Cover Lisa Macuja-Elizalde in her feisty role as Kitri in ’Don Quixote’
Lisa Macuja-Elizalde in her feisty role as Kitri in ’Don Quixote’
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The prima “ballerina of the people” and CEO/artistic director of Ballet Manila wishes to pass her passion for ballet on to the next generation
Lauded as the prima “ballerina of the people,” Lisa Macuja (also Elizalde) is a cultural icon in the Philippines who has achieved the incredible feat of bringing ballet to the people and people to the ballet. With a career spanning more than three decades, she has performed lead roles in over 300 full-length ballets, gracing stages in 90 cities across five continents.
She began studying ballet at the age of eight. In 1982, at age 18, she received a two-year scholarship from the USSR’s Ministry of Culture to study at the Leningrad Choreographic Institute (now the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet) in St Petersburg, Russia. She graduated in 1984 with top honours and was invited to join the world-famous Kirov Ballet (now Mariinsky Ballet) as a soloist, making her the first foreign principal ballerina to receive this honour. Her performances as a principal ballerina, including leading roles in The Nutcracker and Don Quixote, were among the highlights of her stay in Russia.
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After two seasons with the Kirov Ballet, she returned to Manila and became the first artist-in-residence at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and a principal dancer at the Philippine Ballet Theatre. She also performed guest principal roles with foreign companies throughout the world, including in the US, Cuba, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Eastern Europe.
She established Ballet Manila in the 1995 with the aim of making ballet accessible to everyone. Today, it is one of the four major professional ballet companies in the country. Though Macuja’s retired from the stage and danced till she’s fifty—“I’m more the exception than the rule,” she says—her dedication to ballet extends beyond performance. As the artistic director and CEO of Ballet Manila, and director of her eponymous school, she wants to ensure that her passion for ballet is passed on to the next generation. She even established Project Ballet Futures, an outreach initiative aimed at discovering and nurturing young talent from underprivileged backgrounds. “Every day when I wake up, there’s a million things to do which should have been done yesterday,” she says with a laugh. “[Ballet] has been a part of my life for so many years now that it just comes naturally. But that’s how life is in the performing arts. I enjoy teaching, mentoring, directing and choreographing, so I have a full-blown career now that I’ve retired from performing.”
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Above Sayao sa Pamlang's choreography is inspired by the unique traditions of the south of the Philippines
Sayao sa Pamlang's choreography is inspired by the unique traditions of the south of the Philippines
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According to her, the ballet cultural landscape has evolved significantly, with many ballet schools nurturing the next generation of dancers using different syllabi. “There’s even a Philippine ballet syllabus now,” she says, in addition to the Royal Academy of Dancing and the Australian ballet syllabus. Her company employs the Vaganova syllabus from Russia. “There are also so many ballet competitions that have been developed into learning platforms as well as competitive platforms for young dancers. And because of YouTube and social media (she even does Tiktok now), ballet is very accessible online. As far as audiences go, we’ve developed a larger audience that goes to the ballet.”
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From September 6 to 8, she will be bringing Ballet Manila’s “Greatest Hits” to the Malaysian stage in collaboration with Dance Link. Held at the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre (PJPAC), The show promises to be a feast for the senses, featuring Macuja’s version of the opera-ballet La Traviata alongside their highly acclaimed dance masterpieces. The performance will include three opera singers from the Philippines and the USA, as well as a select group of local dancers and a choral group.
Audiences can expect “strong, dramatic, dynamic dancing from all the dancers in Ballet Manila and their Malaysian counterparts,” Macuja enthuses. “It’s going to be a very exciting concert, with non-stop action one after another. Audiences will experience a whole gamut of emotions—from happiness and sadness to regret and everything in between—because it’s basically representing life. It’s going to be a very entertaining two hours of dancing.”
Above A scene from Ballet Manila's stage performance of La Traviata
A scene from Ballet Manila's stage performance of La Traviata
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As she reflects on her career, both as a performer and a director, Macuja expresses her joy in watching her dancers grow and evolve. “I love watching them find new ways to interpret their roles and present themselves to the audience.”
If there’s a piece of advice she would give aspiring dancers who dream of performing with prestigious ballet companies, it’s this: “I have three points to make. First, decide as early as possible if you want to become a professional. The earlier you make that decision and commitment, the more time you have to fulfil that dream. Second, seek the best training possible—this can be in the pre-professional programme of a ballet company or a company-affiliated ballet school. This way, you get the training you need and exposure to the company. For example, if you want to join Ballet Manila, it makes sense to train in the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet. It’s the same process if you want to join the American Ballet Theatre or the Royal Ballet—join the school affiliated with that company to get the training that you need. Third, once you are in that ideal environment, work very hard, but work smart as well. The one thing you don’t want to happen is to get injured.”
As Ballet Manila approaches its 30th anniversary, Macuja’s legacy shines brightly, illuminating the path for future generations of dancers.
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Credits
Images: Ballet Manila Archives
Elizabeth Soong is the managing editor of Malaysia Tatler. She loves a good laugh, but is serious when it comes to work, and gets a high from dancing, cats purring, plus enjoys musicals or binge-watching a good TV series. Continually inspired by the people she meets, edits and writes about, you're welcome to see what she's up to on her Instagram @lizsoong.
