BRIEF HISTORY OF JOJI FELIX-VELARDE BALLET AND DANCE WORKSHOP

Joji Felix Velarde Ballet and Dance Workshop was founded in 1950 by Joji Felix Velarde at Philippine Women's University.

Joji started ballet as a child with Luva Adameit and continued with Remedios de Oyteza. She was a lead dancer of the De Oyteza Ballet. In 1960, as an Alicia Marcova scholar, she attended the Ballet Rambert School in London and the Ballet Arts Studio in New York. She trained with Alexandra Danilova, Vladimir Dokuodovsky, Vitale Fokine, Paul Szilard, and Karen Marie Taft in Madrid. She was the first Filipino to do the little role in Sylvia. She also danced Swan Lake and was chosen by Danilova to dance with Mocelyn Larkin, Maribel Aboitiz, and Elizabeth Guasch in Pas de Quatre.

In the 1950s, Joji ran the Ballet Arts Studio with Sony Lopez-Gonzalez. Then, she directed the Joji Felix Velarde School at PWU with Eddie Elejar and Cesar Mendoza and the dance school for the University of the East School of Music and Arts. 

Joji and Herminio Velarde during the meeting for Revival of Walang Sugat

She and her husband put up Pacifica Cultural Productions, which worked with the Zarzuela Foundation to produce "Walang Sugat" (Not Wounded) and Minda Mora, both of which toured the Philippines and abroad. They also produced shows for Tv.

As a choreographer, she tagged productions and modeled for "Giting Kayumanggi", all the way to Lincoln Center, New York. She choreographed the musicals Show Boat, Carousel, Oklahoma, 13 daughters, and several productions for the deaf and mute.

Joji was born on October 4, 1935. She is the daughter of Gabriel Felix and Titang Freire. She is married to an ophthalmologist, Herminio Velarde; their daughter Jorgina "Gigi Felix Velarde"- David now heads the ballet workshop and was renamed Gigi Felix Velarde Ballet and Performing Arts Dance Theatre.

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Source:

P.G. Del Rosario, & B.E.S. Villaruz (1994), CCP Encyclopedia of the Phillippine Art Vol 5 Philippine Dance. N. Tiongson, E. Gatchalian, (Eds.) Felix-Velarde, Joji Josefina Felix-Velarde (p206) Special Publications Office.

 

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