From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 17, no. 1, May 2002.

Lisia Moala was a favourite of ballet lovers with the Perth City Ballet, and has gone on to a shining career as the star dancer for the Czech Republic State Ballet and the Cwmni Ballet.

Lisia Moala (32) is a lithe Tongan beauty who has made a name for herself as a leading Ballerina with some well known ballet companies in three countries. Lisia, the daughter of a Tongan father and Scottish mother, who began her life in Tonga, has been the leading dancer with the Cwmni Ballet Gwent, Newport, in South Wales, since 1995. Once a year she returns to perform at the Quarry Amphitheatre in City Beach at her home in Perth, Western Australia.

Lisia’s rise to stardom followed her appointment as the principal dancer with the Perth City Ballet, Western Australia in 1989.

In 1991 the Perth City Ballet toured Europe, where Lisia became a favourite of ballet lovers. At the end of their European tour she was offered a three year contract as principal dancer with the Czech Republic State Ballet Company. While Lisia was with the Czech State Ballet Company she performed in Austria, Germany and also Britain. At the end of her contract with the Czech State Ballet Company she signed a seven year contract with the Cwmni Ballet Gwent, Newport, South Wales as their principal dancer.

‘Etuate Moala, Lisia’s father was in Tonga recently to visit relatives and friends and to touch base with his roots at the island of Ha‘ano, Ha‘apai. He was very modest about Lisia’s success. He said that Lisia had loved dancing ever since she was a child, and she made up her mind to take up dancing as a career at the age of 19 years. Lisia gave up her academic studies for a degree in Applied Science at Curtin University, Perth, in order to study ballet full-time under Perth City Ballet director Diana Waldron. “Lisia plans to retire from dancing at 35,” said her father.

‘Etuate was a Director of Education for the Catholic Church until he left Tonga to settle in Perth in 1970 with his wife, Alice Mary, who had been teaching in Tonga at ‘Atele College, Tonga High School, and also at Tonga Side School.

‘Etuate said that Lisia was only nine months old when they left Tonga for Australia. Lisia is the eldest of their four children. She has three brothers, Edward, David and Matthew.