The Ballet Manila Archives is the repository of documents, print, photographic, audio and video materials and memorabilia relating to the history of Ballet Manila and the life and career of its founder, prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde. This site is powered by Ms. Elizalde and Project Art, Inc.
All in This Month In BM History
Ballet Manila marked its 15th anniversary in 2010. In August of that year, it opened its 15th performance season with a Crystal Gala titled Halo-Halo ni Juan.
East Meets West featured a repertoire composed of the company’s international touring staples, with classical, neo-classical, modern, ethnic and even “pop” ballets comprising a diverse selection.
The Swan, the Fairy and the Princess was a fitting finale to Ballet Manila’s 13th season and a grand tribute to the man whose ballet music will live forever.
Ballet Manila’s debut performance in Antique in January 1996 was a dual homecoming for two of its leaders, the late artistic director Eric V. Cruz and artistic associate/ principal ballerina Lisa Macuja.
After having had holiday crowd drawers in The Nutcracker, Pinocchio, Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang and Alamat: Si Sibol at Si Gunaw, Ballet Manila staged Maligayang Christmas with four shows in December 2011 at Aliw Theater.
Ballet Manila’s shows in Angeles City in November 1995 were doubly meaningful, coming just months after it had staged its first-ever performance as a company.
Between season productions in 2007, Ballet Manila took the time to co-present with the Cultural Center of the Philippines a show titled Music, Trio, Magic.
Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s “Russian connection” was in full focus when Ballet Manila presented the world premiere of its Romeo and Juliet in 2001.
Ibong Adarna, the Filipino literary classic about a bird whose singing has healing powers, was transformed into a full-length ballet production that was Ballet Manila’s 22nd season-opener in August 2017.
The title OPM and OPB was a nod to Original Pilipino Music and Original Pilipino Ballet, a fusion that Ballet Manila had already been known for long before this show.
This was the company’s third such tour in the US, having also gone there in 1996 and 1997.
In 2010, Ballet Manila staged Giselle as part of Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s 25th anniversary as a professional ballerina.
On two moonlit nights in April 1996, Ballet Manila presented the world premiere of Osias Barroso’s historical dance-drama, Gabriela ng Vigan.
As a touring ensemble of just twelve dancers when it began in 1995, Ballet Manila was able to travel handily from A to Z – Abra to Zamboanga – for performances that lived up to its ideal of bringing ballet to the people.
In February 2005, Ballet Manila set a challenge for itself that was unheard of in Philippine dance history – to dance two completely different full-length ballets on two consecutive weekends as the finale of its tenth season.
Ballet Manila started off the year 2013 engaged in cultural and artistic exchange – with a show simply called Duo, a joint performance of the company and a Korean counterpart, the Yewon Dance Company.
It was to be a first – a retelling in dance of stories by the iconic Filipino literary grandmother, Lola Basyang, created by Severino Reyes.
In November 2000, Ballet & Ballads was brought on a campus tour in Metro Manila.
In October 1995, Ballet Manila also danced at an unconventional hour – at 12 high noon!
Ballet Manila wasn’t kidding when it referred to its two-night show in September 1997 as an extravaganza.
