Soundbites: ‘The repetition of these still poses is choreographically meant to suggest a dreamlike ambience’
The Kingdom of the Shades is the iconic scene in Act 3 of La Bayadere where ballerinas in identical white tutus and veils descend a ramp one by one in a sequence of slow arabesques.
Ballet Manila was a newsmaker from the very beginning. Over the years, as it grew and reached milestones, it has been the subject of countless stories in media. With the company celebrating its Pearl Anniversary in 2025, we mine the Archives for published tidbits describing moments from its 31-year history, as spoken by its own leaders and dancers or as said by those writing about them.
Lisa Macuja Elizalde dances her last Nikiya in La Bayadere in 2013, capping her three-year Swan Song Series.
“Now, Elizalde’s performance was more heartfelt. There was that breath in dancing, a quality that’s hardly seen in the younger generation. Breath enables dancers to go through a rounded dynamic and an expressive range. It levels up dancing from technique into artistry.
“The breath-phrasing textures filtered down from Elizalde down to soloists and corps de ballet…
“The ballet’s highlight was the descent of the female ensemble as Shades, moving down a ramp in a measured, zigzagging procession, one after another until they filled up the stage. Each dancer would hold their arabesque lines then bend back with their arms framing their faces. The repetition of these still poses is choreographically meant to suggest a dreamlike ambience.
“The corps was commendably drilled, and with the Russian training shining through.”
—MARGE C. ENRIQUEZ
Lisa Macuja lives up to title as ‘ballerina of the people’
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Photos by Ocs Alvarez
The temple dancer Nikiya (Lisa Macuja Elizalde) and the warrior Solor (Rudy De Dios) engage in the Scarf Dance.
