Cheyenne Suarez

Juan Paulo Infante dances his way to build his own empire

Article (news)

Jude Cartalaba

Ever since he started his professional career at Douglas Nierras&#x27;s Powerdance at 14, Juan Paulo Infante was already thinking of how he could turn his passion into a profitable venture. &quot;It was always at the back of my mind,&quot; Infante said.<div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1736480103321IMG_6444.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:633px"/></div><div> </div>Being artistic runs in the blood. JP is the cousin of award-winning scenographer and costume designer Mio Infante. He trained with Powerdance (2005-2008) and UP Filipiniana Dance Group (2009-2011). Nierras even dubbed him the most promising dancer during one of his Pro Jazz classes. He was also the youngest faculty member of Powerdance at age 15 wherein he was handling his classes back then.For him, he owed everything to Powerdance. &quot;I have great mentors, namely Danny Marshall, Ianne Damian, and Ace Lebumfacil. But of course, the person who I consider a father and a mentor at the same time is Douglas.&quot; All his knowledge in dance, especially his values, he acquired it from Nierras. &quot;I am trained in Jazz, Ballet, Ballroom, and Hip-Hop. I used what I learned in my career.&quot;In his freshman year at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, he joined the UP Filipiniana Dance Group. His coach was a senior from Powerdance as well, Van Manalo. &quot;Since we shared the same values from Powerdance it didn’t take time for me to adjust with our classes and choreography. Sir Van Manalo was an exemplary teacher. I have always enjoyed and valued all his teachings.&quot;<div>Living out Nierras&#x27; words</div>Infante chose to live the words of his Powerdance&#x27;s mentor that everything humans do in life is not supposed to be limited to themselves, but for others to enjoy and appreciate, too.He became a choreographer for GMA 7&#x27;s &quot;Eat Bulaga&quot; and &quot;Party Pilipinas&quot; at 17. He used his early career as a learning ground before taking his next steps. He was also lucky to have great mentors who helped him gain the confidence to start JPI Entertainment. He established JPI Entertainment in 2012, a year after he formed Philosophy in Dance (PHD) dance company. Initially, it was established to house PHD, but it grew and began to offer different services. JPI Entertainment is a sole proprietorship, and he&#x27;s the president. He was 21 years old when he created JPI Entertainment. When PHD was becoming a household dance company and was being invited to perform on television, events, concerts, etc, he was prompted to create a company that could facilitate these projects but with a vision that this would only be the beginning and would eventually grow bigger.At JPI Entertainment, they follow such principles -- Just Push Innovation.They are composed of creative and talented individuals who strive to continuously improve so they may adapt to the ever-changing demands of their industry without sacrificing their core values.It was also around this time that he choreographed for Repertory Philippines&#x27; production of Disney&#x27;s &quot;Camp Rock: The Musical.&quot;<div>Running a one-stop shop biz for entertainment</div>As a choreographer-turned-entrepreneur, he takes pride in the wide array of services that JPI Entertainment has to offer. He started by only managing PHD, but gradually it ventured into digital experiences and events through the years. How does he exactly manage or handle the talents under his wings? Are they contracted on a long-term basis or per-project basis? &quot;When it comes to managing artists and talents, I try to limit this so that we can [really] focus on their career goals. We have in-house artists, and we manage their end-to-end careers,&quot; he said. &quot;We also have partner influencers or talents we book regularly for projects. Under JPI Entertainment, we have Daiana Menezes, Chuckie Dreyfus, Anthony Rosaldo, Gwen Zamora, Gian Magdangal, and Kristof Garcia -- to name a few.&quot; In his 12 years in the business, he considers his biggest achievement is becoming a household name in the industry. &quot;I&#x27;m proud to say that we are in partnership with and have earned the trust of some of the major brands or partners here in the Philippines. Also, I take pride in our team, and I consider our team as one of the biggest achievements.&quot; Today, as he looks back on the things he went through in building the business, his advice to individuals or groups who want to get into business is to do what one loves, and the results will show. &quot;Passion alone won’t overcome obstacles, so be ready to face difficulties and stay committed even when enthusiasm wanes,&quot; he said.&quot;Pursuing passion can lead to a fulfilling and successful venture, especially when there is solid and strategic planning.&quot;

Ever since he started his professional career at Douglas Nierras's Powerdance at 14, Juan Paulo Infante was already thinking of how he could turn his passion into a profitable venture.

Ever since he started his professional career at Douglas Nierras's Powerdance at 14, Juan Paulo Infante was already thinking of how he could turn his passion into a profitable venture.