballet center," she says "has left an indelible mark in the hearts of those who had more than just a fleeting taste of ballet magic. More importantly, it has given scope to the talents and ambition of those who believe there is space for them in that exclusive room reserved for the best."