Saturday, June 30, 2018

BALLERINA OF THE MONTH – JUNE 2018

The rains have arrived, quenching the thirst of the scorched earth, rejuvenating the life all around us and ushering in an exciting new season. We here at LDAB welcome our students to the new term, after our much deserved season break. We continue with our beloved traditions whilst looking forward to all that is in store this year for our students. We proudly crown Rea Gollakota, the Ballerina of the Month for June 2018.



      Rea Gollakota – Ballerina of the month for June 2018

Rea’s first brush with ballet happened a really long time ago. As a child, she accompanied her parents to a ballet recital, where she first witnessed graceful young ballerinas performing en pointe to soothing music. The memories of this night, stayed with her as the years passed by and blossomed into dreams of becoming an accomplished ballerina.


Rea with her proud parents Doctor Sapna Gollakota and Major Venu Madhav after the spectacular performance in Once upon a time

Today, Rea, a young 13 year old tall, slender and pretty teenager, has been a student at LDAB for the past one year. She’s the daughter of blessed parents, Major Venu Madhav and Doctor Sapna Gollakota, who’s now pursuing her Masters in Healthcare Administration.  She’s a student at St. Mary’s in Camp. But beyond that she’s a dynamic creative juggernaut.
Her dad proudly enlists all the activities she pursues,
“Rea’s always been a person with a creative bend in her mind and body. Before ballet, she learnt Bharatnatyam. She excels at not just tennis but golf too. She plays the casio beautifully and now is in the midst of learning the guitar. Recently she’s also started taking gymnastics class with the intent to strengthen her core and make her muscles more flexible, which will both go a long way in helping her become a better ballerina. To top that, she’s also begun taking creative writing classes to hone the storyteller inside her.”
Given our predisposition to worrying about grades I enquire about how Rea manages to balance out all that is on her plate and her mom shares her insights,
“Rea’s always been an outdoor person. And she’s juggling all these activities for so long now, that it’s almost a way of life. She’s sincere and that reflects in the fact that her grades haven’t suffered and I’m content with that. She finishes all her homework in school itself, which leaves her enough time after school to whole heartedly pursue these extra-curriculars.”

I asked Rea a very fundamental question, what’s the best thing about being a ballerina for her? Her answer makes me wonder, she’s really wise, beyond her years perhaps,
“I feel content from inside when I perform ballet. I feel this joy deep inside my heart knowing that my performance makes my parents happy.”

Rea in class 
Her mentor Neha Suhjani, Artistic Director at LDAB, has profound observations regarding Rea’s growth as a budding ballerina,
“Rea’s technique and form are impeccable. The other students in the class look up to her and try to emulate the hardwork she puts in. She almost never misses class. I recall an instance where she’d come to class despite a hand injury, we went through the motions and later I was informed about the injury. I was surprised but more importantly impressed with her unwavering dedication to the craft.”
Rea surely deserves all the high praise that her teacher showers on her. She makes it a point to practice for atleast thrice a week for 45 minutes in addition to the bi-weekly sessions at LDAB.

Rea on stage at the Once upon a time concert
At the Once upon a time concert held in December 2017, Rea played Sleeping beauty and performed with utmost poise and grace, dressed to perfection in her embellished pink tutu. She has pleasant memories of the night as she reminisces,
“Everyone appreciated the sweat and tears that went in to putting up our set. My Mom, dad and my grandmother happily cheered for me in the audience and a big hug from them after the performance just sweetened the entire experience for me even more.”





Wednesday, June 13, 2018

FEBRUARY BALLERINA OF THE MONTH

THE BALLERINA OF THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY IS ONE OF
 OUR NEWEST AND VERY TALENTED STUDENTS MEHER 
BIJLANI.

Meher Bijlani

She has been learning ballet since 2 months at LDAB and has shown
 tremendous growth and dedication. Her affinity towards ballet and the keen
 interest she showed in learning it prompted her parents to enroll her in Les 
Danseuses Academy of Ballet.

“The positive feedback that was given to us about LDAB encouraged us further to enroll her hereas classes for ballet are rare to find” is what her parents had to say about her classes.

Of all the ballet exercises, Meher enjoys Chassé the most. She even insists
on teaching her grandmother every new step she learns at the classes.

When asked how ballet has changed her life, here’s what her mother had to say “Ballet has boosted the morale for my daughter as she is getting a very divergent exposure by learning something exceptional.”
Outside the walls of the dance studio, Meher is an extremely creative and 
imaginative personality. She is quite the little chef as she creates new 
recipes and takes delight in experimenting in the kitchen. Meher is also an 
avid fan of art and loves drawing in her spare time.


Her father is very happy with her progress and said this about the academy “This academy not only ensures that the children learn the dance form with precision but also provides a protective atmosphere. The presence of the personal touch makes the children feel wanted and loved. This has created a strong and special bond between the teacher and student.”
Her teacher Ms Neha is very impressed with her keen observation skills and
 grasping ability. She said “Meher attentively listens to all the theoretical 
details communicated to the students in the class. She applies the theory in 
her ballet practice which is making her ballet technique very strong.”



BALLET EXAMS

“Perfection isn’t about how much you want it,
Its about how hard you are willing to work for it”
February 2017 will be reminisced as the most challenging month by the young ballerinas of LDAB in the days to come, for they had to glissade through the turbulence of their first ballet exams.
Exams are a vital part of education as they put the students’ abilities to test and reflect what they imbibed during the process of learning. Hence with the motive of inspiring our pupils to further hone their talents, LDAB held it’s first ever set of ballet examinations for the Primary Grade and Grade 1.
What makes the ballet exams stand out from any regular exam is the extensive scrutiny concentrated upon the accuracy of every single dance technique to ensure flawlessness.
To add to the uniqueness, this was the first time that ballet exams were conducted in the history of Pune.
The anatomy of the exam was bifurcated into three categories; Barre work, Centre work and a Choreographed Dance upon which the students would be assessed and it took a duration of 6 classes to orchestrate the procedures of these exams.
The multitude of emotions that the students were going through added to the tense atmosphere of the dance studio.

Zahabia Ghadiala, who was giving her exam to graduate from the Primary Grade to Grade 1 said “I was feeling nervous as it was very different from normal classes because Neha ma’am was very particular about every movement.
On the contrary, Sarah Dupuy, a young girl of 5 in the same batch as Zahabia’s was very calm and composed.
She personally told Miss Neha after the exam that she was very excited and enjoyed giving the Allegro test most of all.
The air was electric with the contagious nervous energy of the Grade 1 girls when they were asked whether they felt confident about the exams. They said that were feeling both skittish and exhilarated at the same time and could be seen practicing ballet steps outside the studio while awaiting their turn.
Ariana Sangtani, an effervescent student was quoted saying “I enjoyed giving the exams especially when Miss Neha told me to perform the adage”. Her sister Lara Sangtani was equally ebullient and told Miss Neha in advance that she was looking forward to these exams and primarily towards Allegro movements.
What impressed Neha Suhjani, their mentor and examiner, were the vibes of superlative energy she felt during these 6 classes. “The fact that my girls, who were all first timers to ballet exams, kept a positive temperament throughout is applaudable. ”
As of now, the young dancers expectantly await their results in hopes of making it to the next grade which will be even more an arduous but fruitful journey.

MARCH BALLERINA OF THE MONTH

The title of Ballerina of the month for March goes to Ananya Deshpande, a highly committed stalwart of ballet.
Her unfaltering and exceptional commitment in the class can only be termed as exemplary. Watch the video to find out more about her.
Take a glance into her life and journey as a ballerina by watching this video.

BALLERINA OF THE MONTH

WE WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE RIVA PARMAR –  OUR 
BALLERINA OF THE MONTH.

A sweet girl of eight, she has progressed incredibly within a year and a 
half. Her hard work and dedication towards ballet is commendable. 

Riva Parmar

She embraces ballet as a challenge and inspiration to do better than the
 rest.
When asked why she joined ballet , she said

Riva tying her ballet shoes before her class begins

“I LOVE BALLET FOR IT’S GRACEFULNESS AS A DANCE 
FORM. AS MY CLASSES HAVE PROGRESSED I HAVE 
FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THE NEW STEPS I LEARN”

She told us her favourite ballet exercises are Ballet Walks and Changement. 
Along with ballet she enjoys art , craft and music. Riva gave her first
 performance this December which portrayed her abundant talent.

Riva standing backstage moments before her first performance
                                             Telling us about her experience, she quoted

“I WAS NERVOUS DURING THE PERFORMANCE BUT
 LATER WHEN I WAS PRAISED IT ADDED TO MY 
CONFIDENCE AND DESIRE TO PURSUE IT AHEAD”

                                    Her teacher Ms. Neha is very impressed by her progress.


                        “RIVA IS A VERY DEDICATED STUDENT. HER FOCUS IN
                         CLASSES AND WILLINGNESS TO GIVE 100 PERCENT IN
                                              CLASS IS VERY INSPIRING.”


OVERSTRETCHING – HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH

Many dance teachers, concerned parents and health professionals are struggling with what they see going on in the dance world, especially online. Every day we are seeing images of young kids stretching inhumanely which tends to inspire girls with ballet dreams. But is it safe?




Recent studies show how ignorant teachers can cause the children untold physical damage. Many ballet teachers lack important training in anatomy and physiology. Encouraging children too early into moves, like going up “en pointe”, when the whole body is balanced on the toes, can ruin careers. It’s not just relatively advanced techniques like pointe work that can cause problems but forcing “turnout”, where dancers splay out their feet and open their hips, can also cause damage.




What is over-stretching and how is it harmful?
Over stretching is taking any joint past its natural physiological range, and especially stretching the ligaments that normally help support the joint, so that it becomes more mobile. Overstretching may also be where the individual is forced into a position resulting in traumatic damage to the tissues that previously restricted range. Many young students, especially those who already have hyper-mobility, are being put in ranges that overload one particular area, in their desire to achieve dramatic ranges of flexibility
If joint, such as the hip, is pushed past its normal range of motion there is a risk of damaging the surrounding tissues, including the labrum of the hip, the ligaments that surround the joint or in the case of the spine, the discs that give us the capacity for shock absorption and spinal mobility. In young students whose bones are not fully developed there is also a serious risk of damaging the shape of the hip socket or developing spinal stress fractures or Spondylolisthesis.

Adolescent bones (especially in the pelvis, spine and foot) are very vulnerable and any kind of extreme mobility training in young students must be very carefully considered.

And ballet for toddlers, which children can start at the age of two, must be handled with particular care. The teacher’s care to handle this age group is perhaps more important than at any other stage because at that point the bones are completely unformed.
They are unset and they are very, very flexible. Huge danger is apparent at that point.




We at LDAB have also seen too many children arrive at our school after early ballet training elsewhere with absolutely no understanding of correct posture, alignment and how to use turnout correctly, many with knee injuries too. A good dancer does not necessarily make one a good teacher. Quite often the understanding to break things down and build things up to achieve a rounded dancer isn’t there in many teachers.
Ballet is a lot of fun, in the right environment and with the right teacher.



SUMMERTIME BALLET

Summer has arrived and we have an offbeat way for you to spend those long summer hours. Here’s a collection of the finest and critically acclaimed ballet movies and shows, which both ballet parents and kids can enjoy together.


1. BARBIE IN THE NUTCRACKER

Barbie plays Clara, the heroine from the Nutcracker, who falls asleep on Christmas Eve to find herself embroiled in a conflict between the Nutcracker that she received for Christmas and the evil Mouse King. She follows the Nutcracker to his homeland, Parthenia, which has been ravaged by the Mouse King’s men. Can Clara and the Nutcracker dethrone the Mouse King and save the day? Fans of the original Nutcracker will know the answer.



2. BALLET SHOES

Parents need to know that for children interested in the performing arts, this family-friendly movie and its emphasis on a rigid training regimen as a road to sure success will be appealing. A loving family comprising three girls adopted from around the world and their guardian and nanny is depicted, working together to overcome tough economic times in Britain in the 1930s.



3. FIRST POSITION

Six young ballet students, all from different backgrounds, prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, a competition in which dance schools and companies from around the world scout for new talent.





4. BALLERINA

A poor orphan girl who dreams of becoming a ballerina but lacks any formal training, runs away from her orphanage in rural Brittany and goes to beautiful Paris accompanied by her friend, a young inventor, Victor to accomplish her dream to become a ballerina.





5. BUNHEADS

A showgirl who is fed up of her life decides to marry a gentleman and settle down in a small coastal town. She then ends up teaching dance along with her mother-in-law at her dance school.





6. BARBIE IN THE PINK SHOES

This movie features Kristyn and Hailey, two best friends, who aspire to be impeccable ballet dancers. A pair of magical pink shoes takes them both to a mystical world, full of adventures.




7. THE TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER

This live-action film adapts the animal stories of Beatrix Potter into a full-fledged ballet performance danced by various stars of the Royal Ballet. The narrative begins with a young Potter hard at work on her writing when, suddenly, her creations come dancing to life. Mice, ducks, frogs and squirrels all figure into Potter’s colourful menagerie, and the performers render each with a kind of freewheeling authenticity that separates the piece from typical ballet fare.




PERFORMER OF THE MONTH

Just like the season of spring brings a invigorating change in our lives, so did the month of April for the LDAB ballerinas as they stepped out of their ballet shoes to be introduced to world of theatre, singing and jazz dancing in the musical summer camp.

The Summer Camp Musical!

While all the kids were equally zealous and enthusiastic, it was Urshita Panicker who stood out as the Performer of the Month.

When asked about her learning experience, she said “Jazz was a totally new dance form for me which I am now in love with. The music and the dance moves very energetic and lively”


Urshita Panicker: Performer of the Month

Urshita enjoyed the change from regular ballet classes and displayed keen interest in the summer camp as she believes learning out of the regular portion is always fun and learning through fun is always enjoyable.

She was delighted to share the classes with the ballerinas of the primary grade and bonded generously with them.


Urshita enjoying the mixed grade crowd in the summer camp

Urshita said that her favourite memory from the summer camp is of when she first got the script handouts and learnt that they had to cheer up the Grunch with the help of a dance. She also added “I enjoyed doing the jazz hands move the most of all”


A glimpse of the first script reading, Urshita’s favourite memory

On learning that she received the title of “Performer of the Month” she was very surprised and told that she is feeling happy and proud of herself.

Miss Neha, her mentor said “Urshita is an exceptionally talented and dedicated learner. Even though this was her first time doing jazz, she has performed remarkably”.


JUNE BALLERINA OF THE MONTH

                                         Meet Ballerina of the Month – Tanishka Shroff

Tanishka Shroff

Tanishka Shroff is one of the most hard working and dedicated students of LDAB, who has shown tremendous growth and progress in her first year as a ballet dancer. Her excitement at being selected as the Ballerina of the Month was very evident, and this is what she had to say



“I feel on the top of the world for being selected as the Ballerina of the month. From the time I have started learning ballet, it was my goal to be selected one day.”

This happiness simply exemplifies the passion and love she has for ballet.

“I love doing ballet because it makes me look very graceful and gentle. It portrays an elegant personality of the person so anyone can fall in love with this kind of a dance form. Moreover I love the soft music that is played while we practice our dancing.”

Her favourite ballet exercise is Port de Bras, which means Carriage of the Arms.



When asked, which is her happiest memory in class, this is what she had to say




“The day when we first started using ballet barre, we were all very thrilled. Apart from this, I had a lot of fun in the Summer Camp – Grunch, the Musical and I am currently looking forward to our final performance.”

In addition to ballet, she enjoys drawing, arts and craft and cooking.




Her parents are very ecstatic at her progress in ballet. Her mother, Mrs Kashish Shroff told us that Tanishka comes back from her ballet class with a smile, and that is very gratifying.



Here’s what her ballet teacher Ms Neha had to say

“What makes Tanishka stand out is the way she accepts challenges, and never shies away when the class is strenuous. She loves ballet which can be easily seen in her performance in the class. She is working very hard to perfect her technique “


BOYS IN BALLET

Ballet is a physical and athletic activity requiring great skill, strength, and agility. “Skill, strength, and agility” sound like the traits of a young energetic boy ….so, where are they?

In today’s world, most of us don’t picture boys dancing in tight pants and tutus, and mostly think of ballet being a feminine dance form and boys should play the grittier sports. This mindset infects most of us but if we knew benefits of ballet, boys would encourage by one and all to join ballet.




Ballet requires concentration, balance, and most importantly calm mind and body. Acquiring all this isn’t a tough task and there are many more benefits for us to pursue ballet as a hobby or maybe even a career. It even improves muscular strength, flexibility, and range of motion. There are some combinations that require jumping and leaping which increases heart rate and can improve endurance, stamina and overall cardiovascular health. Like other forms of dance, ballet can improve body awareness and physical self-control.



The legendary Mikhail Baryshnikov doing a Pas De Deux

Several successful international footballers – Lynn Swann, Herschel Walker, Barry Sanders and Willie Gault, for instance – have turned to dance to enhance their skills. Even senior tailback DeAngelo Williams, a training junkie who gained 1,948 yards and scored 22 touchdowns last year said: “I would rather do sprints and up-downs than ballet.” It all started in the 1970’s when a wide receiver Lynn Swan announced that he had taken yoga and ballet classes to prepare for his games. Ever since then, NFL coaches have pushed players into taking ballet classes for strength.



Lynn Swann

Ballet in itself is a mesmerising form of dance that never fails to enthral the viewer by its sheer grace of presentation. We have managed to taint it by disregarding half of human race from enjoying the beauty of it. Men, stereotypically, are supposed to be tough, strong and devoid of grace. Are we wronging? Believing this not only deprives this dance-form of talented artists but also stops the men who view this as a passion for pursuing it.

The patriarchal world may have deprived ballet of undiscovered talents for a long duration but the tides of time have successfully changed the mindset. More and more boys are enrolling in ballet by the day to pursue their passion and are excelling.


JULY BALLERINA OF THE MONTH

We wish Ilisha Shah heartiest congratulations on winning the title of Ballerina of the Month for July. A remarkably dedicated and devoted ballerina of the Academy, she is also one of the most friendly and kind-hearted student.

Ilisha was overjoyed when she was selected as the Ballerina of the month and quoted:

“I had been working hard to earn this title ever since Miss Neha told us about it and my hard work has finally paid off. I feel really proud of myself.”




Ilisha developed an affinity towards ballet in her early childhood itself as she found the dance to be appealing and the music to be captivating.


Ilisha practicing her favourite ballet exercises with the rest of her class

In the studio, she has always been energetic and a keen learner. Her lively vibes are infectious and motivate others too. Ilisha’s favourite exercise is Grand Battement. On asking Ilisha about her happiest memory in the class she said

“I have made many happy and wonderful memories in the class but my treasured one will always be of the day I was chosen as ballerina of the month.”


Ilisha with her proud parents, who were thrilled on her selection as the Ballerina of the Month

Beyond the boundaries of ballet, Ilisha is a very artistic girl by nature. Playing the piano is one of her best-loved hobbies. Her parents are very impressed with her steady progress and are delighted with her latest achievement.



Ms Neha is overjoyed with her growth as a ballerina over the last year and said

“Ilisha has consistently worked hard ever since from her first class and I see a bright future for her as a ballerina.”


BALLERINA OF THE MONTH – JANUARY 2018

Devyani Poduval, a very talented and hardworking student of LDAB, is the first Ballerina of the month this new year. She is extremely happy to have won the title, saying, it takes a lot of effort and consistency to become one.

Devyani in class with her friends
Devyani always wanted to learn ballet and her parents were in search of a good ballet class when they heard about a trial session which was being conducted just next door. An excited and nervous ten-year-old Devyani walked into her first ballet session and fell in love with the dance form. After spending an hour learning the difficult French terms describing even more difficult ballet moves, she knew she had to come back. It is now more than a year that she has been with Neha and is soon going to appear in her first ballet examination.


On stage performing Princess Fiona for Once Upon a Time
Devyani was also one of the participants in the recent concert organized by LDAB – ‘Once Upon a Time’. She played Princess Fiona in this Princess-themed ballet concert. Dancing in front of hundreds of people was a booster to her confidence, although she was very nervous in the wings while waiting for her performance. “We were all shivering, probably with excitement, and Ms Neha kept whispering words of motivation to us. Ms Neha had told us in rehearsals that we can only give our hundred percent on stage if we put in a hundred and twenty percent at rehearsals. I understood the meaning of this only after the performance.”


  Devyani with her proud parents
                                       
Apart from dancing Devyani enjoys swimming, playing basketball and playing video games. Her curiosity and thrill to learn new things in life is what is shaping her personality. Devyani’s favorite subjects are Mathematics and French. An eager learner, she believes academics will aid life, but academics alone is not life.



Devyani’s teacher Neha is proud of the progress shown by her in the last one year. “One thing that I admire about Devyani is her dedication. There have been times when she has come to class in spite of being ill or having sprained her leg. Of course, on such occasions, she knows she cannot dance, and can only observe the class, but the fact that she shows up for class speaks volumes about her passion”.


SEPTEMBER BALLERINA OF THE MONTH

That is how Aanshi Bhavsar, the Ballerina of the Month for September describes herself. Her face was a picture of bliss and euphoria upon learning that she had won the coveted title at Les Danseuses Academy of Ballet. One could sense that from this point onward, her motivation had doubled for the classes to come.



Aanshi Bhavsar




“Learning and doing ballet fills me with exuberance and positivity” Aanshi quoted while talking about her love for the dance form. She also went ahead to mention how ballet has helped her in making her flexible and limber. Her favourite ballet steps include retiré, tendu and jumps like pas de chat. On being asked about her happiest memory in the ballet classes she said “Once Miss Neha made all of us do stretches together in the class and it will always be an unforgettable moment for me”



Aanshi is an outdoor enthusiast and loves playing outside. Being a creative child, she has been inclined naturally towards art and craft. She has displayed a keen interest towards gymnastics and is currently learning the same.



Aanshi with her proud family




Aanshi’s parents are extremely delighted with her achievement and have given her the freedom of exploring her interests. They are highly supportive of her dreams and have constantly supported her in achieving her personal goals. Her parents quoted “We love that Aanshi always has been self-motivated and we will always encourage her to follow her passion.”


OCTOBER BALLERINA OF THE MONTH

Just like October brings a graceful conclusion to autumn, Ishita Shah also closed the season tastefully by winning the title of “Ballerina of the Month”. Considerate and fun loving by nature, she has assiduously infused focus in herself when it comes to ballet.


Ishita Shah



Her family was extremely thrilled on learning of her newest achievement. They quoted “It satisfies our heart and makes us feel content to see Ishita enjoying what she is passionate about.” Ishita herself feels very motivated and since then she has propelled her efforts even more towards becoming better.



“I love coming to the ballet classes because I’ve made a lot of unforgettable memories in the class” said Ishita. She further added “For me ballet will always be the most graceful dance form and I look forward to learning new steps. My favourite ballet exercise is Chasse”.



Ishita is an eager outdoor enthusiast and is a keen skater and swimmer. Cooking is another of her favourite activity. Her mentor and teacher Miss Neha quoted “Ishita stands out every time in the class because of her quality of dance. Her dedication is nothing short of paramount and I look forward to seeing her in my class every week.”