Today's Stars of the Russian Ballet

MANILA, Philippines - Lisa Macuja-Elizalde embarks on a new challenge this time as the producer of the international extravaganza Today’s Stars of the Russian Ballet.

Slated on July 10, 8 p.m. at the Aliw Theater, the show has a special place in Lisa’s heart. Just like the evening’s performers, her discipline and passion for the craft were partly honed and nurtured while studying in Russia. As a scholar of the USSR Ministry of Culture, Lisa trained at Vaganova Choreographic Institute (now the Academy of Russian Ballet) in Saint Petersburg in 1982, under former Kirov ballerina Tatiana A. Udalenkova. She graduated in 1984, at the top of her class and became the first foreigner to be invited to join the Kirov Ballet, a 260-year-old dance institution.

Excited about the Russian ballet concert gala, the prima ballerina jokes, “I’m biased, I am Russian trained.” She explains that ballet in Russia is more than 250 years old, compared to the Philippines where it is only about 80 years old “with only five or six generations of dancers,” She further adds, “ballet is a hand-me-down art form. Success in it is not something that you are born with. It has to be earned from very good teachers.”

The show will feature many pas de deux (ballet duets) from the highlights of classical ballets namely Don Quixote Grande Pas De Deux, Flames of Paris, Sleeping Beauty pas de deux, Le Corsaire pas de deux and Giselle as performed by principal dancers of the Bolshoi, Mariinsky, and Dutch National Ballet. It also includes the Asian premiere of two choreographies by famous Dutch choreographer Hans Van Manen. Lisa together with the members of Ballet Manila will also perform Tony Fabella’s Dancing to Czerny, and Bam Damian’s contemporary pieces Rebel and Reconfigured.

Currently the artistic director of Ballet Manila, Lisa just recently marked her 25th year in 2009 with a three-night concert titled Lisa @ 25. She also hosts the radio show Art 2 Art on dzRH every Sunday 3:30 to 4 p.m. The radio show was the recipient of the 2009 Catholic Mass Media Award (CMMA) as Best Educational Program in the Radio Category. Lisa is joined in the radio program by artists known for their achievements in music, theater, dance, literature, visual arts, film, even in fields like design, culinary arts and fashion.

Lisa is also set to take an active role in spearheading productions that will highlight the world-class features of the 830-seater Star Theater and the 3,000-seater Aliw Theater, both located at the CCP Complex in Pasay City.

 Adjacent to the Star City theme park, Star and Aliw theaters significantly opened on Lisa’s birthday in 2001. Having been used to doing ballet performances in makeshift stages in the remote places around the country, the state-of-the-art features of both theaters proved to be the perfect venue for passionate artists like Lisa and the rest of the dancers of Ballet Manila. The top-of-the-line light and sound equipment is also perfect for concerts, workshops, musical recital, graduations, corporate shows, launches and many more. Lisa says, “There are exciting things and developments in store for both Aliw and Star Theater in the coming months!”

For details, call 891-9999, 400-0292 or 525-5967.