Critics
have referred to Ballet Manila as the "ballet company of the new millennium"
because of its unwavering commitment to excellence in classical dance, both
as a professional performing company and as a formidable training ground for
young dancers. Ballet Manila has achieved an impressive track record of over
200 local performances - from Abra to Zamboanga. They have brought the magic
of dance to Filipinos from all walks of life and in all corners of the archipelago,
performing classical and neo-classical ballet pieces in non-traditional venues
without compromising the fine artistry of its craft. In 1995, Ballet Manila was invited to represent the Philippines at the 2nd International Music Festival of the Asia-Pacific Region in Krasnoyarsk, extending to a six-week Russian Tour comprising 16 performances in four Siberian cities. The following year, Ballet Manila went on a four-city tour of the United States, including a debut performance in New York to celebrate Philippine Independence Day.
In October 1996, Ballet Manila scored another first with its unprecedented collaboration with the Krasnoyarsk State Ballet, a 30-member Russian company which joined Ballet Manila on a three-week tour of key cities of Luzon and the Visayas. With their highly successful performances of Swan Lake and Don Quixote, the Filipino and Russian Ballet companies forged a pioneering joint artistic venture - not only for both groups, but also for the countries they represent.
In January 2001, Ballet Manila's second Russian Tour ended with a big performance in the historic Maly Theater in St. Petersburg where the Russians were treated to the world class artistry and skills of the Filipinos. Russian tutors have been regularly invited to hone the skills of the young dancers.
Since 1996, the People's Artist of Russia, Serguei Vikulov and Academy of Russian Ballet's Tatiana Alexandrovna Udalenkova have been sharing their expertise with Ballet Manila through a series of three week intensive training programs in the Vaganova method.
Locally, Ballet Manila - in cooperation with Manila Broadcasting Company - pioneered a highly successful concert series, Ballet and Ballads. These free performances feature the artistic merger of pop songs and classical dance, as part of Ballet Manila's mission of bringing ballet closer to the heart of the masses.
Lisa Macuja-Elizalde
Artistic Director
Lisa Macuja's unique contribution to Philippine culture and the arts over the past 15 years was acknowledged when she was recently elected as Vice-Chairperson of the Philippine UNESCO National Commission. She has received numerous citations including: the Order of International Friendship awarded by Russian President Vladimir Putin (2001); the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP U.S.A.} in 1997; the Outstanding Young Filipino (TOYF) in 1995; and Quezon City's Outstanding Citizen Award in 1989.
As a scholar of the USSR Ministry of Culture, Lisa Macuja entered the Vaganova Choreographic Institute (now the Academy of Russian Ballet) in Saint Petersburg in 1982, where she trained under former Kirov ballerina Tatiana A. Udatenkova. Graduating at the top of her class in 1984, she became the first foreigner to be invited to join the Kirov Ballet - a 260-year old institution in Dance. At the Kirov, Macuja came under the tutelage of the formidable ballet mistress Galina P. Kekisheva. It was in the historical Maryinsky Theatre that Macuja first premiered as principal ballerina in The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, and Giselle. Wishing to share her love for dance with fellow Filipinos, Macuja returned to Manila in 1986 and became the first artist-in-residence of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. She has since remained Philippine-based, performing as principal ballerina in major local productions and as international guest artist in Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, the United States, Cuba, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and New Zealand. Hailed as the "ballerina of the people", Macuja is committed to bringing ballet closer to the hearts of the Filipino masses - the same inspiration that continues to spur Ballet Manila, which she helped to create.