Looking back at how accomplished my aunt, Maniya Barredo of Atlanta Ballet, had become, I eventually got encouraged to attend ballet lessons myself. Since I want to excel in dancing as well, why not refer to our own family tree in order to get inspiration and positive motivation to keep practicing?
Her name was actually Honey Barredo, real name Josephine Carmen Imutan Barredo. She earned her stage name, Maniya, after proving one of her critics, Robert Joffrey of the Joffrey School, wrong. Joffrey then renamed her after the capital of the Philippines – Manila. After accepting an offer she can’t refuse, she took it and ran away with what she got and eventually become one of the first prima ballerinas the Philippines ever had.
She’s been dancing since 4 years old. She then earned a scholarship in New York and ended up becoming one of the resident dancers of Les Grandes Ballets Canadiens. It helped that some of her performances from Ballet Philippines are still available to view on YouTube like this excerpt of her performance in the ballet version of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”.
The colorful career she once lived as a prima ballerina is a goal that came with hard work, perseverance and guts. I mentioned guts since it takes a thick face to defy harsh advice such as ditching dancing for nursing. It must have really strengthened her resolve to maintain the scholarship she earned and keep on dancing until her critics eat their own words. The kind of adulation she then enjoyed in several performances of Giselle was enough to know how everything turned out to be worth it.
One of her signature moves in dancing is her fast “chaines tournes”. Better known in local circles as pirouettes, it refers to her ability to do a 360 spin as you saw on the excerpt. Her pirouettes are faster than most of her contemporaries, the kind that makes you wonder if she even gets dizzy at all. When they say that practice makes perfect, they didn’t realize quick enough that in ballet, it includes the ability not to get dizzy in getting those turns done on stage.
Upon retirement, she decided to use her talents to teach the new breed of ballet dancers. Her first days as a ballet mentor happened in Atlanta Ballet apart from the summer classes she facilitated with the Mount Dora School of Ballet. Today, she is the Artistic Director for Metropolitan Ballet Theater located in Alpharetta, Georgia in the US.
The same gift of giving life to characters adapted and created were also seen in her newfound role in the world of ballet as artistic director. Most excerpts of ballet productions were on the official YouTube channel of the MBT, a visual treat for everyone familiar with her dancing style.
But it’s still different when it’s THE Maniya Barredo dancing to the delight of her ardent admirers and solid fan base earned through the years. Perhaps the biggest advantage for her in maintaining the kind of talent that could get her as much as 20 curtain calls in one production is getting surrounded with people supportive of her art. Ballet is an art and she loved it. The kind of love she poured into her art is seen with her performances. The art form ended up loving her back through the adulation earned with audiences worldwide appreciative of her excellence. When one of the greatest prima ballerinas in the world, Dame Margot Fonteyn, gave her seal of approval upon watching her, you know she has “arrived”.
From the romantic innocence of Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” to the twin role challenge offered by “Swan Lake”, Maniya Barredo has polished her craft long enough to deliver memorable performances in any production entrusted to her as a ballet dancer. It’s the kind of talent that doesn’t happen everyday. She nurtured it well enough to find a way to share her gift with her students.
I welcome the pressure as a nephew and a fan. The road to greatness is paved with several challenges, either internal or external. When your drive to succeed is way louder than any negative feedback thrown your way, you are rest assured to succeed the way you envisioned it. And I will keep you updated with my progress as far as my ballet lessons are concerned granted that you like my official Facebook page, Kuya Manzano Fan Club, and follow me on Twitter @kuyamanzano. Gracias!