Sofia Zobel Elizalde: ‘Dance will always be a part of me’
Sofia Zobel Elizalde must have been doing pirouettes as early as in her mother’s womb. When she was a little girl, she fell head over heels— and on pointes, too—in love with ballet when she was chosen to play Clara in a local adaptation of the immortal 1892 classical ballet The Nutcracker by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
“I always have these incredible memories of when I was Clara on stage and dancing,” Sofia relates with childlike delight. “I never wanted to go home. I just wanted to be on stage and to be dancing.”
She played the young Clara a couple of times. “And I loved every minute of it,” she gushes. “It was one of the happiest moments of my life. I felt every day when I was in rehearsal that I was in a fairy tale.”
Though it was many and many a Christmas ago, Sofia still talks about it with twinkling stars in her eyes and love in her heart. For what’s Christmas without The Nutcracker?
“I’ve always believed that Christmas is not the same without a beautiful Christmas ballet,” says Sofia. “And all over the world, they do The Nutcracker. Everywhere I go, in the greatest cities of the world, there’s always a Nutcracker.”
She hastens to add, “I think every young boy or girl needs to know the story of The Nutcracker.”
Needless to say, this Christmas story becomes even more magical with each retelling. Children all over the world can probably relate to Clara, a young girl who receives a Nutcracker doll as a present on Christmas Eve and suddenly, the lines are blurred between reality and dreams as Clara and the Nutcracker go on a magical adventure together.
We didn’t have to go to Russia or to Germany to watch The Nutcracker. For right here, at the spic-and-span dance hall of Steps Dance Studio in Poblacion, Makati, we get the best seat in the house as we watch a rehearsal of Steps’ Christmas Ballets. But of course, Sofia, like the mother hen to her young brood, is around to oversee everything, right down to the last-minute details.
“Smile,” she gently reminds her dancers who include spirited young kids and lissome pre-professionals, 16 to 20 years old. Sitting beside Sofia is her trusted lighting director, Katsch Catoy, who’s worked with her for over 20 years. The low-key Katsch plays a vital role in the visual presentation of this time-cherished Christmas ballet designed for the whole family.
“The audience will see some very talented children from our school,” Sofia proudly shares. “A lot of our pre-professionals will be doing solo roles. Next year, they already got placed in different ballet companies. Some are going abroad, like Danier Laganzo who plays the Nutcracker prince. He just got accepted to be a trainee at Alberta Ballet. They’re going off to different places, different ballet companies, even to Disneyland as dancers. I’d like to believe we can really prepare our students for the professional world and I help them in any way I can.”
Yes, ballet is alive and very much on its nimble toes in the Philippines. Sofia elaborates, “We have many dance schools and have been able to maintain three strong ballet companies over the years. I am also happy to see smaller contemporary companies now emerging.”
Dancing is an art form Sofia has always enjoyed and loved the most. “Now, it has become my advocacy to educate and support dancers through our Steps Scholarship Foundation.”
For young people who have the talent but not the means, Steps Dance Studio boasts a very strong scholarship program that helps underprivileged students receive equal opportunities at dance education. Sofia did everything she could to raise money for the scholarship program. “On average, we go from 100 to 150 students throughout the year. We’ll have roughly 30 to 40 scholars from all backgrounds, whether they’re very gifted physically or they’re very passionate about dance.”
She discloses, “We put together a dance program that is free to its dance students at Centex Batangas. We try to do, as much as we can, outside performances that are free to the public to give more exposure to our audiences.”
She adds, “I dream that more young students get free access to strong art programs, from dance to music to fine arts, any type of art form.”
Thirty years ago, at age 25, Sofia put up her school at the same time that she got married. “I had this inner passion for teaching,” she confesses. “In the middle of the 30 years, I started taking more of a back seat and allowed more teachers to teach so I could grow the school. This year, we celebrate our 30th anniversary—my school and my marriage.”
Steps Dance Studio teaches the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus, but as the dancers get older, they go more into the Vaganova open classes. “The earlier you start the children, like four or five years old, the better. If you really want to be good in this professsion, you have to take class every day.”
Nothing makes Sofia happier than being able to pass on the knowledge of dance training to the new generations — with all the discipline and joy that go with it. She enthuses, “Helping our young dancers succeed in dance and make a career out of it gives me great joy!”
And nothing celebrates the joy and magic of Christmas more than the Steps’ Christmas Ballets. “ It’s going to be very lively, very Christmasy; we’re going to enjoy the music of Ryan Cayabyab, Tchaikovsky and the classics,” Sofia gives us a sneak peek. “The experience starts the moment you enter the beautiful Samsung Arts Performing Theater, where you’ll already see the Christmas trees, the decorations, the toy soldiers, and feel the Christmas spirit. One hour before the show, we will have caroling by different foundations. Yes, we also have the Candy Corner, one of the sponsors, because in the spirit of The Nutcracker, we’re showcasing Act II, which is the Kingdom of the Sweets.”
Sofia sweetly adds that tickets are reasonably priced.
When Sofia steps out of her office, how does she spend her time?
“I spend time with my family and all my dogs (11 of them) in our farm,” she describes a non-working day. “I take long walks and watch beautiful sunsets.”
Now that she’s no longer dancing, does she miss it?
“I dance quietly when no one’s looking,” she replies with a hearty laugh. “I still dream a lot about dancing. I dance in my mind, but now I do a lot of yoga and my Zumba which allows me to just move and dance.”
She vows, “Dance will always be a part of me.”
Since it first touched the soles of her feet as an aspiring young dancer, dance has never left her soul.
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Christmas Ballets will have Pinoy Christmas for Act 1 with music by Maestro Ryan Cayabyab and choreography by James Laforteza. Act 2 Nutcracker is restaged by Jeffrey Floyd Espejo with Pamela Espejo. Sets and costumes are designed by Gino Gonzales with lighting by Katsch Catoy.
Sponsored by BPI Private Wealth, Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Rustan’s and Candy Corner.
Performances are set for Dec. 13, 7 p.m.; Dec. 14, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Dec. 15, 3 p.m. at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Hippodromo St., Circuit Makati. Tickets are available at TicketWorld.
