“Forty years ago, I came home with a mission to make ballet part of Filipino life. To see that vision continue through Ballet Manila and the PRIMA performance season is deeply meaningful not just for me but for everyone in the company. It proves that ballet can endure, adapt, and belong to everyone.” ~Lisa Macuja Elizalde
Exactly forty years ago, Lisa Macuja Elizalde made the crucial choice to return to the Philippines following a prosperous career at the Kirov Ballet (now Mariinksy Ballet) in Moscow. That homecoming served as the foundation for her quest to bring ballet to the people and people to ballet, which has impacted generations of performers and audiences.
Lisa celebrates her homecoming milestone forty years later via Ballet Manila's PRIMA Performance Season, a carefully curated program of classical works that highlight the company's Vaganova roots and its commitment to upholding excellence while making ballet accessible to Filipinos. A special collaboration with The Dawn is also part of the historic year, and it will be shown at Aliw Theater on February 20 and 21 at 8:00 p.m. This piece links the concurrent 40-year journeys of Lisa and The Dawn, both of which are icons of their respective generations, by fusing rock music with dance. The event will feature dance renditions of some of The Dawn's most well-known and iconic songs, highlighting Ballet Manila's continuous attempts to make ballet approachable and relevant.
The collaboration is being aired as part of the Ballet & Ballads series and is produced by the Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC). By sharing stages with well-known performers and offering free or reasonably priced admission, Ballet & Ballads, which was established by Fred J. Elizalde in the early years of Ballet Manila, has significantly aided Macuja-Elizalde's mission and vision to make classical ballet more accessible to the general public.
Ballet & Ballads is one of the classic pieces that will be performed at Ballet Manila's PRIMA Performance Season. The Manila Symphony Orchestra will play Sleeping Beauty at the Aliw Theater on March 14 and 15, 2026, under the direction of Maestro Alexander Vikulov. Paquita, which will feature the company's Vaganova heritage and classical correctness, will take place on June 20 and 21, 2026. The season will make a triumphant return with La Bayadère, which will take place on August 22 and 23, 2026. The Mariinsky Ballet's guest artists are Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim, who debuted in the Philippines in 2025 with Don Quixote.
Other shows throughout the year include Ibong Adarna in Dumaguete in February and at Ateneo's Areté in October, the Holiday Cheer Series in December, and an overseas tour in Kuala Lumpur in September.
In addition to being a year full of performances, 2026 is framed by these events as a cultural cycle completed, a legacy fulfilled, and a future opened by a dancer who chose to return home while being on the cusp of international success.
The 40th anniversary of Lisa Macuja Elizalde's homecoming is more than just a momentous day in her life. The fact that ballet is a Filipino art form is proof of tenacity, the fulfillment of a promise, and the completeness of an objective.
Lisa Macuja Elizalde's SLEEPING BEAUTY
Ballet and live orchestral music come together in this enchanting fairy tale that opens the Prima Performance season. All performances are presented with the Manila Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Alexander Vikulov.
March 13, 2026 8:00 p.m.
March 14 & 15, 2026. 5:00 p.m.
Aliw Theater, Pasay City
Tickets are now on sale exclusively through Ticketworld :
THE DAWN OF BALLET
An unprecedented coming together of icons in must watch performances. The Dawn performs their signature anthems LIVE as Ballet Manila breathes life into them with original choreography.
February 20 & 21, 2026
7:30 p.m.
Aliw Theater, Pasay City
FREE ADMISSION BUT TICKET RESERVATION IS REQUIRED through this link :
Keep up-to-date with Ballet Manila’s schedule of performances and celebration events by visiting Ballet Manila’s website www.balletmanila.com.ph or Ticketworld page www.ticketworld.com.ph.
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