Four decades after returning home from Russia, Lisa Macuja Elizalde is marking a milestone that shaped not only her career, but Philippine ballet history.
In 1986, after graduating at the top of her class from the Leningrad Choreographic Institute and becoming the first foreign soloist of the Kirov Ballet (now the Mariinsky Ballet), Macuja Elizalde made a pivotal decision: to come home and build a life as a Philippine-based ballerina.
At 15, she had written down her goals — to one day have her own ballet school. Back then, she didn’t yet know she would train in Russia, dance lead roles in Don Quixote and Giselle, or be invited to join London’s Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet by its artistic director Peter Wright. But visa hurdles led her back to Manila — a detour she now calls destiny.
Her homecoming concert at the Manila Metropolitan Theater opened new doors. She became the first artist-in-residence of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, performed with Ballet Philippines and Philippine Ballet Theater, and in 1995 co-founded Ballet Manila — now celebrating its 31st anniversary as the country’s premier classical ballet company.
This year’s “Prima” season is both a tribute to her 40 years in Philippine ballet and a showcase of the company’s versatility. It begins with The Dawn of Ballet, a collaboration with iconic pop-rock band The Dawn at Aliw Theater — a shared 40th anniversary celebration.
The season continues with Ibong Adarna in Dumaguete, followed by a triple bill at Aliw Theater: Sleeping Beauty with the Manila Symphony Orchestra, a rare full-length staging of Paquita, and La Bayadère featuring guest artists from the Mariinsky Ballet.
International engagements follow, including performances in Kuala Lumpur and the holiday favorite Nutcracker in December — proof that even after retiring from pointe shoes at 51, Macuja Elizalde’s artistic momentum shows no signs of slowing.
Looking back, she believes her return home was always meant to be. The company she founded at 31 and the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet both materialized before she turned 35 — surpassing the dreams she once scribbled as a teenager.
Forty years on, her legacy is not just in the roles she danced, but in the generations she continues to inspire — firmly rooted in the Philippines, where she says she was always meant to be.
