The Ballerina Project India

Hello everyone! October is bursting with festivals! All dramatic, all dazzling, and all requiring only the best costumes... kinda like your favourite art form! 🩰 That’s why this month, we’ve been twirling through time to see how ballet costumes and styles have evolved over the centuries.  And now, as we inch toward the end of October (and the most iconic costume party of them all: Halloween 🎃), it’s time to wrap up this month’s series with a flourish! (drumroll, please... 🥁) We’re heading back in time one last time (😭) to the beginnings of modern ballet in the mid 20th century where tradition met innovation and ballet reinvented itself once again. Then we'll look at the present and set our sights on the future of ballet too! Quick heads up: modern ballet is essentially a combination of three things: 🏛️ Preserving romantic and classical ballet: You know, the classics, Swan Lake, Coppélia, La Bayadère, Sleeping Beauty, all those timeless ballets that still dominate the stage tod...

Hello everyone! Welcome back to our third post this month! 🎃 October’s in full swing, and with it come festivals from all around the world like Día de los Muertos, Samhain, and Japan’s Kawasaki Halloween Parade, all bursting with wild, creative costumes and super unique styles. And what do they all have in common (besides being perfectly timed with one of our author’s birthdays, but that’s not important right now 😜)? Costumes! Spooky, stylish, sometimes themed, but always statement-making. And honestly… is it really balletcore without the iconic ballet aesthetic and costumes? So this October, as an ode to all things festive and costumed, we’re continuing our new series that dives deep into how ballet style and costumes have evolved over the centuries. Last week, we glided into the tragical-magical, 19th century world of Romantic Era ballet, so today, we're diving head-first into the Classical Era of the late 1800s and early 1900s. If you've ever watched The Nutcracker, Swan L...

Hello everyone! Welcome back to our second post this month! 🎃 October’s in full swing, and with it come festivals from all around the world like Día de los Muertos, Samhain, and Japan’s Kawasaki Halloween Parade, all bursting with wild, creative costumes. And what do they all have in common (besides being perfectly timed with one of our author’s birthdays, but that’s not important right now 😜)? Costumes! Spooky, stylish, sometimes themed, but always statement-making. And honestly… is it really balletcore without the iconic ballet style and costumes? So this October, as an ode to all things festive and costumed, we’re continuing our new series that dives deep into how ballet style and costumes have evolved over the centuries. Last week, we twirled through the early days of ballet and the courtly drama of the 1500s to 1700s. Now, we’re gliding into one of the most enchanting (and honestly, most dramatic) periods in ballet history: The Romantic Era. If you’ve ever watched Giselle, La Sy...

Hey everyone! October is here! The air's crispy, the vibes are getting autumnal no matter where you are in the world, and things are getting just a tiny bit more spooky (thanks, Halloween 🎃). All around the world, festivals like Día de los Muertos, Samhain, and Japan’s Kawasaki Halloween Parade bring out wild, creative costumes. And what's the one thing they all have in common (besides being perfectly timed with one of our authors' birthdays, but that’s not important right now 😜)? Costumes! Spooky, stylish and sometimes themed yet always statement-making. And honestly... is it really balletcore without the iconic ballet style and costumes? So this October, as an ode to all things festive and costumed, we're kicking off a new series that dives deep into how ballet style and costumes have evolved over the centuries. Let's take a twirl through time. 💃🏻 First stop: the 1500s - 1700s But, wait!! Refresh your memory with this short ballet history lesson:  https://theb...

Hello Everyone! It’s that time of year again — school’s back in session, ballet shoes are hitting the studio floors, and everyone’s slowly stretching out of that long summer break (including us 😜). While regular kids are overwhelmed by the workload and now-unfamiliar socializing — ballet students are doing all that plus jetés, rehearsals, and trying not to fall asleep in their science class after a 3-hour tech run. We get it. It’s a lot. That's why, we've launched a sparkly new blog series and it's all about getting back in the ballet × school groove without losing your mind (or your turnout 😅). And, like we promised last week, this week’s post is all about performance nerves — how to calm them, channel them, and step on stage looking as confident as you feel inside. ✨ Ready to trade shaky knees for steady pirouettes? Let’s dive in! Tip #1 Make It Make Sense It's your turn on stage in five minutes and your palms are sweaty, legs are noodles, and you can't stop sha...

Hello Everyone! It’s that time of year again — school’s back in session, ballet shoes are hitting the studio floors, and everyone’s slowly stretching out of that long summer break (including us 😜). While regular kids are overwhelmed by the workload and now-unfamiliar socializing — ballet students are doing all that plus jetés, rehearsals, and trying not to fall asleep in their science class after a 3-hour tech run. We get it. It’s a lot. That's why, we've launched a sparkly new blog series and it's all about getting back in the ballet × school groove without losing your mind (or your turnout 😅). Like we mentioned in last week’s post on balancing school and ballet, this week we’re diving into the world of stretches — why they matter, and a few tried-and-true ones we’ve dug up through some very dedicated research. First up... Why stretch? Stretching isn’t just nice to have — for dancers, it’s your secret weapon for bigger extensions, cleaner lines, and way fewer injuries. I...

Hello Everyone! It’s that time of year again — school’s back in session, ballet shoes are hitting the studio floors, and everyone’s slowly stretching out of that long summer break (including us 😜). While regular kids are overwhelmed by the workload and now-unfamiliar socializing — ballet students are doing all that plus jetés, rehearsals, and trying not to fall asleep in their science class after a 3-hour tech run. We get it. It’s a lot. That's why, we've launched a sparkly new blog series and it's all about getting back in the ballet × school groove without losing your mind (or your turnout 😅). In this post we'll start with the essentials — balancing school with ballet. We'll be covering some of our favourite tips as ballerinas ourselves plus some extra research. #1: Plan, plan, plan! A solid plan is the sharpest weapon a high-school ballerina could have. Use calendars to plan and try your best to stick to it.  And no — we don't mean planning out one day at a...

Hello Everyone! Welcome back to our final post this month! This post is going to sum up everything we've learnt until now about iconic ballets, health, and competitions. Why? Because we know that in today’s busy world, reading long posts can be a challenge, so we've made each recap in this series short and sweet. Think of them as TL;DRs to all our previous content, just with a small twist. So let's start! TL; DR: Iconic Ballets Swan Lake : Composed by Tchaikovsky, this ballet tells the tragic love story of Prince Siegfried and Odette, a princess cursed to live as a swan. Known for its emotional depth and challenging dual roles of Odette and Odile, it remains one of ballet’s most enduring masterpieces. The Nutcracker : Another Tchaikovsky classic, this holiday favorite features Clara's magical journey to the Land of Sweets. With enchanting music and unforgettable dances,  The Nutcracker  has become a Christmas tradition worldwide, capturing the spirit of wonder and imagi...

Hello Everyone! Welcome back to our second post this month! As we promised in our previous post, this post is going to sum up everything we've learnt until now about ballet education systems, injuries and REDs/d. Why? Because we know that in today’s busy world, reading long posts can be a challenge, so we've made each recap in this series short and sweet. Think of them as TL;DRs to all our previous content, just with a small twist. So let's begin! TL;DR: Ballet Education Systems Vaganova Method : Developed by Agrippina Vaganova in Russia, this method emphasizes coordination, strength, and grace, producing dancers known for their expressive technique and precise movements. It continues to influence ballet worldwide. French Method : Originating from the Paris Opera Ballet School, it focuses on precision, elegance, and balance. Known for clean lines and smooth, flowing movements, it has shaped the ballet world for centuries. Italian Method : The first ballet method, it began d...