What makes Lisa Macuja Prima Ballerina?

Photo from Ballet Manila

“An Asian Masha who wasn’t blonde and fair-skinned” - That was how people saw her at the age of 19 (at Russia) when she had her debut. Thirty years later, when she said these words before her last performance, I wonder if people were awed as I was. That 19 year old who was told those words was now the one being watched by the blondes and fair-skinned.

It was the 8th of December when I first saw her in flesh. More than a few hundred meters but in flesh no less! I’ve heard my teachers talk about her, I’ve read journalists write about her and I think I’ve actually learned about her in school. That was how great the woman dancing in front of me was. Not once in my life did I ever imagine myself watching any of her shows.

She was Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Philippines’ first prima ballerina. She was this woman who at the age of almost 50 has a body my mom would get really jealous of.

As I sat in the crowd of different races that afternoon, I observed the people who came to watch. There was this one American kid who asked, “Mom, who is that?” and the mother answered, “That’s Lisa Macuja, Philippines’ ONLY prima ballerina”.

And then I asked myself, ‘What makes Lisa Macuja prima ballerina?’

Un. She makes dancing look like walking.

If you’ve watched or practiced ballet, you’d know that it’s no easy as eating pie. I’ve had 3 years of ballet lessons and yet I grew up a sloucher and can’t dance to save my life. Basing on my experience and teeny bit of knowledge, I’d describe ballet as walking in high heels with only your toes for support. Imagine that! Even those that performs, if you observe carefully, you’d see tension as they dance. When dancers do complicated moves, you see them trying to keep their balance.

The first and only time I saw Lisa dance, I couldn’t stop voicing out my thoughts to the person beside me. She was graceful! I have resigned to fate that I can never be a graceful person but when I saw her dance, I wanted to take my words back. She made it look so easy as walking! Only once did I see her tense up, when she did this. But it’s sort of a given to be tensed when you’re lifted that way.

Deux. Despite the fame that she had reached, she remains down to earth.

I cried with her. Truly. Exaggeration and flowery sympathetic words aside. I cried with her. As she bowed and the really lucky people and her son came up the stage and gave her roses, she cried there in front of the huge crowd while mouthing thank yous. I can’t remember how many times she had bowed that afternoon but her thank you definitely reached me. A week later, as I am writing this and reminiscing the feeling, I get this small prickle in my heart - a prickle that rejoices for seeing such a great performance and one that laments for such sweet sorrow.

Trois. She tells everyone can achieve their dreams.

“From a snow flake to a sugar plum fairy. Yes. Dreams do come true”. I was struck by her words. I could say no more. It is perfect as it is.

As the curtains came to a close that afternoon, I stood up with everyone else and celebrated for Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s triumph.

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Thanks a lot to the general manager of PCF (if I remember correctly) for giving me good seats despite only paying for P800 per ticket and to the accommodating staffs of Ballet Manila when something went wrong with my ticket.

I really really really wanted to meet and greet Lisa that day but I didn’t have enough money for meet and greet >.< Hopefully, I’ll get to see her around someday and get to interview her.

Oh, and watch performance by Ballet Manila! Tickets are affordable! P300 for student’s price I think and it comes with a Ride All You Can at Star City!