ballet dance

Discipline from ballet promotes overall grooming, notes Pratyusha Chhajer

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Dance not only helps in keeping the body active but is also a great way to express emotions, release stress and develop discipline in life. It lets us explore our wild imaginations, gives us hope and joy. And in these unprecedented times, these are the things that we need more than anything, believes Pratyusha Chhajer, the director of SS Ballet Academy (SSBA).

Starting out in Indore, Madhya Pradesh and shifting headquarters to Ahmedabad, Gujarat, the academy has been giving ballet enthusiasts a new lease of life during the pandemic.

Taking a closer look at the problem, Pratyusha points out that the highly contagious Coronavirus profoundly changed our lives – it caused huge disruption in our routines and distorted the sense of time. Students became over-dependent on gadgets and their involvement in physical activity was reduced to zero, all thanks to the COVID-induced lockdown. Looking at the pile of problems, it’s high time that people incorporate an activity in their routines that could retain the balance in their lives.

“And there is nothing better than ballet dance,” opines Pratyusha, “as ballet dancing helps in building traits like confidence, teamwork and discipline, thereby promoting overall grooming.”

A mother of two, Pratyusha assures that one hour of ballet dance practice will bring positive behavioural changes. Not just that, the ballet dance postures physically strengthens the person and soothing music calms the mind. “My own daughter started ballet dancing during the first lockdown and the progress in her dancing skills, as well as her personality, has been incredible,” she points out.

In these hard times, Pratyusha wants parents, teachers and guardians to step up and encourage children to enroll in these classes. “It’s good to let your child follow their heart, but sometimes as elders, it’s essential to make them do things that will be good for them in the long run.”

True. Considering how their personal, as well as academic lives have gone haywire, elders should encourage children to take up activities like ballet dancing that would help in their overall grooming while instilling discipline in them. “When gadgets have become our friends and we are dependent on them to this extent, why not make good use of them,” says Pratyusha as SSBA has begun conducting online ballet classes on Zoom and Google Classroom.

Pratyusha opened the SS Ballet Academy three years ago to train and develop professional dancers. Though the pandemic posed several challenges, she turned them into an opportunity, not just for herself, but for many others.

“Opportunities do not come gift-wrapped. You need to step out of your comfort zone and take risks,” she quips and adds, “We did the same by switching to online classes and the results were fabulous. There were so many people who wanted to make good use of their time at home and polish their creative side.”

SS Ballet Academy focuses on virtual dance classes to tide over pandemic

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Dancing through the pandemic, literally

Ballet in itself is a unique dance form for India. On top of it, the pandemic presented a huge challenge to the newly launched SS Ballet Academy (SSBA), which started out in Indore, Madhya Pradesh and shifted headquarters to Ahmedabad, Gujarat. But its business model has fast evolved with the introduction of online classes.

“Although we all hoped that lockdowns wouldn’t come, we quickly prepared for them and transitioned to online classes via virtual methods such as Zoom and Google Classroom. Its worked out fine for now,” quips entrepreneur Pratyusha Chhajer, director of the academy.

She admits to have drawn inspiration from a lot of other people in the industry and dance schools across the globe, who were all forced into lockdowns. “Initially it seemed difficult. But gradually as we started believing in the idea, there was this shift in mindsets that dance classes could be conducted virtually,” she remarks.

Pratyusha also mentions that the dance industry is actually lucky that online classes can be so successful with the right teacher and right programme. “To keep making headway, learn and succeed in these exceptional times, is a huge challenge in itself,” she adds. True! It’s not only helpful to students to keep their minds creatively occupied, but also in learning a new universally acclaimed art form.

“Though virtual dancing lessons may not always be an ideal choice, it sure has opened new avenues for now and given opportunities and hope to many who feel stagnated or had their growth stunted due to the pandemic,” points Pratyusha. “They have now got this unique chance to train and grow, dancing through the pandemic, literally. And that’s an opportunity they are cherishing,” she concludes.

SS Ballet Academy follows the prestigious Vaganova Method in ballet dance. Recently, Pratyusha also conducted an informative interview with a prominent award-winning ballet teacher Fethon Miozzi of Vaganova Ballet Academy, based at St. Petersburg, Russia.

It can be noted here that SSBA 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 academy is offering certification courses and classes to students who wish to excel in ballet dance. Though the classes are currently being conducted online, the academy is gearing up to resume offline certification courses soon. After Indore and Ahmedabad, SSBA plans to expand its branches to Mumbai, Delhi and other cities across the country.

Gujarat’s SS Ballet Academy receives international CID certification

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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.

Pratyusha Chhajer’s Samyan Shonaya Ballet Academy makes headway in Gujarat

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For a country obsessed with Bollywood, one can say it’s quite difficult for different genres of dance to make inroads in India. Indian classical dances are popular in the South, but for a dance form like ballet to catch on, we need to have a proper setup, good teachers and a commitment to excellence.

These are the very qualities entrepreneur Pratyusha Chhajer has brought to the fore with Samyan Shonaya Ballet Academy (SSBA), which she founded three years ago, to develop and train professional dancers.

Starting operations in Indore, SSBA 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.

This curriculum method is marked by a fusion of the classical French style (specifically elements from the romantic era), with the athleticism of the Italian method, combined with the soulful passion of Imperial Russian Ballet.

SSBA provides a strong professional academic program with focus on music, drama, dance, grace, fitness, nutritional diet, language, self-confidence and overall personality development, ensuring mental and physical health and balance in your life. It emphasizes on development of strength, flexibility and endurance.

The ballet academy serves as a mentorship platform to gifted children, teenagers, students with dreams, dedicated young dance professionals, securing a professional culture for dancers, teachers and dance directors. Gaining a reputation for excellence in performing arts, the academy is now at the vanguard of dance education and classical ballet training in India.

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

About Pratyusha Chhajer

For the record, Pratusha Chhajer is an empathetic, versatile and multifaceted personality, with a great understanding of the influence of culture on creativity. She holds certificates in various arts including dance, photography and calligraphy.

Born in Indore, Pratusha has been part of the administrative team at Abhivyakti (a non-profit organization under the Dainik Bhaskar Group), and has helped organize and conduct many Indian cultural dance shows, business events, social events, educational events and charity fundraisers.

She has been recognized for her exemplary organizational work for fashion shows conducted by the International Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD) and Khadi Gram Udyog.

She is the founder and director of Samyan Shonaya Ballet Academy, and also a renowned fashion designer with her own label Samyan Shonaya Haute Couture; businesses under the brand name of Samyan Shonaya Group of Companies.