By Darcy Hickey
A&E Assistant
Monalisa Galang says she uses her passion for dance and choreography as a way to serve God and as a tool to teach others.
Despite several injuries, Galang will showcase her talent in this year’s Dance in Flight, presenting two choreographed pieces and dancing in six others.
Galang feels blessed to have a unique style.
Demonstrating individual rights, Galang’s piece, “No More Straight Jackets” displays an individual’s right to freedom from inhibitions. Her goal is to show the importance of being true to oneself and eliminating façades.
“I don’t agree with simply showing extreme talent and focusing on strict technique,” Galang said. “Instead, I try to share my passion for human rights with others through movement and themes, which allows the audience to connect with the dancers.”
Galang says this Dance in Flight will be exceptional because each dance has a different style.
“The audience should be prepared for a night of high energy,” Galang said. “It is going to be one big party.”
Dance at Pepperdine has not always been easy for Galang, though.
She received the “Unbreakable Award” from her peers on the opening of Dance in Flight last year because of tendonitis in both shins.
Galang said the tendonitis arose after years of dancing in the poor facilities at Pepperdine. Because no official dance studio exists, dancers must use the hard-floored Lindhurst Theatre and classrooms for practice areas.
“My doctor told me to quit dancing, but I knew I had to continue my strict training schedule in order to be fully prepared for the show,” Galang said.
Because of this rebellion, Galang went through three months of physical therapy after last year’s production.
This Dance in Flight, she will perform through the pain from the tendonitis, as well as a chipped tail bone and a pulled thigh muscle.
“Dancing takes dedication and commitment,” Galang said. “I am willing to experience some pain in order to do what I love.”
Despite injuries, Galang practices 20 hours a week, plus she works at home to perfect her choreographed routines.
“My routine is rigorous, but absolutely worth the time and effort to make my dances more expressionistic and audience engaging,” Galang said.
Galang has danced for hours on end all her life.
Although her only formal training was for two months at age 7 in the Philippines, she was known by relatives and neighbors to constantly dance around her home.
“My family haunts me with the memory of me entertaining guests by dancing on the dining room table at age 2,” Galang said.
News went around the neighborhood of the “dancing girl,” and soon Galang began receiving calls from dance groups asking her to go to competitions with them.
“This is how I gained most of my experience,” Galang said. “They would teach me routines a few weeks before each competition, and I would practice until the performance day. I was able to learn many different genres of dance.”
The most influential point in her career as a dancer was when Galang’s family moved to Garland, Texas. There she auditioned for a tap dance musical.
“I remember the director saying that without the right look, no one can make it in the real world of dance,” Galang said. “Being one of the only Asians in the school, I could not help to think he was talking about me. At that point, I began looking at the audition simply as an experience.”
When in front of the judges, Galang, not knowing much about tap dance, began making up goofy dance configurations that somewhat mocked tapping altogether.
Galang’s talent showed through, though. To her surprise, her name was on the cast list the next day as one of six lead dancers.
Galang promised herself to continue working her hardest from that day forward.
“I put everything I have into dance,” Galang said. “But the benefits of it helping me rise in the morning with a smile on my face, curing whatever bothers me and allowing me to share myself with others is greater than anything in the world.”
Personal
Name: Monalisa Galang
Class: Senior
Major: Theater arts
Hometown: Garland, Texas
Relaxation technique: Dancing in front of her closet door mirror every morning.
Pet peeve: Bad customer service and negative attitudes. “I don’t like to be around people who stress out all the time,” Galang said. “My drama queen self is more than enough for me to handle.”
Personal quirk: Drinks 2 percent milk with two ice cubes in it four to six times a day.
Quality she looks for in a best friend: “I look for honesty that comes from love, because I don’t like to waste relationships on pretentiousness and candy-coating.”
Word to describe dance: Freedom
Favorite Fruit: Red, ripe, juicy watermelon
Bedtime ritual: “I used to flip my pillow over every night as a ritual,” Galang said. “It meant a new night and a new set of dreams come true.”
Her mom’s best advice: “Do what makes you happy. Don’t care about what other people think or say.”
Speak to me: Galang knows French, Tagalong and Bisaya, plus tidbits of other languages.
Life motto: “Appreciate all of your blessings and share them with others,” Galang said. “Love yourself and others just as God has loved you, and be generous with forgiveness.”
February 06, 2003
