Danika's balancing act: life, school, and dance

The Familian community is full of many talents, from arts, to singing, to sports, to dancing. The students of the community have snagged numerous awards from different competitions, bringing pride and honor to the school’s name.

One of the most active participants in different dance competitions, however, is Danika Villarin of 12 - St. Kateri Tekakwitha. Villarin specializes in ballet and is currently studying and competing for the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet. She has participated in numerous competitions both nationwide and in Asia, proudly representing the school as well as the country. Some of the competitions she has participated in are Asia Pacific Dance Competition and Dance Exchange.

Dancing started for Villarin at her former school. She stated that there was an opening for a ballet class and she decided to join along with her friends. After her very first performance, she told her mother that she wanted to pursue it and continue dancing.

“Kasi sa old school ko . . . may ballet class dun ganun, so may event once na sumayaw mga friends ko na nagba-ballet . . . then of course napanood ko tas sabi ko sa mom ko I want to try lang like may trial kasi tutal magsa-start na ng school year for grade 1 ako . . . but ayun nagustuhan ko naman and until now nonstop ako,” Villarin expressed.

However, ballet wasn’t always as lighthearted and easygoing for her. Villarin started attending the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet back in 2012 and right off the bat she started competing for the school. Despite being a newbie, her first competition with the school consisted of 8 dances including her own solo. Later on, thanks to numerous hours of training, practice, and dedication she, along with her team, became a part of the Quezon City Ballet. Due to this, she and her team have received numerous opportunities to represent the country and travel around Asia, participating in multi-national competitions against other prestigious schools and teams. However, despite continuously being in the limelight and travelling around the world, Villarin experienced difficulty when it came to balancing her academic life and her dance career. Nevertheless, she would try to study whatever notes and lessons she could regardless of where she was in the world, with the mindset of getting as much done as possible.

“Mindset [na] ginagawa ko every time na umaalis ako, before ako umalis, I’ll do everything [schoolwork] na makakaya ko para mabawasan yung mga kailangan kong gawin,” she stated.

Villarin explained how overwhelming and good it felt whenever she and her team would win, especially because they are carrying the name of their school as well as the country with them.

“I’m feeling blessed and touched ‘cause sa dinadami naming magkakalaban, nakita ng judges yung makakaya namin and thinking na maybe that’s what we deserve,” Villarin shared.

But, just like any team in any sport, they have experienced losing, yet do not take the experience in a negative manner. Instead, they use their loss as motivation to do better during their future performances.

She also explained how dancing became an outlet for her and helped her become an independent and strong fighter. It taught her how to solve her problems as well as gave her an optimistic and positive mindset in life. Dancing also introduced her to new people and helped her shed the shy persona she once had, gaining more confidence in herself. Villarin explained how she had become close to her ballet friends since they are always together and they experience similar challenges, what with school and competitions, she had developed a tight-knit relationship between her and her team. Dance also pushed her to become better and motivated her to continue on in life despite the trials and losses she may experience along the way.

“Iniisip ko lagi na kung nakaya ko before, mas kaya ko na ngayon.. kasi every day is a new day for me to prove mga makakaya ko,” Villarin confidently declared.