BP's Candice Adea and Jean Marc Cordero take center stage in Latvia and Finland

Manila, Philippines -  Candice Adea and Jean Marc Cordero once again hit the international stage – this time, in Europe. The couple, principal dancers of Ballet Philippines, have recently returned from Riga, Latvia, where they performed at the 17th International Ballet Festival on April 30.

“The performance in Latvia was truly remarkable and memorable because we performed not as competitors but as guest artists,” says Adea, who won a silver medal in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, the first Filipina to win a medal in the prestigious competition. Adea and Cordero danced alongside rising stars Brooklyn Mac (USA), Drew Jacoby (Netherlands) and Felipa de Castro (Portugal). 

“To represent the country is always an honor, and to dance with the best pool of artists is surreal,” says Cordero, who was a semi-finalist at Jackson, the first Filipino male to reach that far in the competition. 

At the end of May, the couple will fly to Helsinki, Finland to compete at the prestigious Helsinki International Ballet Competition. Only 90 dancers from 29 countries, including Russia, Finland, Spain, France, UK, and China, qualified to compete in the said event.