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The Garcia-Sanchez School of Dance

The Garcia-Sanchez School of Dance has been sharing the gift of dance for almost five decades. This Bacolod dance school is the oldest and most respected dance school in the city.

Longest-dancing Bacolod Dance School | Bacolod Ballet School

Janette Garcia, the matriarch, opened the doors to what is now known as The Garcia- Sanchez School of Dance in 1971. It has seen so many young girls with the talent, passion, and skill in dance flourish in this art of performance.

This year, this Bacolod dance school celebrates 47 years of dance, family, and love. They celebrated with a mid-year anniversary show that featured the Seniors Class in neo-classical ballet, modern ballet, and street jazz. Meanwhile, the Juniors Modern Class and the Adult Jazz Class also presented numbers.

Three Generations of Dancers

The Garcia-Sanchez School of Dance has seen three generations of dancers in the family. Janette has trained her daughters Georgette, Giselle, Gianne, and Giella.

And now, two granddaughters are also very talented dancers – Carmina and Drewy. They are regularly attending classes in the school and helping out in the classes.

The Anniversary Show

The show featured the Seniors Class of The Garcia-Sanchez School of Dance in in neo-classical ballet, modern ballet, and street jazz. Meanwhile, the Juniors Modern Class and the Adult Jazz Class also had their numbers.

Part one was composed of a beautiful neo-classical piece with music by Vivaldi, entitled Seasons Of Tango. The piece is abstract and shows the dancers’ strength, musicality, and grace. This was followed by a strong modern piece entitled “My Story” and is about life, pain, friendships, and moving forward.

Both numbers were choreographed by ballerina Georgette Sanchez-Vargas, the eldest daughter of Janette who is now the school’s director.

Meanwhile, part two was composed of Street Jazz numbers choreographed by Janette’s third daughter, Gianne Sanchez- Sanson. She is the school principal. These fun and energetic numbers kept the audience very entertained.

The Mamma Mia number was a sure hit as Janette and Gianne performed with the adult jazz class. This was followed by the well-loved production numbers with songs from The Greatest Showman. The dancers showcased their versatility and strong technique in the anniversary presentation, as they performed all the numbers with great passion.

Truly, it was a fitting celebration! The dance production was the best way to celebrate 47 years of sharing dance to Bacolod City.

About Georgette Sanchez-Vargas

Georgina Johanna Garcia Sanchez, a.k.a. Georgette Sanchez, is a ballerina from Bacolod City, Philippines. She was a company dancer of the Ballet Philippines from 1995 to 2002.

In 2000, Georgette won the silver medal in the 9th Paris International Dance Competition for her performances in Agnes Locsin’s September and Alden Lugnasin’s Aku. This distinction gained her an invitation from Nicolas Musin to join the abcdancecompany in St. Pölten, Austria. She has been featured in the company since 2002.

Furthermore, she has worked with other dance companies in Europe, namely the Staatstheater Darmstadt in Germany, the Stadttheater Klagenfurt in Austria, and the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich, Germany.

She is now married to Luigi Vargas and has settled in Bacolod City. Currently, she is the director at The Garcia-Sanchez School of Dance where she also teaches dance classes. Being a fitness enthusiast, she is also a dedicated and accomplished triathlete.

Daughters Studying Classical Ballet

Our two daughters are studying classical ballet at The Garcia-Sanchez School of Dance. Our eldest Dindin is already on her sixth year. It only means that their Papa has been a ballet dad for that long as well. He is the one responsible for bringing them to class and waiting for them to finish.

Additionally, little Shane has gotten hooked, too, thanks to the many videos she has watched of Barbie dancing ballet. She has undergone storybook ballet last summer and still continues with her lessons.