25 Life Lessons I Learned From Ballet - #25
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.
Long after she hung up her pointe shoes, Lisa continues to count her many blessings including the gift of choreography which allowed her to continue her career in dance though from a different capacity. In this photo, a tearful Lisa thanks the audience and her company for the love and support she received for her most recent choreographic accomplishment, La Traviata. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
By Lisa Macuja-Elizalde
25. Be grateful! Every day is a blessing. Every performance I do now after 25 years of dancing is icing on the cake – a miracle that takes place on a daily basis. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I am forever grateful.
Top photo: Even during the early stages of her career, prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde considered every moment on stage as a gift to be thankful for. Every bow and every curtain call, as seen in this photo taken after her 1986 debut performance of Giselle in Russia, is an expression of that gratitude. Photo from the Ballet Manila Archives
Though she retired from performing more than three years ago, Lisa participates in dance videos meant to raise funds for displaced artists and shares what she knows through online ballet classes and social media posts.
