What's it like to learn ballet? Find out at a performance by city kids
An earlier performance by the students
Watching the graceful lifts and flowing movements of ballet in Mumbai often means viewing the screening of a performance recorded in a land far away, after shelling out a hefty sum. But this Saturday brings the opportunity to watch a ballet performance on stage when ten ballerinas and one male ballet dancer, all students of the city-based Bella Academy, will perform a dance from the world-famous ballet, Giselle.
The students will also demonstrate a typical ballet class, which includes barre work (barre is a stationary hand rail that is used extensively in ballet training and for warm-up exercises), centre practice (exercises similar to what barre work includes but performed in the centre of the room without the support of the bar), pointe work (the magical part where ballet dancers support all body weight on the tips of almost vertical feet) and character dances (stylised representation of a folk or national dance). The demonstration, culminating in the dance, is inspired by the Romantic Era of ballet.
The students are taught classical ballet through the syllabus developed by the academy's founder and director, Anabelle Lunawat (Registered Teacher Status; RTS), who is a trained ballerina and qualified teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance in London.
"Ballet is becoming popular with female and male students alike. There is more awareness, especially after the release of the film Black Swan. However, many people still look upon ballet as a feminine dance only," says Lunawat.
A rehearsal in progress
In India, where academics usually take precedence over everything else, dance often takes the back seat. "It will take time before parents become open to the idea of their children looking at this as a career, but with ballet gaining popularity, it will happen," Lunawat concludes.
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