4 minute read
Gerrick Go
Sabina Manlutac
WRITTEN BY GENESIS JACINTH TAN
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IN TRACING back the history of dance, records show that humans danced to live—for rituals, worship, or community. Now, there are those that live to dance—an action as familiar as walking. Among those people is Sabina Manlutac (4 BS HS), who is among the many who consider dance to be formative in her adolescent life.
WARMING UP
Sabina is no stranger to challenges. In her sophomore year, she shifted from Development Studies to Health Sciences and served as a logistics deputy in the Company of Ateneo Dancers (CADS). She also committed herself to regular evening training as a street dance member in CADS and would later win the position of Chief Logistics Officer.
Sabina and dance have a long history. She shares, “This would seem a bit funny, but my first time dancing was back when I was a little kid. You know, when relatives ask you to perform in front of them.” It was after that experience that she started to take on summer dance workshops when she was 10 years old.
This went on until high school when she and her sister joined its dance varsity together. She explains, “Those high school years were the most formative [because] I was competing and got exposed to other teams. It was also the peak of my dance career.”
By no means, however, did this peak imply an end to her relationship with dance.
CURTAIN CALL
“Come college, I thought I’d do something different,” she ponders now as incumbent CADS President. Despite being apprehensive of the commitment, Sabina was one of the many wide-eyed freshmen who signed up for CADS in 2018. She saw familiar faces from her high school in these auditions, all vying for the same spot. After getting accepted, she notes that her grades improved, attributing it to her being content with where she was. But balancing her newfound commitments with academics was no easy feat. When asked how she managed all this, Sabina recalled numerous encouraging experiences with the CADS community when she was discerning over shifting to Health Sciences.
While working in the logistics division, Sabina says she found purpose in ensuring her co-members had the space to pursue their craft by reserving venues and coordinating with the various Ateneo offices. She adds that she felt connected with her fellow dancers and production members throughout dance competitions.
In October 2019, her team for the college division of Dance Supremacy Queens won second Place. This continues to be one of her most memorable experiences, especially after struggles like wardrobe malfunctions merely weeks before the finals.
All of this led her to feel a closer connection with CADS, saying, “It’s a big reason why I love, and fell in love, with Ateneo. And I wanted to stay involved.” And involved herself she did, even when the pandemic cut the campus experience short.
AWAITED ENCORE
While teaching in private dance workshops to the neighborhood children, Sabina was also doing her best as CADS President. More than anything else, she says she wanted to preserve the vision of continuity, acknowledging the executive board before her as they had organized the org’s systems in transitioning to the online setup.
Now, she desires the culture that drew her into CADS to stay alive, especially as her batch graduates. According to her, she and her board members maintained and simplified systems while hoping to reduce occurrences of burnout. During this busy year, Sabina also prepared for the National Medical Admission Test while also accomplishing her college midterms. She plans to proceed to medical school but says that she won’t ever forget the growth and discipline mindset dance gave her. “Dance has seen me in my highs and lows. It is also a way to appreciate music, and it adds a layer of sound that you can see rather than just hear,” she adds.
Though bittersweet, Sabina says she expects a new environment away from dance after graduation, but she is still open to catching up with her fellow dancers. “When it comes to something creative or sharing your craft [with] the world, it’s good to surround yourself with the right people. That’s where you draw inspiration from.”
Just as how she lived her college life following her passions and what felt right to her, she says that throughout college, it is important to take opportunities. She highlights that one can never know what will happen or what will be taken from them. When something as major as a pandemic could happen, everyone may as well live to the beat of their souls and take the chances given to them.
