Ballet has long been labeled as an elite art form. Yet, ballet lives on and on through the years, being embraced by many races and generations. What lies beyond those splits, arabesque and pirouettes, the light-as-a-feather movements and the incredible grace and agility displayed by ballerinas?

Six young ballerinas — Monica Gana, Carissa Estrada, Monica Lorenzo, Jan Sy, Jessica Sy, and Camille Cumagun learned all these and more when they recently embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to study ballet in premier ballet schools in the United States, under the world’s best instructors.

Ballerina-turned-teacher Toni Lopez-Gonzalez recently brought six of her promising students on a study tour to see and experience what it is like to train in premier ballet schools in New York, dubbed as the world’s ballet capital. Russia used to lord it over in ballet, Teacher Toni points out, but was eventually overtaken by New York when almost all of the world’s ballet greats and instructors moved to the Big Apple to teach.

For two weeks, from May 15 to 31, 2008, the students had the chance to take one class a day at the American Ballet Theater (ABT), Broadway Dance Center, School at STEPS, and Ballet Arts School, training under the best teachers that included Toni’s former instructors Kirk Petersen and Finis Jhung as well as Lisa Lockwood, Dawn Hillen, and Natalya Stavro.

The student dancers felt fortunate to have been hosted by no less than the ABT, even be allowed to watch company classes and dress rehearsals for two complete ballets "Le Corsaire’’ and "Swan Lake.’’

"They were really lucky to have a class with Kirk Petersen at the ABT. It was a rare chance because not just anybody, even Americans, could do that. Even if you had money and you know people, you cannot just go in and out of ABT. Even professional dancers cannot just enroll at ABT. They have to audition for a slot in class which is limited only to 20 students,’’ explains Teacher Toni who maintains a good relationship with ABT’s executive director and artistic director.

Ballet runs in Toni’s genes. Mother Sony Lopez-Gonzalez, a ballet dancer who never got around to performing publicly due to her disapproving father, "vented’’ her frustrations by forcing her three daughters to study ballet. Sony instead became a teacher and put up the Academy of the Performing Arts with friends. Toni was the only one who developed a real affection for ballet and pursued higher studies abroad.

As early as seven, Toni was already performing for former First Lady Imelda Marcos and foreign dignitaries at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. At 13, she toured the world, performing for various audiences as a soloist and with her group, then CCP Dance Company (now known as Ballet Philippines).

Later on, Toni would spend summer breaks studying at the premiere ballet schools in the US. On scholarships at the American Ballet Theater (ABT) and other schools in New York, Toni further honed her craft under the tutelage of the world’s best ballet dancers/instructors.

Eventually, Toni inched her way up as one of the principal dancers of Ballet Philippines. She got her big break when she joined the Washington Ballet Company and mostly went on roadshows dancing alongside American ballet greats.

During the study tour, the students also got to watch a performance of the New York City Ballet and two Broadway shows, while learning how it is to be an ordinary ballet student in New York by commuting, riding the subway and taking long walks from school to their hotel.

This is pretty much like what Teacher Toni had undergone while in the same city as a student. It is for this reason that she endeavoured to make her students go through this tour. "I wanted to let them see and experience my philosophy, what I’m trying to teach them. So it’s not just all hot-air. There are so many ballet teachers here, literally a dime a dozen who claim that the method they use is the standard, even if all they took was a workshop, a summer course or a one-year stint abroad," reveals Teacher Toni.

Fourteen-year-old Monica Gana readily saw the lessons Teacher Toni was trying to impart to them. On her seventh year of studying ballet, Monica’s decision to pursue ballet as a profession had been reaffirmed when she went to New York. "When I saw ABT principals, it made me want to go there and perform onstage. I learned that people in the States don’t just get into ballet for the hobby but because it’s their passion," Monica enthuses.

Camille Cumagun, 16, shares that the study tour proved to be an intense, eye-opening experience for her. "Seeing all those stars, the level of performance, it was really breathtaking and overwhelming. We saw different techniques of the teachers and what exactly they wanted to focus on. I think that this is one of the best things, that when you go to different open classes, you see various techniques so you get to combine everything you know and it just widens your horizon," she says.

In these difficult times, ballet — or any art form for that matter — is perceived as trivial and a waste of time and money. But unknown to many, studying ballet can also earn you some survival skills that can be readily applied to daily life.

"If you think of the physical aspect, ballet is very important. The skills you learn such as hand-eye coordination, agility, and fast thinking can be used in kickball, swimming, and even in driving. Ballet is the basic foundation for any form of dance. If you have ballet training, mabilis ka mag-pick-up. Plus, there is no dumb ballet dancer because you become such an expert in juggling studies and ballet lessons," Teacher Toni points out.

She stresses that part of her philosophy is to give her students lessons that they carry on throughout their lives.

"That sense of commitment, perseverance and determination. I’m not just a teacher giving you steps. I’m giving you lessons in life, that you’ll be able to apply in your studies, in your relationships, in your commitments when you get married and become a mother," she notes.

Teacher Toni says her teachings are summed up in one particular quote — the now famous Spiderman movie quote "With great power comes great responsibility." She shares this WITH her students because it complements what is being taught in the Bible.

"If you have the quality, the lyricism, you are able to sustain yourself as an artist. I always tell my students to give their soul to their dancing and work to the fullest of their ability. One of my biggest lessons is to make use of the talent that God has given me, no matter how small."

Teacher Toni reveals that she is more fulfilled now as a teacher and does not even think of returning on stage to perform.

"I’m more fulfilled as a teacher. There came a point during the height of my career in the US that I was dancing the same old boring repertoire 50 times. I realized that I sort of became selfish when I was dancing. It was an I, me, myself thing because I was always concerned with how I looked and how I performed. But in teaching, you cannot not give. You cannot be an effective teacher if you don’t have a giving heart," she stresses.

Teaching for is a humbling experience.

"I can see that I chose the right path. There are so many teachers that are so impersonal. Ako talagang buhos ang heart and soul ko. I’m very involved to the point that my students can even confide in me their personal problems. But I wouldn’t have it any other way."

Despite the passion and love for ballet, many of Teacher Toni’s students are not willing to pursue ballet when they graduate from college.

Camille, for one, inspite of being on that study tour says she has decided not to be a dancer in college. "It was a decision I made a really long time ago. I realized even though I love dancing having it as a career is just too risky. But don’t get me wrong. I really love dancing. A big part of my character has been influenced by it. I can’t imagine my life without ballet," discloses Camille who plans to take up Psychology instead.

Sadly, the popularity of ballet has been steadily declining. Teacher Toni says around 300 dancers of Ballet Philippines even left the company to work in Disneyland, Hong Kong.

"I am the very first person who will say that getting into ballet professionally is not financially rewarding. It’s not lucrative. But I always advise my students not to shortchange themselves even if they’re not going to do ballet for a long time. In any endeavor, big or small they should give their best. So that at the end of day they’ll be able to face themselves in the mirror and say they gave their 110 percent."