Students during rehearsals for Wicked (Summer Program 2025). The word “rehearsals” is as far from alien to the world of performing arts as it can be. If there is a show, there must be rehearsals and if there are rehearsals, a dancer knows, their family knows, their friends know and often (at least here in India) even their distant family ...
Ballet Dreams: Sanvitti Sai Roopesh and Swapna Roopesh
Article by Maya Haridas for En Avant Mar-Apr 2024 Sanvitti Sai Roopesh At the time of interview, Sanvitti was 11 years old, in Grade 1 Ballet and had been learning ballet at TLFCB for 6 and a half years. As of now, she is in Grade 3 and 4 Ballet, and has also attended Australian Ballet School's Summer Intensive in ...
Cygnet to Swan: Krita Yernool, Ryka Das, Keya Matthew
Article by Neha Chowdhury and Kenisha Rao, and design by Maya Haridas for En Avant Winter 2024 Get a real life insight into the ballet journey - baby steps to ballerina - with a TLFCB senior student and her mum! Krita Yernool Krita is 17 years old and is currently in Grade 6 ballet. She’s been a part of TLFCB since ...
Spotlight on Queer Ballet
Article by Aditri Chawla and design by Anagha Madan for En Avant July/August 2024 The narrative of nearly every classical ballet revolves around a man and a woman. The ballerina captivates us with her graceful pointework, while the male dancer impresses with his strength and agility. Together, they perform the iconic pas de deux, with their love and struggles propelling ...
The Muscly Ballerina
Article by Ahana Ayyapparaj and design by Mythili A. P. for En Avant Summer 2025 Feature image: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Alvin Ailey’s “Revel-ations.” (Photo: Gert Krautbauer) When most people think of ballet, they may not immediately consider the intense muscular effort behind each movement. Yet behind every lift, leap, and position en pointe lies a network of ...
Learning Ballet through Online Platforms
Article by: Shayna Sunu Cover image: A shot during rehearsals for Recital 2023, a show by TLFCB post the pandemic. Classical Ballet is an art form that demands extensive training, irrespective of a dancer’s age or expertise. Everything from establishing the right alignment, developing the rhythm, learning the positions to instilling patience and discipline requires structured instruction and rigorous practice. ...
The Magic of Make-Believe: Imagination in Early Ballet Classes
By Shayna Sunu A sense of awe struck me as I watched a bunch of tiny tots dressed in pink leotards and skirts, chattering in pairs and small groups just before their class began. Parents stood at the side, offering small words of encouragement, while the children shared giggles and carefully arranged their shoes in a neat line. All of ...
Comedy on Stage
By Anagha Madhan and Maya Haridas for En Avant Spring 2025 Ballet has a reputation of being rather solemn and serious. Beautiful, of course, but not exactly light hearted. Well, that isn’t always true! A great many ballets have characters or pieces that make the audience clutch their seats and laugh out loud. While these are highly appreciated while watching ...
Why must schools integrate dance into routine education for higher grades?
by Dyumna Chhabra, Arts Coordinator, The Lewis Foundation of Classical Ballet Movement is the life and soul of everyday life as it gives us the impetus to fully live up to the expectations of the day and end it feeling gratified. Dance, in its essence, is movement placed together artistically. It creates a mind-body connection that leads to an invigorating ...
How Ballet Shapes Young Minds
By Anagha Madhan for En Avant Winter 2024 Throughout the exciting journey of ballet, whether you’re just staring out, or a certified veteran, something to realise throughout it is that ballet is so much more than just a dance form. Ballet is a vibrant, evergreen community for children to learn, grow, and discover themselves in ways that extend far beyond ...