BWW Interviews: GISELLE's Katherine Sanchez-Trofeo

Manila, Philippines, August 16, 2013--Ballet Philippines' 44th season opener, "Giselle," is one of the most popular ballets of all time; it is also a dream role for Katherine Sanchez-Trofeo, who began dancing at the age of eight.

Today, at 35 years old, married and has a seven-year-old kid, Trofeo still gets excited to play her dream role--a lovely peasant girl--in a two-act ballet; the ballet dancer finds it difficult to play the role though.

Despite her stunning success, Trofeo, in an interview with BroadwayWorld.com, said she has been "struggling to work through her weaknesses."

Making up for her weaknesses

Trofeo describes herself as not "the total package." She may have received praises from critics for her performances as Esmeralda in the Asian premiere of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," Kitri in "Don Quixote," Nikiya in "La Bayadre," "Odette/Odile in "Swan Lake," Ballerina in "Paquita" and Cio-Cio San in "Madame Butterfly," however, she never stops dealing with her weaknesses as a performer--and turn these weaknesses into strengths.

"I think my strength is not being afraid to work hard," she said.

Also, what is important to her right now is to always feel good about herself, even though she is not getting any younger. Her passion for dancing has always allowed her to face the challenges.

"I make it a point to give accent to what I'm good at," she said. She does her best to exude truth in every movement she expresses for the characters she plays onstage.

However, she recalled, "[When I was younger] I was just compliant, enthusiastic about carrying out my dance routines.

"But today, it's hard to be 'soft'; to dance 'naturally'; and to be fit at the same time."

More of what matters to her as a dancer

Whenever she performs, she gives her all.

She was once an understudy for a lead role; even though to actually end up playing the coveted role was not guaranteed, she still maintained the utmost commitment to the role.

"It might be a cliché, but I believe perseverance works especially for dancers, whose results of hard work can take time to be noticed.

"We're molding our bodies. Sometimes it may take really long to break a certain movement or pattern that has been habitual. It will always boils down to one's relationship with one's art."

She added, "Roles, status, reviews, praises and criticisms come and go and help make us become better artists. But to weather the storm, one's love for dance should always be alive. It may be convenient or not."

"Giselle" runs from Friday, August 16 to Sunday, August 18 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines' main theater. The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra plays the score live.

For tickets, call Ballet Philippines at (632) 5511003 or TicketWorld at (632) 8919999.

Photo Credit: Jory Rivera