Tu-tu good: A two-day ballet festival in Mumbai for the dance form enthusiasts across India

Ashifa Sarkar Vasi. Pic courtesy/Sudharak Olwe

When ballet practitioner and teacher Ashifa Sarkar Vasi was growing up in the United States of America (USA), her dance school would participate in an annual congregation. In between juggling masterclasses, workshops and seminars, and exchanging notes with fellow ballet dancers from different places, she would go on to not just refine her moves, but also experience a sense of belonging to a committed community. Since she started teaching ballet in Mumbai in 2007, the ballerina dreamt of creating that community for the small but growing circle of practitioners in India. It led her to curate the Ballet Festival of India in 2017 to support the growth, exposure and education of ballet in India. Now, in its third edition, the festival is back in a hybrid format, calling upon ballet dancers, young and old, from Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Kolkata.

Sarah Surinder Kundi. Pic courtesy/Karolina Kuras; (right) Adji Cissoko

"When I started teaching ballet here, it was still at a nascent stage. The idea [behind the festival] was to push the envelope further in the ballet world, and build a community of practitioners," the Colaba resident tells us. The hybrid format this year will allow participants to virtually tune in to masterclasses with an international faculty, either in their own spaces, or at the physical dance centres that have tied up with the festival.

Akua Noni Parker. Pic courtesy/Melika Dez

The founder-director of the festival reveals that the faculty comprises four practitioners from different corners of the world. "Brazilian dancer Nayara Lopes, principal with Philadelphia Ballet, understands the challenges and context of ballet dancers in India, as she's from a third-world country," Sarkar Vasi reveals. The second faculty member is German-Senegalese dancer Adji Cissoko, an artiste with Alonzo King LINES Ballet in San Francisco, who has had a classical ballet journey, before moving towards a more contemporary form. "She will be taking a choreography class. She'll be teaching them a piece, but also have the students make their own choreographic choices in different sections."

Nayara Lopes

Meanwhile, American dancer Akua Noni Parker, former principal with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, will helm a ballet technique and a repertoire class. The fourth mentor, British dancer Sarah Surinder Kundi, first artiste with English National Ballet, will also be taking a technique and repertoire class. "This year, we have a new section for ballet dancers between ages eight and 12. They need to have a basic understanding of the dance form," Sarkar Vasi explains.

For serious students above the age of 12, dancers and teachers, the festival will offer six sessions focusing on ballet technique, choreography and repertoire, while the children will have access to two sessions. The faculty members will also come together virtually during a webinar, moderated by Sarkar Vasi, opening up about their journey, process and tools, followed by a Q&A session.

On Sunday night, there will be a live virtual showcase by the participants. Although dancers can tune in virtually from their own space, the ballerina urges them to head to one of the studios the festival is partnering with, for a more immersive experience. "The ballet community is still small in India. And it's important that dancers see each other, know they are not alone, and learn and support each other," she points out.

On September 3 to 4
At White Box Studio, Vile Parle East; The Community Studio, Santacruz West (for Mumbai).
Log on to @balletfestivalofindia (to register)
Cost Rs 5,500 (full festival experience); Rs 1,500 (kids' pass); Rs 1,200 (single class pass)