In 1995, after years of performing abroad and in the Philippines (as the first artist-in-residence at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and a principal dancer at the Philippine Ballet Theatre), she founded Ballet Manila. Its mission wasn’t just about bringing Don Quixote or even Giselle to more stages; she envisioned the company as a bridge. When she said, “We wanted to bring ballet to the people,” she wasn’t speaking in metaphor. It was a literal movement—one that saw ballet unfold far from just grand theatres accessible to a select few.

For many, it seemed like a doomed effort. Ballet had always struggled in the Philippines against a tide of indifference, overshadowed by more popular art forms. But Macuja-Elizalde saw beyond that. She recognised the deeper hunger of the Filipino spirit, one that longed for beauty, for excellence, and for stories told through movement.

And what a story she’s told. Over the past three decades, Ballet Manila hasn’t just survived—it has thrived. The company brought to life traditional performances like The Nutcracker and Cinderella, as well as cultural works such as Ibong Adarna, Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, and Florante at Laura. These weren’t mere ballet recitals, they were masterful productions that celebrated Filipino culture, proving that world-class performances didn’t require a passport—they were unfolding in the Philippines’ own backyard.

“My proudest achievements as artistic director of Ballet Manila will always be in the original ballets that we have been able to create as a company and the classical full-length ballets that we have been able to reproduce in their purest classical ballet style,” she proudly says. “The performance output of a ballet company—not just in quantity but in quality—is the company’s legacy.”

Her contributions didn’t end at the stage’s edge. In 2012, Macuja-Elizalde became the first classical artist to be named Entertainer of the Year by the Aliw Awards Foundation—a title usually reserved for pop icons. This was far from a personal achievement; it was a turning point for ballet itself in the Philippines. Ballet was no longer an art form for the elite, it was a national treasure, capable of inspiring as much fervour as a concert or sports event.

But beyond the accolades, her true legacy lies in her role as a mentor. When she wasn’t on stage, she was in the studio, moulding the next generation of dancers.

“To create ballets is to continue dancing and expressing,” she says. For her, choreography became a way to pass the torch, ensuring that her knowledge, technique, and passion would live on in the feet of young dancers. Teaching them wasn’t just about perfecting a pirouette—it was about instilling a love for the art, a respect for the discipline, and the belief that ballet could belong to anyone willing to embrace it.

Related: How Ballet Manila breathes new life into the epic poem ‘Florante at Laura’—bridging generations through dance

As she turns 60, Lisa Macuja-Elizalde reflects on these milestones not with a sense of finality, but of gratitude. Her life reads like a series of “firsts”—the first Filipina to conquer Russia’s grand stages, the first to win international ballet medals, and the first to bring home ballet in a way that Filipinos could truly call their own. But what she’s built is more than just a string of achievements. It’s a lasting legacy.

Now, as Ballet Manila approaches its 30th anniversary, she remains as committed as ever. “My hope remains the same since I came back in 1986: that the Filipino people make ballet an art form that is an integral part of their lives,” she says.

Ballet in the Philippines has certainly evolved—as has the entire performing arts industry. It has grown exponentially. “From one ballet company (Alice Reyes Ballet Company) to four professional ballet companies (Ballet Philippines, Philippine Ballet Theatre, Ballet Manila, and the Alice Reyes Dance Philippines). From several ballet schools to hundreds nationwide. From one venue, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, to now many performing arts centres such as Samsung Performing Arts Theatre, Aliw Theatre, and The Theatre at Solaire, among others.” Still, she dreams of a future where tickets to a ballet performance fly off the shelves as fast as tickets to a pop concert, where ballet dancers receive the recognition and respect they deserve—akin to that of athletes and other performers.

More than the graceful steps she’s taken across international stages, her story is about the leaps of faith she’s taken throughout her career: returning to the Philippines when she could have stayed abroad, founding a company when the odds were against her, and proving that ballet doesn’t have to be an imported spectacle. It can be homegrown, Filipino, and universal all at once.

Lisa Macuja-Elizalde has spent her life dancing, teaching, and creating. But above all, she has spent it showing the world that ballet belongs to everyone. And perhaps her greatest performance is the one that continues—bringing ballet to the people, and the people to ballet, one graceful leap at a time.

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