Meet the 25-year-old Filipino ballerina who played the lead in Atlanta Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’

Meet Mikaela Santos, the 25-year-old Filipino ballerina who played the lead in Atlanta Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ | Photos from Atlanta Ballet

Mikaela Santos, 25, recently made headlines in the US after she played the lead female role, Marie, in Atlanta Ballet’s December run of “The Nutcracker.”

Hailing from Taguig, the ballerina joined the Atlanta Ballet as an apprentice in 2017 before becoming a member the following year at only 17. Before her turn in the spotlight, Santos has been playing small roles in the ballet company’s runs of the Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky classic in previous years. She’s done Chinese and Spanish variations, and played in small scenes as a supporting role prior to her announcement as Marie last year.

“I’ve done this version of ‘The Nutcracker’ for six years, and every year it feels like we are transported to a different place,” she said in an interview with an Atlanta-based publication.

And though she was one of four different casts in the total 19 performances of the ballet, Santos is still reeling from this opportunity.

“Every time I step on the stage, it’s like basically showing [that] this is what I love and I’ve been working on it since I was like 11 or 12, you know?” she told a local reporter in a TFC interview. “And I just want to show people that, you know, it’s possible, you can do it if you put in the work.”

Mikaela Santos rehearsing for “The Nutcracker” with Patric Palkens | Photo from Atlanta Ballet

Santos began her ballet training as early as three years old, encouraged by her parents. In her teens, she joined the Effie Nañas School of Classical Ballet and in 2014, won second place in the Junior Division at the first Cultural Center of the Philippines Ballet Competition. This earned her a spot at the Philippine Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in March 2016.

In the same year, she became a finalist at the World Ballet Competition in Orlando, Florida where one of the judges, Atlanta Ballet Artistic Director Gennadi Nedvigin, noticed her.

“She was a young but determined competitor with strong technical skills that demonstrated great potential to become a professional dancer,” Nedvigin spoke of Santos in an interview.

She was soon offered a scholarship to the Atlanta Ballet Professional Summer Intensive and was subsequently offered a position in the Fellowship Ensemble.

“After joining Atlanta Ballet 2 (Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education’s highest level of training) and now six years with the company, Mikaela has gained the confidence and artistry needed to perform a lead role. She developed her own style and personality while on stage,” Nedvigin continued.

Santos has since performed in Atlanta Ballet’s John McFall’s “The Nutcracker,” Bruce Wells’ “Snow White,” Marius Petipa’s “Paquita,” Yuri Possokhov’s “Firebird,” David Bintley’s “Carmina Burana,” and Robert Barnett’s “Arenskey,” Marius Petipa, Jean Coralli, and Jules Perrot’s “Giselle,” and Sergio Masero’s “Schubertiada.”

In March 2023, she starred in her first full-length ballet performance as Kitri in Yuri Possokhov’s “Don Quixote.”

The 25-year-old ballerina was also included in Dance Magazine’s “25 To Watch” list in 2023. “It’s her imaginative spark—along with pristine technique and bright musicality—that makes Mikaela Santos one of Atlanta Ballet’s most captivating dancers,” the write-up read.

Santos considers Romanian Alina Cojocaru and Argentinian Marianela Nunes among her ballet idols. “Both dancers are very different, but I love how effortless and strong they make every step look on stage and off,” she said in another interview.

Looking at how far she’s come, Santos often thinks of why she had to go abroad to pursue her dream of performing arts. She said in one interview, at the time, she didn’t feel like the arts were supported in the country like it is abroad.

Asked if she has any advice for aspiring Filipino dancers who want to pursue a career in dance outside of the Philippines, she said the key is to be patient and open to changes.

“There will be a lot of challenges along the way but take it as a learning experience. Never doubt or look down on yourself because no one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes, as long as you keep a positive mindset you will eventually reach your goals.”

At 25, Santos still has a lot of dreams she wants to fulfill, like dancing in Europe or maybe even going back to the country and performing at home.

“I really do want to go back and dance there because it’s my home. My family is still there. I would love for them to see me perform now that I’m actually a professional.”

Santos will start in the Atlanta Ballet’s March 2024 production of “Cinderella” by Bruce Wells.