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.

Sebastian Vinet, Cindy Jourdain and Tusha Dallas are among the international and Indian dancers and choreographers who have been part of the faculty at the Ballet Festival of India so far. The second edition of the festival was held in a digital format in 2020. The third instalment, in September 2022, will be held in a hybrid format with the faculty teaching online and the option for participants to dance in person at physical centers in six cities, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. It offers two sets of experiences: one for serious students (those above the age of 12), dancers, and teachers, and a special one for children between the ages 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, are the faculty this year. They will teach ballet technique, repertoire and choreography as well as be part of a webinar with a question-and-answer segment. The festival will culminate in a virtual live showcase during which participants will perform the repertoire and choreography they have learned over the weekend.

Check out more dance festivals here.