MARITONI Rufino-Tordesillas fell in love with ballet at eight years old. It was what would take her all the way to New York.
In 1986, I got a call from my father saying a family friend would be apprenticing in the Big Apple, and asking if she could room in with me. When the apartment’s doorbell rang, I opened the door, saw this girl, and gasped, “Madonna!”
But it wasn’t Madonna. It was Maritoni, attired head-to-toe in the “Like a Virgin” outfit made famous by Madonna.
The sight of a young (just a few years younger than I) die-hard fan was both amusing and ever-so-refreshing.
In New York, off Maritoni went every day to the Neubert Ballet Institute at Carnegie Hall, where she had a scholarship. She studied under Steffan Hoff, a contemporary of Mikhail Baryshnikov at American Ballet Theater.
In 1989, she danced with the Eglevsky Ballet of New York. In 1993, she passed the Royal Academy of Dancing examinations, with honors in the intermediate majors. In 1995, she came home and taught in Philippine Ballet Theater (PBT), where she was school principal from 1998 to 2000.
Her roles as principal dancer for PBT included Cio Cio San in “Madame Butterfly,” Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet,” “Cinderella,” Raymonda in “Andres KKK,” Carmen, Kitri in “Don Quixote,” Odette in “Swan Lake,” and Giselle, to name a few.
Partnered with international guest dancers like Wes Chapman, Parrish Meynard, Timothy Melady and Charles Askegaard, she performed with PBT in the US, Mexico, Japan and Singapore. She also dabbled in musical theater, and was a favorite among local choreographers like Gener Caringal and Edna Vida.
Like in the pursuit of other dreams, there were disappointments. The ballet industry at the time had no support and funding. Excellent dancers did not get substantial salaries and, above all, lacked recognition. Access to the Cultural Center of the Philippines, as far as transportation and affordable tickets were concerned, was difficult.
Seeing classic ballet performances was never a part of school activities, so the industry had no exposure to potentially talented young dancers.
Inner peace
Maritoni hung up her pointes in 2000 and established Danspace, teaching children ages three to 14. (The students of the school are entered into the assessment program of the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet.)
Simultaneously, she discovered Asthanga Yoga. With a certification from the Centered Yoga Institute in Koh Samui, Thailand, she became one of the founders of Yoga Manila.
Because she teaches two to three yoga classes daily, her schedule dictates that her wardrobe exude comfort over fashion. Yoga wear comprises 90 percent of her clothing. Jeans are a staple, with knits or vintage tops, while simple, short shifts allow her the ease she needs.
Maritoni may have had her disappointments in the ballet industry, but she continues to hope, and meanwhile teaches us to center. She believes in focusing on her priorities. As a mother of two, she says her family comes first. She follows an “early to bed, early to rise” regimen, so she can spend valuable time with her kids.
Because Maritoni has been doing, and is doing, what she loves, she has that inner peace we are all striving for. And, just like Madonna, Maritoni will continue to do what she loves, always finding a sense of fulfillment in the process.
