Congratulations to our chair of the board, Ida Beltran-Lucila, for being recognized as part of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awardees. Well-deserved!
Ballet and beyond
A former principal dancer with Ballet Philippines and accomplished arts administrator, Ida Beltran-Lucila struggled after immigrating to Canada in 2005. “My self-worth was closely tied to my work and achievements in the arts. Upon our move to Canada, I had to work jobs in industries I had no experience with, and never imagined myself in, for the sake of having a livelihood,” she says.
To find her way in Edmonton, Beltran-Lucila says the discipline she learned from dance got her through. “Having started dancing as a young girl, it is not surprising that the discipline I learned from ballet and dance training carried me through the difficult moments and was a big factor in my achievements,” she says.
Working in office administration by day, Beltran-Lucila became artistic director for Chameleon Dance Edmonton and Edmonton Festival Ballet, and guest ballet teacher with Ukrainian Shumka Dance. She has also delivered workshops on classical and modern ballet, and Philippine dance.
Beltran-Lucila also founded and is executive director of the Philippine Arts Council Alberta. “The council was formed to establish a network of Filipino artists, strengthen relationships between artists in Edmonton and globally to work collaboratively and more strategically with the goal of sustaining the Filipino arts scene.”
Also the chair for the Edmonton Philippine International Centre and a board member with the Edmonton Arts Council, Beltran-Lucila has become a driving force in the promotion of Philippine art and culture in Edmonton, spearheading projects like the Philippine Arts Festival, Edmonton Filipino Fiesta, Kalinangan and the Learning Table. She is the director and writer of the documentary Paglalayag: the Philippines to Canada Journey, which chronicles the stories of migration of Filipinos in Edmonton.
For her contribution to the arts, she has received several awards, including the City of Edmonton’s 2019 Citation Award for Culture and the Arts.
Ida Beltran-Lucila’s Top Tip: “My advice to newcomers is to always look for the silver lining in any situation. Things happen for you, and not to you. Also, do what you love to do, or love what you are doing.”
