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The Struggles of Ballet, Historically

Elina Wisung December 14, 2024Ballet, breaking stereotypes, diversity, inclusion 1 Comment

A Look At Diversity, Inclusivity, and Accessibility in Ballet Over The Years By Neha Chowdhury The world of ballet has long been perceived as an exclusive domain, catering primarily to the elite and privileged. With its steadfast historical roots in 15th and 16th-century Italian courts, ballet has followed an incredibly difficult journey on the road of diversifying the playing field, ...

Dress to Include

Elina Wisung November 28, 2024Ballet, breaking stereotypes, diversity, inclusion Leave a Comment

How Inclusivity in Ballet Attire is Transforming the World By Pragati Athreya in En Avant July August 2024 Tracing Traditions of Uniformity Dress to Include For decades, ballet costumes have embodied a uniform aesthetic aligned with the classical ideal of the ballet dancer: pale skin and a specific body type. Tights and shoes were produced in ‘European pink’ to match ...

HISSTORY, HERSTORY, OR OURSTORY?

Elina Wisung November 14, 2024Ballet, breaking stereotypes, diversity, inclusion Leave a Comment

By Anagha Madhan and Maya Haridas for En Avant Magazine July/August 2024 There’s a Native American proverb, “The one who tells the story rules the world.” The stories told on stage have the power to subconsciously cement untrue stereotypes, or change the way we think altogether. For six centuries, ballet has served as a medium of storytelling, with its plots ...

Ballet for Every Budget

Elina Wisung October 24, 2024Ballet, breaking stereotypes, inspiration Leave a Comment

By Anagha Madhan What comes to mind first when you think of ballet? Is it lavish performances in red velvet curtained theatres, or prestigious schools with tuition fees as high as the jumps of the ballerinas that attend? It’s not a surprise that a lot of people believe that ballet is only for the rich. This art form has long ...

Ryan Anderson on Inclusivity and Diversity in the Performing Arts

Elina Wisung October 14, 2024Ballet, breaking stereotypes, inspiration Leave a Comment

From En Avant July/August 2024 Ryan Anderson, a Musical Theatre performer who has starred in productions such as Aladdin, Pippin and Peter Pan, tells us about life experiences with inclusivity and diversity in the world of Theatre. Can you tell us a little bit about how you first got into dance? What sparked your interest in it? I got into ...

Ballet Gone Global: Why Ballet is Not Just for The West

Elina Wisung September 27, 2024Ballet, breaking stereotypes, inspiration Leave a Comment

By Anagha Madhan My Love Chunhyang - Universal Ballet, South Korea Ballet’s universal appeal is taking root in India, but can it truly belong? Forget the borders – because, spoiler alert: it already does. Let’s explore why this ‘Western-only’ label no longer applies to ballet. Incepted in the royal courts of Italy and later refined on the grand stages of ...

Beyond Grace: Why Ballet Is More Than Just Grace & Elegance

Elina Wisung September 12, 2024Ballet, breaking stereotypes Leave a Comment

By Anagha Madhan Often, ballet is seen as the ultimate expression of grace, beauty, and elegance. In fact, if you look up the terms “grace beauty elegance dance” on the internet, a majority of the images that pop up are of ballerinas on stage. However, behind every leap, behind every carefully placed pointe shoe, there is something more raw and ...

Pack Like a Pro: Essential Gear for Dance Intensives

Elina Wisung August 21, 2024Ballet, community, experience, preparation Leave a Comment

By Anagha Madhan Photo - Ballet Arizona Attending a ballet intensive can definitely be a transformative and enriching experience for any dancer. An intensive will offer rigorous training, exposure to new techniques, and the opportunity to learn from seasoned dancers and esteemed instructors. However, for many Indian ballet students and their parents, the prospects of attending an intensive abroad is ...

From Royal Courts to Global Stages: The Journey of Ballet’s Standardization

Elina Wisung August 14, 2024Ballet, ballet methods, Education Leave a Comment

By Neha Chowdhury from En Avant Magazine May June 2024 In the past, ballet was considered a form of entertainment; a pastime, something kings and queens watched for its beauty and their own enjoyment. Now, ballet is still a form of performing arts- but it has another side to its indomitable power; the side of examination, rule-following, and competitivity that ...

Ballet for All Ages

Elina Wisung July 31, 2024Ballet, beginner, Education 1 Comment

By Anagha Madhan A common way ballet is perceived, is as a young person’s art form. As something you must start as a young child and dedicate your entire life to. This is further propagated since ballet is typically associated with young, lithe dancers making leaps that look physically impossible. While ballet does involve this, and the imagination does stem ...