MULTI-award winning dance gem Candice Adea will be the guest artist when Alice Reyes Dance Philippines (ARDP) opens its 2025 season with “Pagdiriwang: Sayaw Alay sa Sining,” a celebration that showcases the company’s versatility, on April 4 and 5 at the Globe Auditorium Maybank Performing Arts Theater at Bonifacio Global City (BGC).

The landmark production promises an unforgettable evening of dance, featuring masterful works by renowned choreographers including National Artist for Dance, Alice Reyes.

The world premiere of Augustus “Bam” Damian’s neo-classical piece, “C’est La Cie,” will be staged in “Pagdiriwang,” as well as Adam Sage’s classical ballet, “Glinka’s Valse,” with music by Mikhail Glinka, Carlo AC Pacis’ neo-classical “Nocturne” and Kun-Yang Lin’s contemporary “Moon,” with music by Dead Can Dance.

For the other performances, there will be the Filipino modern dance, “Amada” by Alice Reyes and music by National Artist for Music, Lucresia Kasilag. Norman Walker’s modern dance in “Songs of a Wayfarer” with music by Gustav Mahler and “Muybridge Frames” is a contemporary presentation with choreography by Denisa Reyes.

Meanwhile, Candice is a multi-awarded Filipina ballerina who has been performing with the West Australian Ballet and was a former principal dancer of Ballet Philippines.

She made history as the first Filipina to win first place in the senior women’s division at the 2012 Helsinki International Ballet Competition.

Candice’s journey continued with a silver medal at the 2010 USA International Ballet Competition and in 2011, she earned third place at the 8th Seoul International Dance Competition in South Korea.

Her list of accolades extends to two outstanding female lead performer awards from Gawad Buhay earned in 2009 and 2010.

In 2011, Candice was also honored with two special awards at the Boston International Ballet Competition: the Maris Liepa Award for Outstanding Artistry and the Lead Role in a Russian Ballet performance.

In 2021, she was further celebrated as Best Dancer at the Performing Arts Awards in Australia.

Candice was trained in the Philippines at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Dance School, the Philippine High School for the Arts and earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree Major in Dance from De La Salle College of Saint Benilde.

She credits her training to Victor Ursabia, Nonoy Froilan, Brezhnev Larlar, Noordin Jumalon and Cecile Sicangco.

Candice has held prestigious positions as principal dancer with Ballet Philippines, soloist with Hong Kong Ballet and recently retired as a soloist with West Australian Ballet.

She has danced lead roles in “Swan Lake,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Don Quixote,” “La Bayadere,” “The Nutcracker,” “Coppélia,” “Romeo and Juliet,” George Balanchine’s “Who Cares?” and Krzysztof Pastor’s “Light and Shadow,” among others.

Her performance credits include notable galas such as the Fukuoka International Ballet Festival in Japan, “Night of the Stars” reunion gala in Jackson, Mississippi, World Ballet Stars Gala in Latvia and various prestigious events in the Philippines, including the CCP anniversary gala and Stars of Philippine Ballet.

For Candice’s performance, she will take on the titular performance in “Amada,” delivering a poignant farewell to the Philippine stage, as she commences her retirement from dance.

Now on its fourth season, Alice Reyes Dance Philippines continues its commitment to elevating Philippine dance by presenting a repertoire that spans classical ballet, neo-classical, modern and contemporary works.

The program includes a selection of works from some of the most celebrated names in dance led by Alice Reyes, alongside internationally renowned choreographers.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Leah C. Salterio