Lisa Macuja takes newfound online attention in stride: ‘I’m just being myself’
MANILA, Philippines — Celebrated prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde never planned to become a social media sensation.
Her latest brush with younger audiences started, of all things, with pressed powder. Her daughter Missy had captured her mom trying to scrape every last bit of her powder.
“It was a happy accident because my daughter filmed me,” Lisa recently said in an interview with this paper. “It began with the powder, the pressed powder. It was completely unplanned.”
The clip became one of the viral moments that reintroduced the ballet icon to the younger audience, specifically as a funny, candid and relatable mom.
“I was very surprised na naging viral,” she said. “And then the bouncy dress (I wore) also became viral and all of that.”
For Lisa, the unexpected attention has been a welcome development, especially because it also gives people another way to discover her work.
“It’s a happy development kasi it also brings more attention to my art,” the Ballet Manila founder said.
Asked if she was surprised that people were reacting to her lighter side — with some discovering that the prima ballerina could also be “kwela” and “kalog” — Lisa said there was really no act involved.
“I’m just being myself. Ganun naman talaga ako,” she quipped.
The viral videos, many of them involving her daughter Missy, have definitely shown a side of Lisa that feels very different from the formal image often associated with ballet. Online, she is seen joking, reacting and going along with everyday moments that many viewers find familiar.
She explained, “I’ve always had this happy, optimistic disposition all my life. I always had this high energy. In fact, nung grade school ako, tawag sa akin ng teacher ko, kiti-kiti.”
But while she appreciates the reach of social media, Lisa also believes it should be taken in the right spirit.
“It can be a very positive thing,” she said, “but at the same time, I think it’s very important that we limit also the number of minutes that you spend scrolling.”
“I still read and do other things aside from social media,” she further said. “I think it’s a very powerful way to reach an enormous amount of people in such a short period of time. And if your content is good, then it can just result in good vibes.”
Then she added with a laugh, “But I don’t think we should take everything seriously.”
Lisa said she also tries to use the attention for the things she believes in, including Filipino talent, local products and the art form that has defined her career.
“I’m very much for promoting Filipino,” she added. “So talagang I use Filipino makeup, Filipino clothes...”
She continued, “I really want to promote the art, my ballet, because ballet is for everyone. I believe that ballet is for everyone, and everybody can dance for health and just move for health.”
Apart from ballet, Lisa said she also likes to promote “family values” and “just good mood lahat, happiness.”
The mother-daughter bond has also become more visible now that her daughter has returned to the Philippines. Lisa shared that Missy is already a lawyer in California but decided to come home and live here permanently.
“She is already a bar lawyer in California in the United States, so she can practice there,” Lisa said. “Then she decided to come home and live here permanently.”
According to Lisa, her daughter also decided to review for the Philippine bar.
“Sabi niya, sayang naman if she can’t practice what she studied so hard to do here,” Lisa said. “Hopefully in September, she’s successful and then she will be able to do both US law and Philippine law.”
Lisa was interviewed by The Philippine STAR during the launch of the STARtista Gallery, Star City’s new attraction featuring three-dimensional, life-sized figures of Filipino personalities and achievers.
According to Lisa, the idea came from her businessman-husband, Fred Elizalde, who established Star City, after one of their trips abroad.
“This is the brainchild of my husband, Fred,” she said. “I think he got the idea during one of our trips to London, where we went to Madame Tussauds. We saw all of the artistas there, you know, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie...”
Lisa further recalled, “Kami ng anak ko, nagpapa-picture, nagpapa-selfie with the wax figures,” she said. “So he said, ‘Oh, let’s do something like that in Star City.’”
Lisa became one of the first personalities involved in the project. “In fact, I think I was the first one who was scanned for the grand experiment,” she said of the experience. “I had to stand really still, and then they just went from head to toe with the scanner.”
At the time, Lisa admitted she did not fully know what was happening. Seeing the first prototype was a different experience altogether.
“It was so surreal kasi nakita ko yung ulo ko nasa plato,” she said.
Lisa said the team went through several rounds of experimentation before the process was finalized. Now that the gallery is ready to be seen by the public, she hopes it will serve not just as an attraction but also as a way to honor accomplished Filipino artists.
“I think it’s important that first and foremost, our young people have role models and they are inspired by the accomplishments of Filipino achievers,” Lisa said.
“For me, everyone is a star. Some stars just shine brighter than others,” she added.
She, likewise, believes the gallery can be both fun and inspiring for young visitors.
“It will be able to motivate and inspire our young people that go to Star City,” Lisa said.
“So they have fun, and then they go into the gallery and have fun meeting all of these different Filipino achievers. That’s really important na talagang iha-highlight natin ang Filipino achievers.”
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