Pinay ballerina makes debut as Hong Kong Ballet soloist

Filipina ballet dancer Candice Adea—who won the grand prize in the prestigious Helsinki

International Ballet Competition in June this year—recently made her debut as a soloist for the Hong Kong Ballet by performing Balanchine’s “Theme and Variations.”

 

In an official announcement, the ballet company’s artistic director Madeleine Onne was quoted as saying, ““Candice is an extraordinary ballerina with both a strong technique and as well as a stage presence. It is with great pleasure that we welcome her to join the Hong Kong Ballet.”

 

Before moving to the Hong Kong Ballet, the 26-year-old ballerina was a member of the Ballet

Philippines for 10 years.

 

She became principal dancer at Ballet Philippines in 2010 and performed major roles in

productions such as “Don Quixote,” “The Nutcracker,” “Coppelia,” “Peter Pan,” “Snow

White,” “Crisostomo Ibarra,” "Sleeping Beauty," and “Amada.”

 

Adea is possibly the most awarded Filipina in international ballet competitions.

 

Her biggest win was with the Helsinki International Ballet Competition, one of the world’s most

prestigious ballet competitions attracting dancers from 28 countries, including the US, China,

Finland, Canada, Italy, and Cuba.

 

Her international awards include the silver medal for the senior division at the 2010 USA International Ballet Competition; the Maris Liepa Prize for Outstanding Artistry at the 2011 Boston International Ballet Competition for which she was invited to perform Firebird in Paris and she was also invited to perform as a lead in a Russian ballet performance together with her partner Jean Marc Cordero; and the third prize at the Seoul International Dance Competition in 2011.

 

Dancing at an early age, Adea trained under Pamela Ortiz and Josette Salang and was mentored by Brezhnev Larlar and the CCP Dance School under the tutelage of Noordin Jumalon.

 

At the Philippine High School of the Arts, where she improved her ballet skills under Nonoy

Froilan, and Victor Ursabia, she was the recipient of the 2003 Artistic

Excellence Award.

 

Adea has a bachelor’s degree from De La Salle University-College of Saint Benilde, where she majored in ballet. - VVP, GMA News