25 Life Lessons I Learned From Ballet - #24
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.
24. You cannot teach everything. As a ballet teacher and a mother, there are simply things that your child or student has to learn on their own.
Top photo: Meticulous with her technique as a dancer, prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde takes great care in passing on these skills to her students. In this photo taken in 2014 during a lecture-demo in Fisher Mall, Lisa shows these little girls from the audience the proper way to execute a plié. Photo by Jimmy Villanueva
Ballet is one of the rare art forms that cannot be self-taught. A teacher is absolutely necessary not just to teach the steps but to observe and correct the execution. But school does not end in the classroom. Outside the studio is a big, wide world of lessons and experiences that can enrich the artistry of a dancer. Lisa, in this photo taken in 2019, ensures that her students have a strong foundation but encourages them to experience life outside class to the fullest as well. Photo by Icet Barroso