Cheyenne Suarez

Remembering Felicitas Radaic: PH dance icon, mentor, cultural leader

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ABS-CBN Lifestyle

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780652030489Felicitas-Radaic.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Felicitas Radaic. Photos courtesy of author"/>Felicitas Radaic. Photos courtesy of author </div>Yesterday, at around two o&#x27;clock in the morning, I took a quick look at Facebook before retiring to bed. Lo and behold, my eyes landed on the kind of news one hopes never to read. Tears quickly glided down my cheeks as I read Sofia Radaic-Jelic&#x27;s post about an inevitable truth that should not have come as a shock to anyone. She announced that Felicitas Radaic — her mother, and our very own Philippine dance icon — had passed away after a long and courageous battle with multiple health complications.I stood silent for a few moments, grappling with the idea that the next morning, everyone who had leaned on her for stability, inspiration, and happiness would now be navigating life without her. Devastatingly sad. And today, the morning after, I was confronted by exactly that. The page I manage, Philippine Classical Ballet Syllabus Inc. (founded by Radaic), and Facebook in general, were flooded with stories celebrating the beautiful life she shared with so many. I quickly realized that people should know just how profound her impact has been on the dance community.For decades, Radaic devoted her life to advancing dance in the Philippines, wearing many hats: ballerina, choreographer, educator, artistic director, critic, cultural leader, and mentor. Over the years, various organizations have paid tribute to her remarkable contributions, including the highly coveted Gawad CCP Award for Dance. I had hoped she would have enjoyed National Artist status before her passing, but sadly, that was not to be.But as we prepare to send her off to the heavens, she no longer needs the validation you get from tributes and awards. But I would love it if people could remember her not just as an icon but as the selfless human that she was. I want to articulate how she lived a life not for herself, but for others.The true measure of Radaic&#x27;s legacy cannot be found in the institutions she founded, the productions she mounted, or the distinctions she received. It can be found in the people she lovingly built up.She was a rare leader whose life&#x27;s work was never centered on herself. Every school she established, every company she nurtured, every syllabus she developed, every outreach program she championed, and every opportunity she secured ultimately served a single purpose: helping others become more than they imagined possible.<div>A champion of Filipino choreography</div>Radaic was an accomplished artist, having performed leading roles in &quot;Giselle,&quot; &quot;Sleeping Beauty,&quot; &quot;Les Sylphides,&quot; and &quot;The Nutcracker Suite&quot; under Anita Kane and Dance Theatre Philippines. It was evident in her everyday life — the elegance, poise, and magic she brought into every room. She was like a Filipino Margot Fonteyn — it did not take much to love her, nor to love dancing because of her. She would demonstrate a simple port de bras (arm movement), and people would be transported to the classics.Radaic&#x27;s artistry inspired generations, but she did not simply enjoy the admiration it brought. She used her art as a stepping stone to advance her many advocacies.As artistic director of Dance Theatre Philippines, she championed Filipino choreography at a time when local ballet was still defining its identity. Through works such as &quot;Oy, Akin &#x27;Yan!&quot;, &quot;Tanan,&quot; &quot;Mir-i-Nisa,&quot; &quot;May Day Eve,&quot; &quot;Nan Pangkat,&quot; and &quot;Tubig!&quot;, she demonstrated that classical ballet could be used to tell Filipino stories and reflect Filipino experiences. Under her watch, Radaic encouraged choreographers to pursue this path. The same philosophy would later become central to Philippine Ballet Theatre, now recognized as the National Performing Arts Company precisely because of that thrust.It was her instinct to share every opportunity that came her way. She possessed considerable artistic clout, which she used to give choreographers access to international grants and opportunities. Among those who benefited were Luis Layag, Basilio, Gener Caringal, Effie Nañas and, later, Eric V. Cruz. Her generosity extended to dancers, teachers, and members of the academe. Again and again, she changed people&#x27;s trajectories by believing in them. <div>An inspiring mentor</div>Everyone knows the story of Radaic and prima ballerina Lisa Macuja Elizalde, but countless other stories are equally inspiring. Take, for example, Joan Sia, whom Radaic discovered during a Classical Ballet Syllabus assessment. Convinced she had potential, she was brought to Manila from Cagayan de Oro and trained personally by Radaic. Sia eventually became a principal dancer with Ballet Manila and now performs internationally as a principal dancer with Florida Ballet. Every ballet school aims to create professionals and Radaic produced them in extraordinary volume, leaving an imprint on Philippine dance that few could rival. She made it a point to mentor dancers not only in technique but also in pedagogy, ensuring that her students could eventually teach with depth and purpose. Today, some of her finest mentees are among the most respected educators in the industry, including Cherish Garcia of Academy One, Sophia Zobel Elizalde of Steps Dance Studio, Therese Jaynario of Assumption Antipolo, and Rubylee Garcia of Ballet Philippines. They, too, have earned admiration for producing generations of professionals.In 1969, she launched Cultural Outreach in Education (CORE), bringing dance to communities beyond traditional performance venues. Through workshops, performances, and educational programs across the country, she introduced countless Filipinos to ballet and inspired future generations of artists. Philippine Ballet Theatre, where she is a founding member, adopted this program. PBT has continued what she started, with thousands benefiting from the seeds she planted. The performances she initiated at Rizal Park continued for 13 years, and today PBT has expanded beyond Metro Manila to communities throughout the country.I would venture to say that Macuja Elizalde&#x27;s own outreach initiatives were likewise influenced by Radaic&#x27;s noble intentions. Ballet Manila&#x27;s Project Future has reached hundreds of young people and produced numerous professionals. Such efforts stand as part of the legacy of service that Radaic championed.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780651200958bee3a558-2ffb-43d4-83ce-2478060cd10d.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Photo courtesy of author</div><div>A cultural leader</div>Radaic was revolutionary as a cultural leader as well. She ultimately broke the ten-year ballet ban in the Philippines by establishing a ballet school at St. Theresa&#x27;s College in Quezon City in defiance of the standing decree, paving the way for others to follow. Without this move, there would have been little to no dancing in that period of time. While younger generations may no longer associate the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus with Radaic, she was in fact the country&#x27;s first certified RAD teacher. At a time when ballet training was often informal and inconsistent, she championed discipline, structure, and professional standards. She organized and created a network, laying the foundation for RAD to exist and thrive in the Philippines. Today, it remains a successful and influential system that has significantly elevated the standard of ballet training in the country.But Radaic was a dreamer, and recognized that no single syllabus fits all. Thus, she developed her own training system, the Radaic Syllabus, which she implemented in her school. Rather than settling for a syllabus bearing her name, she envisioned a national ballet syllabus that could serve generations of Filipino dancers. Radaic assembled a team of specialists from different ballet traditions, and encouraged them to challenge her own ideas in pursuit of something even stronger and better suited to the Asian body. As principal author and administrator of the Philippine Classical Ballet Syllabus (formerly the National Ballet Syllabus), Radaic helped expand access to quality ballet education for Filipinos, producing better teachers and, consequently, better students. She insisted that teacher training should not end once certification was complete. Teachers who require mentorship should continue receiving guidance to ensure they make a meaningful impact on their students&#x27; development.Today, the syllabus has been adopted by hundreds of dance schools throughout the country, largely led by her own mentees. Among them is co-author Violeta Velasco, who continues to share nuggets of Radaic wisdom through PCBSI seminars. PCBSI has evolved into a warm community of collaborative teachers who continue to grow alongside their students. Her vision became a movement.If that were not enough, through her work with the University of the Philippines Dance Program, Radaic championed the idea that dance was a profession deserving of rigorous study and scholarship. As both professor and consultant, she helped strengthen and legitimize the program.Radaic touched so many lives with her relentless passion for lifting others. She danced beautifully for the people until she could no longer dance. She taught until her students became artists. She taught until her artists became teachers. She led until her teachers became leaders.And today, it almost feels like a message from God that her mission here on earth has been fulfilled. It is bittersweet to lose her to heaven, but perhaps now she can enjoy witnessing the fruits of her labor from above.Radaic deserves a grand welcome in heaven. But I hope that here on earth, people continue to celebrate her as well. She lived a life for others; it is only fitting that the dance community make the very best of what she left behind. Farewell to our dance icon who dreamed big and bold for the Philippines. We will all dance through life with the lessons you left behind until we meet again.

The true measure of Felicitas Radaic's legacy cannot be found in the institutions she founded, the productions she mounted, or the distinctions she received. It can be found in the people she lovingly built up.

The true measure of Felicitas Radaic's legacy cannot be found in the institutions she founded, the productions she mounted, or the distinctions she received. It can be found in the people she lovingly built up.

Remembering Felicitas Radaic: PH dance icon, mentor, cultural leader

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Remembering Felicitas Radaic: PH dance icon, mentor, cultural leader

ABS-CBN Lifestyle,

Erica Marquez Jacinto

Published June 05, 2026 05:34 PM PHT

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Updated June 05, 2026 07:14 PM PHT

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