Halili-Cruz School of Ballet
Shirley Halili-Cruz’s inspiration to endeavor into dance education began as early as when she was 15 years old, when her ballet teacher Bonnie Weinstein Clalagopi entrusted to her the dance classes that Ms. Clalagopi was handling. She taught ballet, Polynesian and Jazz in Siena College, Colegio de Sta. Catalina and Angelicum School in 1974. From then on, she has taken the career path as a ballerina and as an educator.
The Halili-Cruz School of Ballet (HCSB) was established in 1985 to realize Shirley’s dream to share her love and passion for dance. The school was born of her conviction that in every child lies a bud of artistic sense that may blossom into a great and exquisite artistry. HCSB opened with 46 students but is now a talents galore with about a thousand promising dance aspirants.
The HCSB main studio is housed in an imposing two-storey edifice of modern architecture located at 1227 Quezon Avenue, Quezon City. It has 5 spacious studios (4 of which are fully air-conditioned) equipped with ideal barres, resilient wooden floors, full-length mirrors and audio systems, dressing rooms, rest and shower rooms, waiting area, ample parking space and canteen. It also has a dance shop that carries all dance items and a costume room. The school has a good collection of classical music and videos of classical
dances.
In order to provide an appropriate and comprehensive program, Shirley Halili-Cruz, the school’s Director and Founder authored a 2-level Tiny Tots Syllabus, 5-level Baby Ballet Syllabus and a 12-level Classical Ballet Syllabus based on the Filipino physique, innate artistic ability and culture. This syllabi covers the different levels of ballet, which the HCSB offers all year round. Aside from the Syllabi authored by Shirley, the school enhances it’s program by using the following: Ballet Syllabus of the (CSTD) Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing – based in Singapore and Australia, American Academy of Ballet Syllabus based in New York and the Philippine National Ballet Syllabus.
Halili-Cruz School of Ballet
Classes We Offer
Tiny Tots
Ages: 3-4 years old
Levels: Tiny Tots 1 to Tiny Tots 2
HCSB’s Tiny Tots Ballet is an exciting class for girls & boys. It introduces the basic movements used in classical ballet classes using ballet based movements including role-play, creative movement and mime. The classes are specially designed to enhance children’s movement abilities, motor skills, coordination and spatial awareness. It helps the children build their self esteem, confidence, and artistic potential. It also encourages exploration, independence, social interaction, respect and cooperation.
Tiny Tots Ballet is a chance for children to dance and have fun in a safe and structured environment with qualified and experienced teachers. The class will help develop the child’s musicality, imagination, posture and balance. Within the class environment, children will begin to learn and develop social awareness, confidence and how to work alongside their fellow ballerinas.
The Tiny Tots classes prepare the children for progression into the baby ballet class once they are 4 years old.
Baby Ballet
Ages: 4-6 years old
Levels: Baby Ballet 1 to Baby Ballet 5
Baby Ballet makes learning to dance an unforgettable and magical experience. HCSB’s Baby Ballet classes will give your child the chance to dance, gain confidence and shine, in a fun, caring and supportive environment.
In Baby Ballet, HCSB’s qualified and welcoming teachers give young children the chance to dance in their own unique way, having fun and making friends along the way. Theprogram and syllabus has been carefully designed by the school to provide the opportunity for young children to learn to dance and develop key life skills in a healthy, sociable, caring and safe environment.
The classes are streamed by age and progress year by year. As dancers mature, the ballet syllabus becomes more demanding increasing the technical and creative challenges to suit the age and ability of the child. These classes prepare the children as they progress into the Classical Ballet grades.
Classical Ballet
Ages: 7 and older
Levels: Classical Ballet 1 – Classical Ballet 12
Classical Ballet is a system of dance based on formalized movements and positions of the arms, feet, and body designed to enable the dancer to move with the greatest possible agility, control, speed, lightness, and grace.
Students learn ballet terminology and the pronunciation, meaning, and precise body form and movement associated with each term. Emphasis is placed on developing flexibility and strengthening the legs, feet, and body as a strong core many other ballet movements. Students may progress through various stages or levels of training as their skills advance.
HCSB uses the 12 level classical ballet syllabus especially designed by its Artistic Director, Miss Shirley Halili-Cruz. This syllabus is based on the Filipino physique, innate artistic ability and culture. The syllabus covers the different levels of ballet which HCSB offers the whole year round. Aside from this syllabus, HCSB enhances its program by using the Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing (CSTD) Ballet Syllabus. To further enrich the HCSB’s ballet program, the school also invites foreign ballet masters to give classes to its students.
HCSB has also developed a systematic promotion procedure that checks the progress of the students through semi-annual and annual practical evaluations. This is coupled with oral and written examinations in both theoretical and practical aspects of the discipline.
Teens Ballet
Ages: 12 to 16
Teens Ballet is designed to develop the dancer’s technique. The focus of this class will be to correct posture, increase flexibility, gain strength and learn the vocabulary of ballet. This environment allows young dancers to gain confidence and build self-esteem. The class builds upon the fundamentals of Teens Ballet with a focus on improving posture, increasing strength and flexibility and becoming more knowledgeable about ballet vocabulary.
The class emphasizes proper ballet technique with a focus on developing strength, alignment, musicality, and the grace that is inherent in the form. The class provides a focused, structured approach to learning movement principles.
Adult Ballet
Ages: 17 and older
Levels: Adult Ballet - Beginners
Adult Ballet – Intermediate
Adult Ballet teaches the fundamentals of ballet to adults. It's never too late to learn something new, re-visit a childhood past-time, or fulfill a dream!
The Adult Ballet Classes are designed for adult students of all levels of training, from former dancers/professionals to adults who are looking to start their formal dance training for the first time. Emphasis in class will be on correct body alignment/placement, strength and flexibility, and providing formal training in the foundations of classical ballet. Students will learn the basic positions, correct body alignment with both hands on the barre and anintroduction to basic ballet terminology.
Russian Ballet
Levels: Classical Ballet 6 to Classical Ballet 12
Russian Ballet is a form of ballet originating from Russia. The most widely used is the Vaganova method, named after the ballerina and teacher, Agrippina Vaganova.
Qualities in the Vaganova method include expressiveness of port de bras, where all parts of the arm (from hand to elbow to shoulder) are important; extreme flexibility, but in an artful way; and a mobile lower back. Dancers trained in this technique are taught to be strong and clean, without stiffness. Some of the greatest dancers, including Anna Pavlova, Natalia Makarova, Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov, were trained through Vaganova’s pedagogy. Vaganova believed in precision within the teacher’s instruction, and the Vaganova Ballet Academy continues to have high demands for its students.