Lisa Macuja School of Ballet Manila opens QC branch
The Lisa Macuja School of Ballet Manila, the educational arm of the country's premiere classical ballet company, has opened a branch in Fisher Mall, Quezon City.
On opening day last August 6, prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde conducted free trial classes at the new branch.
Meanwhile, free trial classes are being led until August 14 by BM’s visiting Russian teacher Natasha Raldugina, rehearsal mistress Eileen Lopez, rehearsal master Jonathan Janolo, principal artist Gerardo Francisco, soloists Sofia Sangco-Peralta and Anselmo Dictado and company artists Marika Añonuevo, Czarina Villegas and Sean Pelegrin.
Prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde holds a free trial class at her ballet school’s newly inaugurated branch at Fisher Mall. Photo by Eileen Lopez
The new branch offers the same classes and training in classical ballet available at its flagship school in Pasay City.
“We want to be able to reach out to more girls and boys interested in learning ballet,” says prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, the school's directress and the artistic director and CEO of Ballet Manila. “We are spreading our wings, also in line with our mission of providing wider access to ballet training through this branch.”
The branch offers ballet courses suited to all ages, from kids and teens to adults, as well as fitness programs and other dance classes.
Other teachers who have been holding classes for the soft opening at the Fisher Mall branch are Marivic Amor, Paulina Labayo and Kathe Labayo for the Baby Classes, Martin Canate and Jay Danao for Zumba and Le Bran for Ballroom.
The Fisher Mall branch offers the same classes and training in classical ballet available at its flagship school in Pasay City. Photo by Gerardo Francisco
The Lisa Macuja School of Ballet Manila is the only ballet school in the Philippines with direct links to the Russian Ballet Academy of St. Petersburg, Russia. It trains girls and boys in the highest standards of classical ballet, based on the rigorous Russian Vaganova method.
The school traces its beginnings to the Lisa Macuja Summer Workshop held in the summer of 1995. Classes were then conducted in Ballet Manila's studio in Heroes' Hill, Quezon City – just a stone's throw away from Fisher Mall which is located at the corner of Quezon Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue.
Known for its annual summer intensive workshops, the school more recently has been offering year-round ballet classes in Pasay.
Macuja-Elizalde and Ballet Manila co-artistic director Osias Barroso head the school's faculty roster.
Annually, deserving students are chosen to be full or half scholars under Ballet Manila's Project Ballet Futures program. The scholars are given free training, equipment and transportation allowances, as well as the opportunity to join the company to dance as professionals.
For inquiries about The Lisa Macuja School of Ballet Manila, interested parties may call 400-0292 or 525-5967 or or email info@balletmanila.com.ph.
