Ballerina celebrates 40th homecoming anniversary
Ballet Manila, headed by Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, has announced its lineup for the 2026 season. What made that media event, recently held at Aliw Theater, significant was that it also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the ballerina’s return from Leningrad, where she studied the Russian Vaganova method of classical dancing.
She later made the decision to promote the Vaganova ballet in the Philippines, rather than pursue an international career abroad, like other ballerinas.
In 1995, Macuja-Elizalde founded Ballet Manila, which soon became known as a leading exponent of the rigorous Vaganova method of dancing.
The 2026 Ballet Manila season is highlighted by Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty,” which started March 13 and will have its last performance today, with the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) providing the music; the MSO is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
On June 19 to June 21, the attraction is “Paquita,” which the ballerina called “a grand production.” And on Aug. 14 to Aug. 16, it’s “La Bayadere” (The Temple Dancer).
Classical vs modern
Excerpts from the forthcoming ballet productions were performed by Ballet Manila leads during the press conference. An added attraction was the modern dancers of the rock band The Dawn, which was also celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Ballet Manila’s artistic director, who once said “modern dancing is not in my comfort zone,” is now collaborating for the first time with The Dawn rock band.
Watching the dancers, one could immediately see the difference between classical and modern dance. Gone were the sweet smiles and elegant pirouettes, to be replaced by intense expressions, plain clothes and sharp, angular movements.
“The Sleeping Beauty,” with the lyrical music of Tchaikovsky, is in three acts and lasts for two hours and 40 minutes. It tells the story of Princess Aurora, who is cursed by the villain Carabosse and is supposed to sleep for a hundred years. But she is protected by the Lilac Fairy and awakened with a kiss by Prince Désiré. Whom she weds, of course.
“Paquita” is a romantic ballet in two acts and three scenes, set in 19th century Napoleonic Spain. It is all about a young girl who is kidnapped by the Romani people, who discover her noble heritage. She then marries a French officer.
“La Bayadere” (The Temple Dancer), set in an imagined India, tells the tragic love story between the dancer Nikiya and the warrior Solor. This production is highly anticipated because it will feature Renata Shakirove and Kimin Kim of the Mariinsky Ballet. As the ballerina herself cheerfully admitted, Ballet Manila shows with A-listed Russian dancers have always been critical as well as commercial hits.
