MANILA, Philippines — Heather Whitestone is the first deaf Miss  America title holder. Despite her disability, she bested several candidates in the 1995 Miss America beauty pageant, wowing the crowd and the judges with her wit and her impressive ballet dancing.

In 1997, Whitestone visited the Philippine Institute for the Deaf (PID) in Manila where she gave a talk before young deaf students. At that time, 12-year-old Denisse Limcuando was totally taken by the
beauty queen’s courage, and was totally inspired by her story. As a result, Denisse pursued her love for ballet.

Today at 19, Denisse has been included in the corps of Ballet Manila’s production of “The Nutcracker” starring the country’s premiere ballerina, Lisa Macuja-Elizalde together with her daughter
Missy Elizalde.

This Christmas ballet is being staged this weekend, at the Aliw Theater, CCP Complex, Pasay City.

“I was surprised when my teacher, Osias Barroso, told me that I would be part of the show,” says Denisse, a senior high school student of PID’s Integrated School of the Philippines. “The Nutcracker’’ is Denisse’s first major show and she plays the role of a parent and a horsewoman.

Can't hear the music
Denisse was born deaf but her love for ballet persisted. Despite her disability, she has never stopped chasing her dream to become a ballerina like her idol, Lisa Macuja.

She started training in ballet with one of the school’s board of directors, Ana Periquet, a dancer herself. Periquet helped Denisse clinch ballet scholarships and auditions.

“When I was small, I could not hear the music but my teacher taught me how to feel the beat and to follow the music. So when I dance, I count,” she says.

Despite her hearing impairment, Denisse never felt different, even if she was the only deaf ballet student in her ballet class. “I don’t mind. I am proud that I can do it. Sometimes I just ask my classmates in dance class to help me with some of the steps. I don’t feel ashamed because I really want to know everything,” says the determined ballerina.

Last July, Denisse was taken in as a full scholar by Ballet Manila, a company where she now learns the very technically-difficult Vaganova method of dancing.

“In Ballet Manila it is very difficult because the lessons are so fast, just like how fast the movements are in Russian ballet which is what Vaganova is. But I just do it again and again, and I practice more to be better,” she says.

Ballet also has something to do with Denisse’s extraordinary confidence, she admits. “When I was small, I didn’t want to dance in front of the people. But now I feel excited and happy, always trying to be strong in front of other people,” she reveals.

Top student
Amid the busy schedule of being included in a major production,  Denisse never neglects her studies. She graduated on top of her class in elementary and is now running for honors in high school.

Yet, she sees herself dancing after high school and fulfilling her dream of becoming one of the country’s top ballerinas. “I will never stop. I may take another course or really focus on my dancing because my teacher told me that I have to focus,” she admits.

But what is certain for her is that she will share her talent with other young ballerinas, be they deaf or hearing, as a teacher.

“I want to teach small kids and tell them that if I can do it, they can. I want to show them the value of practice and hard work,” she says.

A dancing teacher, or a teaching dancer. Either which way, Denisse sure has a winning combination and a bright future.