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One of the Philippines’ most
awarded and highly admired artists, Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, takes
center stage at the book-signing event for her autobiography,
Ballerina of the People, on Tuesday, February 20, 5:30 p.m. at the
activity center of Powerbooks in Greenbelt 4, Makati City
A full-color
coffee table book, Ballerina of the People, was launched on
September 29, 2006, on the occasion of Macuja-Elizalde’s 20th
homecoming anniversary concert. The date, however, fell at the tail
end of the Supertyphoon Milenyo, so she deemed it inappropriate to
mount a grand celebration at the time.
“I think now
is a good time to celebrate since February has been earmarked by the
NCCA as National Dance Month, and our countrymen seem to be
recovering from the last year’s succession of calamities,” says
the Russian-trained prima ballerina. “At the end of the day, there
is much to be grateful for and this book is a testimony to how sheer
determination and unwavering faith can overcome the most daunting
odds in one’s life.”
Designed by
award-winning book designer Ige Ramos, and edited by Angela Blardony
Ureta and Susan de Guzman, Ballerina of the People is an engaging,
backstage peek at Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s astounding career as a
Philippine-based ballerina who has successfully clocked 20 years of
dancing the lead in almost 300 ballets, performing in 85 cities that
span five continents. At 42, she remains at the peak of her active
career and is widely regarded as a “living icon” of classical
dance in the Philippines.
Narrated in
the ballerina’s own vivid and insightful recollections, the
book’s pages are replete with charming visuals that include
onstage portraits featuring some of the world’s most celebrated
danseurs, a number of her most precious ballet mementos, as well as
never-before-seen photographs—including scenes behind the Iron
Curtain as the first foreign soloist of the Kirov Ballet.
Memoirs,
writes Floy Quintos in his foreword, “are often written as one’s
career comes to a close, when one is already sure of one’s
accomplishments, when fear has gone and the intoxicating knowledge
that one has lived life fully and well sets in, inspiring either
rose-colored images of the past or infuriating tell-alls. Lisa’s
book is neither. Instead, they are the recollections of an age of
innocence and grace, told by a woman who has many more years to
dance through life.”
The
book-signing event will open with a video presentation of
Macuja-Elizalde’s 20th anniversary mini-documentary and a short
talk by the author. Cocktails and the book signing follows, with
limited copies available at a special discount. The first 10 buyers
will also get a chance to receive free tickets for Ballet Manila’s
current production of Romeo and Juliet at the Star Theater.
Ballerina
of the People is published by Ballet Manila Foundation, Inc. and is
distributed nationwide by Anvil Publishing, Inc.
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