Ballet vs Timothée Chalamet: Lisa Macuja Elizalde speaks up anew

Ballet Manila Artistic Director and chief executive officer (CEO) Lisa Macuja Elizalde addressed the Timothée Chalamet issue anew during the recent press conference for her ballet company’s world premiere of the Philippines’ first ever, full-length production of Paquita.

It can be recalled that in an interview with Matthew McConaughey for Variety last February, Chalamet shared about efforts to preserve cinema when he made the famous remark about ballet and opera.

"I don't want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it's like, 'Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore.'," Chalamet said. "All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there,” he added quickly.

The Hollywood star, since then, has been receiving backlash and comments from industry insiders, including Macuja Elizalde.

In a video message, Macuja-Elizalde sarcastically thanked Chalamet for "renewing the fighting spirit" in her and fellow ballet dancers. She explained that his comment served as a wake-up call, proving that the work ballet dancers do remains relevant and that audiences still deeply care.

At the Paquita press conference, Macuja Elizalde once again responded to Chalamet. According to her, all classic ballets have stories. “I think it’s really important that we keep the story of ballet alive. It’s important because we have to tell a story without saying a single word. It’s a performing art that is highly elevated because for me, it’s a consummation of years and years of training to become a professional dancer, to be able to do all those things, technical things that you see onstage. But at the same time, to make it look easy, make it look effortless.”

“Dancers have been called ‘performing athletes’ and we use our bodies to tell a story, set the mood and move the audience with us,” she elaborated. “And that’s why I think ballet is here to stay, just as anything that’s hung on the wall and tells a story, or any book that’s published and tells a story, or music, wherever it’s from, tells a story. Ballet is here to tell a story.”

Paquita, she gave as example, brings one back to the time when Napoleon conquered Spain and how the Spaniards reacted.

The journey to this full-length production began last March 2025, when Paquita’s divertissement was performed during Ballet Manila’s Pearl Gala celebration. The performance sparked a deeper curiosity in Macuja Elizalde as she recalled, “I have always wondered where this beautiful ballet excerpt comes from in the context with the story of Paquita. The ballet excerpt is always described as the culmination of the love story of a gypsy girl Paquita with a French officer Lucien.”

At its core, Paquita is a story of love, self-discovery, and triumph that Macuja Elizalde believes will deeply resonate with local audiences. The narrative follows a young Romani woman in Spain who saves the life of a French officer, Lucien, from a governor’s assassination plot. Along the way, she discovers her own noble heritage, allowing the couple to overcome rigid social barriers and marry in a happy ending that many Filipinos love.

When Macuja Elizalde started to dig into the story behind the ballet excerpt, reading it in full, did she decide to present the production in its full-length form: “I concluded that it would be exciting and perfectly manageable to present a two-act classical ballet to the Filipino audience.”

While Ballet Manila’s production honors Paquita’s classical roots, Macuja Elizalde deliberately avoided watching existing versions of the ballet to ensure her choreography remained entirely original. Instead, she immersed herself in research and music to shape her own interpretation.

“I read the lengthy text in a book about rare Russian ballets that included Paquita. I listened to the music of the full-length ballet by Anna-Marie Holmes, Kevin Gaile and Li-Mei Liang. I started to build the ballet chapter by chapter in my head,” she shared.

Drawing from these materials, Macuja Elizalde crafted a version that merges tradition with her own artistic sensibilities. “I combined and interchanged music pieces. Included some of the famous variations but to be danced in the beginning and middle portions of the ballet, instead of having all the variations in the end divertissement the way it is normally performed.”

Still, she admitted that the true creative process only fully came alive inside the studio, in collaboration with her dancers. Working closely with her team has reinforced Ballet Manila’s strong Russian Vaganova foundation. Macuja Elizalde noted that the company's 40-member ensemble is the perfect size for executing the demanding classical choreography. She also expressed immense gratitude for her leading ladies, Abigail Oliveiro and Shamira Drapete, who are both debuting in the titular role and "dancing her so well."

For Oliveiro, debuting as Paquita under Macuja Elizalde's guidance has been both an exciting and collaborative experience. “It is always a good experience, and she is very clear in what she wants while keeping an open mind," Oliveiro shared. "I try to listen and observe what Ma'am Lisa wants from the ballet, character, or scene so I can understand her vision and fulfill it.”

The role also offers Oliveiro a rare chance to showcase a different side of her artistry. “I realized I had to tap into my more playful side which, dare I say, is not a common theme in a lot of my repertoire," she added. "So I’m certainly enjoying being playful.”

The production stars two pairs alternating in the lead roles, principal dancers Mark Sumaylo and Abigail Oliveiro; and soloists Shamira Drapete and Jos David Andes. Its historic run took place at the Aliw Theater in Pasay City on 19 June 19 at 8:00 p.m., followed by 5:00 p.m. shows on 20 and 21 June.

Ultimately, Macuja Elizalde regards Paquita as far more than a performance; she considers it part of her 40-year legacy in Philippine ballet.  And much like the fiery performance, she believes it can ignite  Filipinos’ appreciation for the art. “Personally, this particular world premiere of Paquita is like a baby of mine. When you create a new full-length ballet almost from scratch, it is like giving birth to a living, breathing creation. It is a ballet that will be uniquely Ballet Manila’s. A part of our classical ballet legacy!”