Ballet Festival of India

The Ballet Festival of India, which was launched in 2017, supports the growth, exposure and education of ballet in India. Its objectives include building and engaging a vibrant ballet community in the country and making quality ballet available and affordable here. Each edition of the festival is unique in its structure and has included classes, film screenings, and seminars on music, nutrition and cross-training methods in the past.

Past editions of the festival have hosted eminent choreographers like Sebastian Vinet, Cindy Jourdain and Tusha Dallas as part of the faculty. The second edition of the festival was held in a digital format in 2020 owing to the pandemic. The third instalment, in September 2022, was held in a hybrid format with the faculty teaching online and participants being given the option to dance in person at physical centres in six cities: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. It offered two sets of experiences: one for senior students (those above the age of 12), dancers, and teachers, and a special one for children between the ages of eight and 12.

Four internationally-renowned professional dancers, German-Senegalese dancer Adji Cissoko from Alonzo King LINES Ballet, American dancer Akua Noni Parker formerly of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Brazilian dancer Nayara Lopes from the Philadelphia Ballet and British dancer Sarah Surinder Kundi from the English National Ballet were the faculty for the last edition of the festival. They taught ballet techniques, repertoire and choreography, besides conducting a webinar with a question-and-answer segment. The festival culminated in a virtual live showcase during which participants performed the repertoire and choreography they had learned over the weekend.

Check out more dance festivals here.