Lisa Macuja

Lisa Teresita Pacheco Macuja-Elizalde (born October 3, 1964) is a Filipino prima ballerina. In 1984, she became the first foreign soloist to ever join the Kirov Ballet. She is the Artistic Director and CEO of Ballet Manila and has served as Vice-Chairman of the Philippine UNESCO National Commission. Macuja-Elizalde has also been a Commissioner of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women. As Directress and faculty member of the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet, she trains ballet professionals in the Russian Vaganova method. Additionally, she is the founder of Project Ballet Futures (PBF), a renowned community scholarship program providing training and performance opportunities for deserving public school students. Macuja was born in the City of Manila, Philippines, and is the daughter of Cesar Macuja and Susan Pacheco.