Appealing body movements — jumps, leaps and spins and on that, a super sexy Barbie doll costume (for girls). That’s what Russian ballet is all about. If for some youngsters it’s the lure to enter the glam world, for others it’s about pursuing their passion professionally. Yes, this fascinating dance form is gaining steam.
Twenty-year-old Ankit Mahal has always been in love with dance, and he finally took up Russian ballet, not only passionately, but also professionally. Ankit started his training a few years back, and is presently at ‘advance level’ at the National Ballet Academy. “In a year I will be fulltime ballet teacher. I would love to pursue it as a career,” he says.
Dr Manjul Pathak, director, Russian Academy, Mumbai has been receiving several calls from youngsters seeking information on Russian ballet. “I am thinking of organising a special teachers for them,” she says.
The Russian Cultural Centre in the capital is seeing a spurt in the number of interested candidates has devised a selection system. “We conduct auditions after a month of training and retain promising students,” says Ritu Balla of RCC.
Sameer Mehta of National Ballet Academy & Trust of India adds, “For many youngsters it’s not just another hobby class. They are keen on taking it further as a career. We used to have not more than 20-30 students, but our present strength is about 140 students. If you know ballet you can do any dance form.” “Thanks to the boom in the entertainment world which has made this form of dancing popular in the country,” says choreographer Bosco of Bosco and Caesar.