The Ahmedabad-based SS Ballet Academy (SSBA) in Gujarat, has recently received certification from the internationally prestigious Conseil International de la Danse (CID); an official partner of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (popularly known as UNESCO).

The International Dance Council CID, Paris, is the official umbrella organization for all forms of dance in all countries of the world. It is a non-governmental organization founded in 1973 within the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, where it is based. Its members are the most prominent federations, associations, schools, companies and individuals in over 170 countries.

“The SSBA is extremely proud to be certified by CID as it holds international value,” says Pratyusha Chhajer, the founder and director of SS Ballet Academy. “We at SSBA strive to successfully establish relationships with ballet schools and academies around the world and take India step by step forward on the international stage. This certification by The International Dance Council CID, Paris, goes a long way in boosting our confidence,” she adds.

The entrepreneur founded SSBA three years ago, to develop and train professional dancers. Starting operations in Indore, it became the first academy to introduce ballet to Central India. The academy has now moved its headquarters to Ahmedabad, an economic hub with great cultural diversity in the vibrant state of Gujarat.

Certification courses and classes are available for students who wish to excel in ballet dance. In view of the pandemic, classes are currently being conducted online on Zoom and Google Classroom. However, the academy is gearing up to resume offline certification courses soon.

Named after Pratyusha’s children Samyan and Shonaya, SSBA follows the Vaganova curriculum method of ballet. It is a style of ballet training created by Russian ballerina Agrippina Vaganova, who became a highly renowned ballet teacher and has authored the book Basic Principles of Classical Ballet.

After Indore and Ahmedabad, SSBA plans to expand its branches to Mumbai, Delhi and other cities across the country.