How This Filipino Ballerina Got Accepted Into the Bavaria Ballet Academy in Germany

Juliana Gatapia, also known as Jules, is a Filipino ballet artist who has been dancing since she was six years old. In 2022, she made history as the first Filipino ballerina accepted into the Bavaria Ballet Academy in Munich, Germany, after years of training with ACTS Manila in the Philippines.

In ACTS Manila, Jules learned not only technique but also qualities that helped her improve herself outside of ballet. “On top of talent and skill, ACTS Manila has taught me the importance of character and good values and how they play a role in attaining and sustaining a career. They shaped me as an artist and as a person. It’s like the quote, ‘Talent can get you where you want to be, but the character is what will keep you there.'”

Image credit: Juliana Gatapia

When Jules started taking ballet lessons in 2010, it was just a hobby that stemmed from her parents’ belief that she ought to have activities outside of school. Taking ballet for extracurriculars was a good decision, and Jules inevitably found herself delving deeper and deeper into the world of ballet dancing.

“I watched a lot of documentaries and videos about other professional ballet dancers. My inspiration to seriously take ballet and make it a career grew when I became so intrigued by the challenge and perfecting the technique. I noticed how putting in the work greatly improves your performance. It’s always satisfying whenever I, along with my fellow ballerinas, show results after all the repetitive hard work,” she shared with TripZilla Philippines.

Needless to say, Jules fell in love with ballet. Eventually, it became her dream to become a professional ballet dancer and earn a contract at a prestigious dance company, specifically in Europe.

Pushing through the challenging years

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Jules was determined to continue ballet. But in 2013, her father passed away, leaving her and three other siblings under the sole custody of her mom.

Most people said that the practical thing to do is to cut costs and stop her ballet lessons. But Jules’ mom believed that her husband would have wanted Jules to continue chasing her dream of becoming a professional Filipino ballerina.

Despite the financial difficulty, Jules’ family continued supporting her in every little way they could. Fortunately, it wasn’t long until ACTS Manila saw her talent and offered her a scholarship. She became a scholar, performing in shows and continuously joining annual recitals.

Juggling academics and ballet

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When Jules was in high school, she was invited to attend classes in ACTS Manila’s main headquarters in Alabang. To be able to join her weekday classes, Jules and her mom would always rush to Alabang after school.

Her mom would wait for her at the gates 10 minutes before school ended, with her ballet uniform and some snacks ready. On the road, Jules would transform from a science school student to an aspiring professional ballet dancer. She had barely enough rest in the day until after dinner.

Despite the challenges, Jules pushed on, fuelled by her love for ballet dancing.

After graduating junior high school, Jules continued to train in ACTS Manila. Her training would start at 9am and end at 9pm. She attended multiple classes and took rehearsals for understudy roles — she did all this on top of her academics.

Ballet at home

Image credit (L-R): Juliana Gatapia; piovesempre via Canva Pro

When studios temporarily closed, ACTS Manila continued holding ballet classes online. Jules kept training from home, practising in their attic with a DIY studio setup.

During this time, Jules also started learning graphic design, video and photo editing, and animations.

Image credit: Juliana Gatapia

Jules was always artistic, but never did she think that graphics could be another avenue to express her creativity. After exploring the field, she started working as a graphic designer, social media manager, writer, and even a non-profit organisation head executive. Jules’ top goal is still to become a professional Filipino ballet dancer, but she doesn’t mind spending time contributing to the dance industry using her other skills.

Financial struggles lead to a gap year and successful application

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Around the same period, Jules’ family also faced financial uncertainty, making the idea of applying to a ballet institution in Europe feel even more out of reach.

However, Jules struck a deal — that she would only study in Europe if and only if she had a scholarship.

To prepare for applications, Jules took a gap year before going to college; and so she trained hard for her auditions in different ballet schools. This included becoming a freelancer to help fund her applications and private training under her mentor and Artistic Director of ACTS Manila, Teacher Chelo B. Gemina, ACBA.

Finally, all her hard work was rewarded in July 2022 when Jules was accepted into the Bavaria Ballet Academy in Munich, Germany, with a scholarship. This made her the first-ever Filipino ballerina to get accepted into the Bavaria Ballet Academy. However, this didn’t mark the end of her worries. “I felt so surprised when I got the results. Because considering this is a private school, their standards are higher, and they’re very selective. Honestly, I felt more uneasy than happy. I knew that we couldn’t afford the tuition fee without a scholarship,” she told TripZilla Philippines.

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Image credit: Luis Fernando Felipe Alves

Thankfully, BBA evaluated Jules and decided she deserved the biggest scholarship they could offer, which was at 60%. “They gave me a 60% scholarship for a year of my studies. To give me another scholarship for the next academic year, they have to decide during the end-of-the-year exams. For transparency, the original tuition fee without a scholarship is around ₱360,000 per year,” Jules explained.

How Jules' journey continued

Image credit: Juliana Gatapia

After her acceptance into the Bavaria Ballet Academy, Jules continued training in Europe while balancing the financial realities of studying abroad. In a 2025 fundraiser update, she shared that she had been living and training in Europe, studying full-time under a ballet conservatory on scholarship, while also working remotely as a freelance social media manager to help support herself.

She also shared that she officially graduated in July 2025 and was preparing for the next stage of her journey: auditions, living expenses, private coaching, pointe shoes, travel, and the transition into professional company work.

What’s next for Jules now

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Jules has since moved beyond the “new student” chapter that began in 2022. After training in Europe and graduating in 2025, her next challenge is entering the professional ballet world, auditioning for companies, and continuing to represent Filipino artistry on international stages. Her early hopes for Europe included watching live performances by prestigious dance companies, exploring the country, learning more about its art history, and studying the language. Now, those early dreams sit alongside a bigger goal: building a professional career after graduation. Also, I’m excited to explore the country and learn more about its rich art history whilst learning their language.”

While dancing, she also hopes to expose herself to behind-the-scenes activities or administrative work. Jules believes that it’s important to understand the process of how performances and competitions are built and managed.

Image credit: wsfurlan via Canva Pro

Let Jules’ story encourage every other Filipino ballerina out there to pursue their passion regardless of the setbacks. Take it from Jules, “The dance industry is becoming more inclusive and there is less competition within the community compared to before. With this, I’d advise you to surround yourself with the right people and take advantage of how social media can be another creative outlet to be seen.”

Image credit: Juliana Gatapia

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Indeed, Jules’ story shows how talent, discipline, family support, digital skills, and community help can carry an artist across borders. From training in the Philippines to studying ballet in Europe, her journey is a reminder that Filipino artists belong on international stages, too.

And when you follow stories like hers, every milestone feels bigger than one person. It becomes proof that dreams from home can travel far.

Featured image credit (L-R): Juliana Gatapia; BBA-Bavaria Ballet Academy | Official Facebook Page