BALLERINA OF THE PEOPLE:
A story of a girl living her dream

 Manila Bulletin
February 2007

By: Mitch M. Arceo

            “Unlike composers who can leave a score, visual artists and photographers whose paintings and photographs can survive long after they die, and writers who can leave behind a book, as a ballerina, what I can leave behind is a fleeting image of movement to music on that empty stage,” relates Lisa Macuja-Elizalde.

            When Lisa Macuja was still a child, her dream was to become a teacher. But when her mom (a ballerina) persuaded her into enrolling in a ballet class, Lisa’s plans changed. She fell in love with ballet.

            With her determination and passion, Lisa has become a world-class, ballerina.

            She shares, “When I set my mind to something, I work hard to attain it. Before, I was very demanding. I never took a call in the middle of a rehearsal. I didn’t bother myself with those distractions. But now that I’m a mom, I’m different. I’m more flexible and less demanding of myself and of my dancers.”

            Those who watch Lisa perform say that she still has a good ten years left but Lisa says: “It would be wonderful if that’s true but as a dancer, I can say that I only have a good five years left.”

            Lisa plans on spending these years performing for the masses.

            She is called “ballerina of the people” because for the longest time, it has always been her dream to bring ballet to the masses. That continues to be the mission of her company, Ballet Manila.

            One of the challenges of being a dancer is to perform in not-so-ideal conditions but still give a great show. For Lisa and her dancers in Ballet Manila, adapting to any situation and place is a common task.

            “We dance everywhere and anywhere. We go to places where most ballerinas would not perform. Ballet Manila has performed in many non-traditional venues,” says Lisa.

            People have a notion that ballet is only for the upper class. And why not? It seems that only those who are well-to-do can learn ballet or can afford to buy tickets. For Lisa, that is far from the truth.

            “In ballet, you don’t have to understand the language to appreciate it. You can’t say that it’s elitist because anyone who can see, watch and listen to music will be able to appreciate it. When I was in Russia, I saw that the audience going to the theatre were families and it was as if ballet was a regular form of entertainment. For Russians, going to the theatre is the family thing to do on a weekend,” relates Lisa.

            With the help of the mass media, people are encouraged to watch ballet. But a good performance would always be the reason for people to keep on watching ballet. That’s why Lisa’s dancers train hard in order to give superb performances.

            “I have no doubt that the kind of training we have will make my dancers the best that they can be. I feel that my greatest contribution to dance is the fact that I was able to imbibe a whole system of training – Russian Vaganova system – to my company and to my school because that’s the training that’s going to last even after I die. With that training, my dancers are able to dance well and please themselves and the audience,” says Lisa.

            Lisa is a role model for aspiring ballerinas. She is determined to help and inspire these people.

            Still she felt that she needed something concrete …… something that would capture her movements so that people will remember her story, her passion and her love for ballet.

            Through a book entitled “Ballerina of the People,” Lisa will be able to share her story to the rest of the world. The book covers her “adventures” (she refers her performances around the world as such), her struggles and her triumphs.

            “Ballerina of the People” was edited by her friends Angie Oreta and Susan de Guzman. The cover design was done by Guillermo Ramos.

            It took us a year and a half just for the visuals. There were so many pictures to choose from. The text was easy because Lisa kept her journals and letters. 90% of the writing was by Lisa,” tells Angie.

            Most people think that when one talks about how one’s career started and how one succeeded, it means that the person is ready to end his/her  professional life.

            But according to Angie, “Ballerina of the People” is not the culmination of Lisa’s work. Rather, the book is a celebration of Lisa’s 20^th year in the Philippines. 20 years ago, she decided to come home to the Philippines and stay here for good.

            “I don’t want readers to read about how I dance. I want them to read about how a little girl is living her dream. I wanted it to be the story of my adventures as a ballerina traveling, performing, living, dreaming, but most of all, dancing – dancing all the different roles that I dreamed of doing. I always say that being a ballerina, you are able to tell a story with your body without having to say a single word.

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