Tradition continues. As the Summer Dance Workshop comes to an end, the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet (HCSB) prepares its young aspiring ballerinas for an enjoyable celebration of talents and creativity. Unique to the HCSB, as it is the only dance school in the Philippines holding four grand recitals in a year (March, May, October, December), will have its culminating event entitled “Summer Dance Divertissement 2010” at Meralco Theatre today, June 2 at 6:30 p.m. to feature Cast A and C; and June 3 at 6:30 p.m. to showcase Cast B and C.

More than 400 excited and enthusiastic Halili-Cruz dancers will be presented together with the Quezon City Ballet, the school’s performing group composed of the HCSB advanced students. Equally excited are the parents who long to see their young girls in tutu and in graceful little movements and who throughout the year had shown their untiring support for the fulfillment of their children’s dream.

The “Summer Dance Divertissement 2010” will bring together the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet selected students from the different branches to include the Main studio, the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet-Miriam College, and the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet-St. Pedro Poveda College. It is a gathering of blooming and budding talents all aspiring to become excellent dance artists.

In the two shows of the “Summer Dance Divertissement” one will see a total of 43 dances that will inspire dancers. The dance concert will showcase different forms of dance: Classical ballet, neo classical, modern contemporary, jazz and hip hop. The youngest performer is three years old and the most senior ballet dancer is 26 years old.

Ms. Shirley Halili-Cruz, the strong force behind the dynamic activities at the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet and great achievements of the school has maintained the tradition of having dance concerts and great productions as integral to the ballet training. She believes that since ballet is a performing art, performance on stage is of vital importance.

The dance concert will feature new works of the equally dedicated dance teachers who both trained under Ms. Shirley Halili-Cruz for the past 24 years, Grace Garalde-Perez and Anna Tuazon-Balmadrid; Anna Kathrina Cruz and Nordic Caraig.

The Halili-Cruz School of Ballet was again awarded as the Most Outstanding Ballet School in Asia, a two-time Aliw awardee as the Best Classical Dance Company and a two-time Ani Ng Dangal Awardee for its outstanding achievements in the different international competitions where they were invited to represent the Philippines.

Selected students of the Halili Cruz School of Ballet leaves for the International Dance Festival in Malaysia on July 21-26, 2010. The First Semester for School Year 2010-2011 will start on June 12, 2010. Enrollment is now going on. For inquiries, visit its main studio at 1227 Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings on June 2 go to former Sen. Loi Pimentel-Ejercito, US-based Sylvia La Torre, Ms. Lorna V. Quisumbing, cousins Jeanne Anne M. Parlan (of New York, USA) and Freddie Y. Martinez, newshen Ching Utzurrum of Cebu, Jenny Hernandez, Mar Tolentino of San San Francisco, CA; Evangeline Rabanzo-Teodoro, Jennifer Soliman and Wendy Valdez. Happy wedding anniversary to Rene and Consul Fortune Ledesma, and Jude and Rowena Ejercito.