“First a school.” This was the famous answer of legendary dance icon George Balanchine when he was asked to put up a ballet company in New York that would rival the companies that were already thriving in Europe in the early years of the 20th century.
“I’ve always been inspired by this gem of an advice, says school directress Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, who began giving small workshops at her family home in Quezon City around the time Ballet Manila was founded in 1995, with the goal of creating a ballet school as soon as the company was ready.
Ballet Manila was able to achieve this dream within two years with the birth of the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet, which prides itself in being the only ballet school in the Philippines with direct links to the Russian Ballet Academy of St. Petersburg, Russia. This means that at every level, its students are trained in the highest standards of classical ballet based on the rigorous Russian Vaganova method.
The first official Ballet Manila Summer Workshop opened with 36 students in April 1997, the same year the company transferred to its new base in Pasay City. The culminating performance was held in June, with the concert piece Classical Impromptus.
Meanwhile, the official School of Ballet Manila opened its doors to the 70 students during its summer workshop in 1998. Since then, culminating performances or recitals – dubbed as Just Dance! – were subsequently held to give the students a chance to share their training and dancing with family and friends. These recitals were first held at the GSIS Theater, then at the Star Theater beginning 2001.
However, in 2009, the School of Ballet Manila enrollment and scholarship program grew too large and necessitated a move to the grander and more spacious Aliw Theater where the Just Dance! series continues to be held today. In 2014, the school introduced Must Dance – its holiday performance showcase in Star Theater.
Aside from the school recitals, selected students from the school have also performed in company productions of The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Giselle, The Naughty Daughter, Carmen, Chopiniana (Les Sylphides), Le Corsaire, Paquita and many others. Students have also competed and won in prestigious local and international competitions and galas. Many of its former students have also moved on to pursue a professional career with Ballet Manila or in other professional companies in the Philippines and abroad.
True to its commitment of bringing “ballet to the people”, the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet also offers talented but disadvantaged students opportunities for training through Project Ballet Futures (PBF). At present, the program supports over 20 scholars with free training, meals, equipment and transportation allowances.
Today, the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet is proud to continue to harvest and nurture the wealth of talent that the school brings forth every year — into the company and beyond.
