25 life lessons I learned from ballet - #11
Beyond the arabesques and grand jetés, ballet is an abundant source of priceless life lessons. With the rigorous training and intense discipline it requires, ballet can teach one how to deal with pressure, disappointments, challenges, and ultimately, success. On her 25th anniversary as a professional dancer in 2009, prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde took the time to list down 25 key lessons she learned from ballet and which she felt both dancers and non-dancers can apply in their own lives. This series shares those enduring nuggets of wisdom – one lesson at a time.
Classical pieces, in particular, require a tremendous amount of harmony in movement especially among the corps. In Ballet Manila’s performance of the Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadere, the female corps delivers a very precise yet nuanced rendition of this choreography, moving as a single unit to create this ethereal and haunting scene. Photo by Kurt Alvarez from the Ballet Manila Archives collection
By Lisa Macuja-Elizalde
11. Coordination is so important! Dancing is teamwork and coordination. You cannot dance without coordination of every part of your body – just as you cannot accomplish much if your team doesn’t have coordinated efforts.
One of the most physically demanding choreographies in Ballet Manila’s repertoire, Augustus “Bam” Damian III’s Aramica puts the male corps to the test with its technically challenging movements performed in unison by 20 dancers. Photo by Ocs Alvarez from the Ballet Manila Archives collection
Coordination knows no gender. Best illustrated in Francis Jaena Jr.’s Shutter, both male and female dancers must learn to move together, dance together, and essentially breathe together to achieve the harmony and clarity that the choreography requires. Photo by Ocs Alvarez from the Ballet Manila Archives collection
Top photo: Dancing as a soloist for the prestigious Kirov Ballet taught prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde the importance of teamwork. Performing in Don Quixote in this photo from 1986, there were many scenes when over 30 dancers would be on stage at a time with everyone moving in unison with a singular purpose. Photo from the Ballet Manila Archives collection