Filipina dancer gets first job in West End
Anya Alindada’s path to the stage took an unexpected turn. Just as the Filipina ballerina, a rare graduate of the prestigious English National Ballet (ENB) School, was poised to join the ENB company, a stress fracture sidelined her dreams.
But fate, and a timely Instagram post, intervened after her recovery period.
When “The Phantom of the Opera” sought replacements for half of its six-member dance ensemble, Alindada seized the opportunity, competing against over 90 hopefuls. The grueling audition process demanded mastery of the musical’s choreography and style on the spot, culminating in a vocal audition and final dance showcase.
Out of the crowded field, Alindada not only secured one of the three coveted spots, but her regal presence, expressive dancing, and “pixie face” earned her the lead dance role.
For the past seven months, Alindada has been performing in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera,” showing at His Majesty’s Theatre in London. Based on the novel by Gaston Leroux, the musical is about a scarred musician (Dean Chisnall as The Phantom) who becomes deeply infatuated with a promising soprano (Lily Kerhoas as Christine Daaé) and terrorizes the Paris Opera House during performances.
The experience exposed Alindada to the world of musical theater in the West End, being in the company of performers of world-class standards. “We had only five weeks to learn everything, put the show together, and open. It felt like a tight schedule, as I’m accustomed to longer rehearsal periods. However, we constantly received corrections and feedback, so we were always working to improve,” Alindada said. “The other dancers who were already in the ‘Phantom’ rehearsed with us. Then they had to perform in the evening.”
While the group rehearsed the songs together, she also worked with a voice teacher. She was awestruck by the cast’s professionalism at the first singing rehearsal. They were able to sing beautifully right off the bat, after only just receiving their music.
Show within a show
The dancers have four major scenes. “The Phantom of the Opera” incorporates a recurring show-within-a-show element. The musical opens with the fictional cast of the Paris Opera House rehearsing their new production, ‘Hannibal.’ The scene introduces the opera house’s new owners and their newest patron, the Vicomte de Chagny (Joe Griffiths-Brown as Raoul), while also showcasing prima donna Carlotta, played by Filipina veteran Joanna Ampil.
In the second dance scene, the girls are clad in white practice tutus, evocative of Edgar Degas’ painting of dancers rehearsing. As they move, the famous “Angel of Music” is heard.
One of Alindada’s most challenging scenes is from “Il Muto (The Mute).” Hidden within the opera house, the Phantom manipulates the premiere of a new opera to avenge Christine’s rejection of him for Raoul. He sabotages Carlotta’s voice, throwing the theater into chaos. While dancers perform as a diversion, the Phantom forces Christine onto the stage, demonstrating his shadowy control over the entire opera house.
Challenging
The dancers also appear at the opera house’s Masquerade Ball. The Phantom, disguised as the Red Death, reveals himself to Christine, demanding that she sing in his new opera. This confrontation ignites a bitter rivalry with Raoul and changes Christine’s relationship with The Phantom. “We run around and dance in the ball. It’s quite challenging,” Alindada said.
But she has learned to enjoy the daily performances. “It’s a unique experience, especially compared to ballet, where runs are much shorter. Performing the same show eight times a week has helped me grow comfortable onstage. I used to feel awkward before stepping onstage, but now it feels natural,” she said. The cast has been like family to her.
Ampil, who began her career in the West End as Kim in “Miss Saigon” in 1993, is the other Filipina in the show. She’s suitably cast as the mature Italian diva Carlotta Guidicelli.
“Joanna has become a second Mum to me,” Alindada said. “She’s incredibly kind and always takes care of me. Last Christmas, my mother and I spent the holiday with her, her family, and friends. Since we live near each other, we often take the same tube and have lovely chats.
“As the theater world is quite new to me, I often ask her questions, and she’s always happy to offer advice. For example, when I was feeling vocally tired during a period of illness—I don’t have much singing experience—she gave me helpful tips and tricks on vocal management. While I do sing onstage in the show, I also contribute offstage vocals and backing vocals,” said Alindada.
Balance
Her biggest takeaway from her fellow cast members is their balance of discipline and fun. “They take the work seriously,” she explained, “but never themselves. Everyone is lovely and gets along—which, I hear, isn’t always the case. It makes coming to work a blast. They’re all pros when it comes to the show, but they also know how to keep things light. It never gets boring. The backstage banter is the best, especially before a show. Everyone is supportive, cracking jokes, just having fun. I used to think backstage was all serious faces and hushed tones, but they have shown me otherwise.”
A highlight for her was meeting Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, who congratulated the cast on their excellent performance and reminded them of the musical’s original intention: to evoke mystery, suspense, and nuanced emotions.
“This was the first time he’d seen the show in seven years,” she says. “It felt as if The Phantom himself spoke to us. I felt incredibly lucky to be there at that moment,” Alindada recalled.
Young at 20, with an Equity card (the performing artists’ union membership) and a Global Talent visa, Alindada has other options to explore after her contract ends in July, two months before the show’s decadelong West End run concludes.
Midway through her contract, she said she occasionally felt the grind of daily repetition. “When you do the same thing every day, it can get tedious,” she admitted. “But then I remind myself how fortunate I am. This is something I need to do, and never expected to have the chance to do. It’s going to be an amazing memory. You just have to remember that you’re where you are for a reason, and enjoy it.”
