Lisa Macuja Elizalde: After the Curtain Call

“They say that dancers die twice. First, when they stop dancing, and then their physical death,” Lisa Macuja Elizalde shares, a truth she knows all too well. 

As the country’s prima ballerina, it was no easy feat ending a monumental chapter in her profession. “All dancers who go into this career know that it is short,” she says. Macuja Elizalde, among others, just prepares for the inevitable—retirement.

When she had to take her final bow, she did it her way. She retired herself systematically and bid farewell in stages. Five seasons, five years. Macuja Elizalde let go of the hardest roles first in these ballets: Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and Romeo and Juliet.

After decades of pirouettes and arabesques, her body finally called for rest at 52 due to her total hip joint replacement. Yet, her first death did not come with tragedy; it came with transformation. In an industry that demanded perfection and poise, Macuja Elizalde learned to let go of the rigid standards she grew up with. “I was very conscious about the way I looked because of my profession and its demands,” she reflects. “I wanted to be cast in classical ballet roles that people often felt more suited to European-looking women.”

She kept herself lean and mean, with a fighting weight of 102 pounds. Once, she was advised to put on makeup daily, even during class, to be taken more seriously by directors, teachers, and coaches because of her “little girl” appeal. “And that wouldn’t be good for my career, because they wouldn’t see me in a role that demanded someone more mature-looking,” she says. Despite her petite frame and distinctly Asian features, she broke through those boundaries. Macuja Elizalde danced her way into the most coveted roles like Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, Giselle in Giselle, and Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty.

But the demands of ballet extended far beyond the stage. “I thought that as long as I danced well, that would be enough,” she says. It wasn’t—at least, not in an industry where image mattered as much as talent. One of her teachers once reminded her to “dress like a ballerina even when you leave the theater” as fans would always be watching. Macuja Elizalde became more aware of what was asked of her. “It’s hard when you’re expected to smile, be energetic, and nice even after rehearsals, but all you really want to do is crawl into bed and sleep,” she says with a laugh, now dressed simply in a classic t-shirt, jeans, and rubber shoes.

Andrea Beldua

Looking back, she wasn’t always kind to herself. “I thought I had to be superwoman,” she smiles wryly. “Maybe I could’ve avoided a few injuries if I had learned to slow down.” 

Motherhood also reshaped her understanding of beauty and discipline. Having paused her career twice during her pregnancy with her two children, she learned to listen to her body. “You really learn to respect it,” she reflects. “I was lucky I got to experience motherhood, something not every dancer gets to do because of the craft.”

When Macuja Elizalde retired, she became less strict—she allowed herself to gain a little weight, to eat intuitively, to strengthen her body not for roles, but for herself. Now in the second act of her life, she’s gentler with herself. 

Retirement, however, came with a challenge. “When I stopped dancing, I lost a little bit of my identity,” she confesses. “It took time to find myself again, not as the ballerina, but as the dance teacher, choreographer, artistic director, and CEO of my own ballet company.” That reinvention used to scare her, but now, it excites her. She has mastered the art of beginning again. 

Macuja Elizalde has always had boundless energy—her teachers even nicknamed her kiti-kiti in school. Today, that restless spirit drives her many ventures: hosting Art 2 Art, creating TikTok content with her daughter, teaching, and constantly learning. “That’s how you stay young—by learning, adapting, and keeping life fresh,” she muses. “I think everyone wakes up each day blessed with time, and it’s up to us how we spend it.”

After decades of building her legacy, she wants to be remembered not just as the prima ballerina, but as a fulfilled woman—a wife, a mother, and an artist. “I’ve led, performed, and planned. I’ve built companies, schools, and organizations. Now it’s about giving back, ensuring the legacy continues through my students, my family, my children, and my grandchildren.” That’s the life she wants people to see: one that moves, evolves, and endures.

They say dancers die twice, but for Lisa Macuja Elizalde, that first death only made a new stage for the next act that inspires long after the curtain falls. 

She reminds us that beauty and youth don’t fade with age—they simply take on a new rhythm.

Art direction: Nicole Almero. Beauty direction: Bianca Gozon and Yeyen Espineda. Makeup: Gery Penaso. Hair: Lourd Ramos. Wardrobe styling: Niña Cuyana and Jermainne Lagura of Qurator. Product styling: Chila Zialcita. Nails: New Lounge. Shot on location at Salon De Ning in The Peninsula Manila.