When the country’s dance community observed International Dance Day last April 27, it was also perfect time for dance advocates to get together and celebrate the unifying power of dance in a weeklong dance festival.
One of those who joined the International Dance Day festival is the Halili-Cruz School of Dance which has logged 40 years in Metro Manila’s dance scene.
“We presented I Got Rhythm from the Gershwin musical, Girl Crazy,” said Shirley Halili-Cruz, director of the 38-year-old Halili-Cruz School of Dance (HCSD).
The dance number might as well describe the energy and the unique orientation of HCSD. The production number is a dynamic fusion of dance which blend elements of ballet, hip-hop, jazz and tap.
For the record, Metro Manila has several dance companies among them the Alice Reyes Dance Group, Ballet Manila, Philippine Ballet Theater and Ballet Philippines not to mention the thriving ballet schools which just recovered from the challenge of Covid-19 which affected the country’s dance schools for more than three years.
How the dance school survived the onslaught of Covid-19 is just one of the challenges Shirley Halili-Cruz has learned to cope with ease: “That was the most stressful part in the 40 years of existence of the school.”
She recalled: “We confronted the problems head-on and did what was possible under the not- so ideal circumstances. We immediately implemented online teaching. We didn’t have to close the school. We are aware this was the most challenging period not just for our school but for the dance studios around the globe. The last four years tested our capability to adjust and just be resilient. The problems tested our programs and enabled us to discover new paths. We navigated through the virtual platforms with great success as we sustained at least 500 students within the said period and maintained our school staff and teachers.”
Ms. Halili-Cruz was chairman of the NCCA’s Committee on Dance for 15 years, long enough to get to know the state of dance in Metro Manila and the provinces. She founded the Sayaw Pinoy International Dance Xchange which united dance practitioners all over the country from Dumaguete City, Roxas City, Cebu, Ilagan City, Puerto Princesa, among other regions.
The April 27 dance fest was a fitting celebration of National Dance Week and International Dance Day as declared by Presidential Proclamation No. 154.
April was a busy month for the teachers and students of the Halili-Cruz School of Dance who interacted with teachers and students of different dance schools in New York, Alabama and Los Angeles.
The school director pointed out that continuous learning is integral to HSCSD’s system of dance education. “This sharing of knowledge with other dance centers all over the world is vital to our commitment to artistic excellence. Members of our faculty are valuable component of our dance education system. Thus, it is important to provide them with learning opportunities. This US study tour is both an incentive and an updating activity to sharpen the knowledge and skills of our faculty. We take pride on the fact that professional development of our teachers has been in place for decades now as we take cognizance of the dynamic nature of the global dance environment.”
The school’s associate artistic directors Anna Kathrina Halili-Cruz Bueno and Grace Perez participated in the Nuvo Dance Convention and Ballet West, in Utah, USA. The school’s hip hop teachers immersed themselves in the Summer Jam Dance Camp in Da Nang, Vietnam, collaborating with globally acclaimed street dance choreographers.
From March 20 to April 10, the school’s Ballet, Jazz and Lyrical teachers including choreographers and associate directors embarked on a learning journey across the USA in Alabama (with the NRG Dance Convention), the Broadway Dance Center in New York, the Alvin Ailey Studios and the Joffrey Ballet in Los Angeles and the West Coast School of the Arts, among others. .
As part of its dance syllabus under its HCSD Faculty Enrichment Program, the dance school offers its teachers the opportunity to take international courses that align with the evolving trends in the dance industry.
Added the dance director: “This initiative fosters connections with leading dance experts and cultivates essential professional skills directly benefiting our students. Dance is essentially a social activity and as such, we believe that network and linkages are vital in creating a dynamic dance program at par with international trends. In fact, through the years the Halili Cruz School of Dance has conducted study and performance tours for its faculty and dancers in Asia. Europe, America and Australia.”
For her, the awards that trailed her were simple testaments of her dance legacy and hard work.
To name a few, she was named One of the 30 Inspiring and Influential Women of 2024 along with Sharon Cuneta and Tingting Cojangco and was recipient of the Ani ng Dangal award from the NCCA.
Said she: “The recognition is the whole story of my life and my family and my commitment and dedication to create a legacy of hard work and excellence.”
When she founded her school of dance in 1984, she was already into teaching dance of various genres. She taught ballet, jazz and Polynesian dance in Siena College, Miriam College and Poveda, among others.
She was already into teaching while undergoing training as a dancer. Early dance training included being principal dancer and soloist of the Dance Concert Company under director-choreographer Eric V. Cruz.
It wasn’t easy starting a dance school.
There are just too many concerns quite far away from teaching dance. “Like financing and designing the school structure and brainstorming designs for five studios with ideal floor, barres, mirrors, high ceiling, proper ventilation, air conditioners and good sound system with facilities like dressing rooms. I chose teachers and school staff who share my vision.”
The school also enabled her to work with her daughter Anna Kathrina Halili-Cruz who is one of the school’s associate directors.
Said Anna Kathrina Halili-Cruz: “It was very easy for me to absorb my job because I’ve been with her since I was four years old. I know how she teaches and how she encourages all her students to enjoy and love dance. I guess I inherited her passion for the art and to strive for excellence in anything that I do.”
For Shirley Halili-Cruz — presently chair of of the Dance Committee of ITI International Theater Institute — the school is an extension of her passion for dance especially in the field of dance education. “My vision is to establish an institution which will provide a systematic and wholistic dance education for our young people.”