MANILA, Philippines - Lisa Macuja-Elizalde believes that she is more like the fiery Black Swan than the soft and lyrical White Swan.

The 47-year-old prima ballerina made the statement on Monday as she performs her final "Swan Lake" next month at the Aliw Theater in CCP Complex, Pasay City.

She is poised to make a graceful exit from the stage in three years with "Swan Series," a series of full-length classical ballet performances.

"As a dancer, I am always more of the Black Swan as far as technique, stability, strength is concerned," she said on ANC's "Headstart" on Monday.

She added, "I wasn't really typecast as the soft lyrical ballerina that the White Swan is. I've always had solid technique. I can turn fast, I can jump high, and that is what the choreography of the Black Swan demanded from the ballerina."

Pyotr Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" is considered by many as one of the greatest classical ballets of all time.

It recently became popular among non-ballet enthusiasts when it was featured in the 2010 film "Black Swan," which starred Natalie Portman.

Retirement

Macuja-Elizalde said it is "high time" that she retires since she is already on her 27th season.

She noted that ballet dancers usually have a career that spans 15 to 20 seasons.

"I'm already overstaying," she said in jest, adding, "The wear and tear of the body, I'm already feeling it...I feel that it's time that I ease into retirement."

According to Macuja-Elizalde, being a ballerina requires six hours of dancing every day to keep in shape, at the very least.

"You're on stage for say, two hours. And you have to stay healthy in order to be an active performer," she shared.

Asked what she would want to be if she did not go into ballet, Macuja-Elizalde said, "I would become a teacher in English. When I was a student, English was my favorite subject."

For more information about Lisa Macuja-Elizalde's "Swan Lake," visit www.balletmanila.ph. For tickets, call TicketWorld at (632) 891-9999 or SM Tickets at (632) 470-2222.