- Internationally renowned dancer and choreographer, Butch Godito will impart his expertise to Goan students
- Through Goa Institute of Performing Arts, he aims to transform them into international level dancers
PATRICIA ANN ALVARES / Team Café
An unassuming man with a humble demeanour, Cecilio Godito (Butch) seems like the affable guy next door. But once he steps onto the dance floor, this ballet dancer will have your rapt attention as he pirouettes across the room with sheer grace and finesse. It should come as no surprise then that this Philippines native, who now calls China home, has been a ballet dancer, stage director and choreographer for over 30 years. “I must credit First Lady Imelda Marcos for my success today. She encouraged and supported the arts during her time and brought the world’s most renowned dancers and artists to the Philippines. I was a member of the CCP dance company (the only professional dance company in the Philippines in the1970s) and had the opportunity to perform with some of the best dancers in the world, including Margot Fontayne, Rudolph Nureyev, Natalya Makarova and a host of others. That’s where my exposure to ballet and ballroom dancing started and then I began travelling in search of the best,” reveals Butch.
After a 15-year stint at the Tokyo City Ballet and after culling the best from the Juillard School in New York and the big city itself, Butch realised his dream with a repertory of performances across Europe, USA and Asia. But of all his productions, Butch confesses that his choreography of the Chinese Olympic pre-presentation show in December 2007 remains his most memorable one.
Well ensconced in the dancing fraternity as a member of the Prestigious International Dance Teacher’s Association, Godito, by his own admission, is keen to pass on the styles he has learnt from legends. “Dance for me is my family – my wife, my child, my girlfriend. I am very devoted to this art which I started at the age of 12,” avers Butch, who developed his unique ‘butch’ style by fusing the best aspects of three techniques of classical ballet – Vaganova (Russia), Cecchetti (French/Italian) and Balanchine (New York). “I do not believe in copying from others; over the years I developed this style which incorporates the best elements of each technique – Vaganova (barre) for length and grace, Cecchetti (centre) for strength and Balanchine (corner) for stability – as it’s easier for the student to pick up,” explains Butch.
Terming ballet as the foundation of all dance, Butch points out that ballet is what brings grace and art to dance. “Anyone can do contemporary or any other dance and interpret the music with any movement, but with a ballet background, he / she can do so with beauty and grace. This holds true for any dance, even Bollywood. Some of the most famous dance legends have a strong basis in ballet,” he explains. Similarly, social and Latin ballroom, he elucidates, are different from international ballroom. “In
social ballroom, one follows the steps from one to eight while in international ballroom, the steps are more expanded and the rhythm is 2 3 4 5,” he adds.
Achieving much success in his endeavours as Artistic Director of his own dance company BRAI in China and Founder / Professional and amateur Dancers Club International (PADCI) in Beijing, China, Godito came to Mumbai at the behest of a reputed dance school. And Goa happened, thanks largely to the persuasions of Josinho Fernandes, founder of Goa Institute of Performing Arts. “I am aware of Goa’s dance culture, but my idea is to train students and give them direction and produceinternational level dancers who will participate at a global level. Dance can then definitely be a career option,” he maintains.
Dismissing a common misconception about ballet, Butch affirms that anybody at any age can learn the plié, pique, pirouettes and other graceful dance moves of ballet, if one’s soul so desires it. This is definitely a great opportunity for Goans who have long appreciated the dance, but found no avenues to learn or practise it at a professional level.