04/07/2022
⭐️🩰💃🏻🕺🏻⭐️ For more than 40 plus years, hundreds of students have learned to plié, jete, pirouette and twirl, at the St. Anne’s Ballet Studio, which was located at the 3rd floor of the Bernas Building, across the St. Nicholas de Tolentine Cathedral and the historic Plaza Lucero, on the corner of Del Pilar Street and Gen Luna Street, in Cabanatuan City.
When the long COVID-19 outbreak happened, classes had totally stopped for a long time. It is with heavy hearts that we now share the news that St. Anne’s Ballet has officially closed its doors for face to face / in person classes. It was on account of what is going on in this world, with the onset of the long Covid-19 pandemic which made the St. Anne’s Ballet management decide that they were not seeing the progress that they needed to have the studio run as a viable business.
The founder and artistic director of St. Anne’s Ballet is Mrs. Liza Ocampo Mata. She is behind St. Anne’s Ballet’s artistic vision and mission - that of providing quality training and varied performance opportunities as part of the training offered to all St. Anne’s Ballet students.
Mrs. Mata was an 18-year-old sophomore student at the University of the Philippines when her former ballet teacher (whose family migrated to the United States) asked Mrs. Mata if she would take over her students. Her dad did not like the idea. Her mom however said, “Yes, she can do that.” Mrs. Mata eventually began to teach students who came to her parents’ house where she first held classes.
Mrs. Mata started taking dance lessons at the age of 8 and looking back now, she says she cannot believe how young she was when she seized the opportunity to teach and eventually become “Teacher Liza” not just to her students but to everyone in the community.
Today, we celebrate all the wonderful memories made and the legacy that Teacher Liza has given us by having found and established St. Anne’s Ballet.
We are happy to share that Teacher Liza continues to teach dance and continues to produce students who are making careers as dance professionals and enthusiastic dance supporters. She and her family are now based in the United States where she has established a training school, the COASTAL DANCE CENTRE, and a performing company, COASTAL YOUTH BALLET THEATRE, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Teacher Liza’s daughter, Karen, who initially started her dance training at St. Anne’s Ballet when she was 4 and when their family moved to the United States, she pursued her dance training and eventually took part in various professional performances. Ms. Karen now co-directs, teaches, and helps run their dance school and performing company.
It is interesting to note that for several years prior to the pandemic, Teacher Liza had mentored St. Anne's Ballet students from her home base in the US when students were preparing to take their RAD Ballet examinations. Aside from the challenge of teaching at different time zones, Teacher Liza, in collaboration with Teachers Tess, Jien and Izza, worked with our students via FaceTime, way back then, before Zoom/online classes were in place as an offshoot of the Covid-19 pandemic.
We extend our SINCEREST GRATITUDE to Teacher Liza’s dearest friend (and former student) – Joy Bernas Kabigting, her husband, W***y Kabigting, Tita Joy’s brother, Jason Bernas, and their loving mother, the late Virginia Maranan Bernas. We will forever have their family in our hearts for having had us at the iconic 3rd floor of the Bernas Building which has been a second home to so many St. Anne’s Ballet students through all these 40 plus years.
Our very SPECIAL THANKS to Tita Meggie, Teacher Tess, Teacher Jien, Teacher Izza, Teacher Krizza, Teacher Bea, Tita Bhe, Tita Marissa, Ate Divine, Tito Noel and his team, Kuya Marc, Kuya Chris, and Kuya PJ. It has taken a village to get St. Anne’s Ballet running through all these years and St. Anne’s Ballet could not have been successful without you all! Thank you for being good stewards, for holding the fort, for your love, loyalty and support.
THANK YOU to all the amazing St. Anne’s Ballet parents for entrusting their children’s dance education to us. There are too many beautiful people / parents. / parents who became our friends, too many to mention here, but you know who you are! We are very grateful to you!
Then too, we are proud of how several of our St. Anne’s Ballet students / alumni have pursued further dance education in college/university, how there are now St. Anne’s Ballet alumni who are now engaged professionally in teaching and performance and are into dance studio administration.
We are proud of those who have become enthusiastic supporters of the arts in their own communities wherever they are now in the world.
To all the audience members who have been a part of the success of St. Anne’s Ballet performances through the years - we thank you for coming to our shows because it was great to have had you as an appreciative and warm audience.
We are grateful and have had the greatest pleasure and privilege to be a part of the arts and culture community of the City of Cabanatuan and the province of Nueva Ecija for the past 40 plus years. We will treasure the many memorable dances and performances shared, the students and dance families we have had, and friends we have made through the years.
While we are sad that St. Anne’s Ballet will not be doing face to face / in person classes anymore, we do not wish to totally say “good-bye.” Our St. Anne’s Ballet page will remain open to allow us all to stay connected. We look forward to nurturing and inspiring each other. Let’s all stay connected, amazing families and students!
Maraming, maraming salamat po sa pagmamamahal at sa suportang ibinigay ninyo sa amin.
Pagpalain nawa tayong lahat ng Poong Maykapal. May the Almighty God bless us all!
🙏♥️🙏♥️🙏♥️🙏♥️🙏♥️🙏♥️🙏♥️🙏♥️
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