About The School

Mission

En Pointe Ballet Academy aims to provide the highest quality of classical ballet training, at par with international standards and academies, through accredited examinations and annual recital performances.

 

We emphasise on building solid foundational technique while developing each student’s creativity and artistry, giving them the necessary skills needed to pursue a career in dance and the arts.

 

Through our rigorous training program, we instil in our students a strong sense of discipline, dedication, and perseverance, all of which are values they take beyond the walls of our academy

Founder

Marianne Antonio, En Pointe Ballet Academy’s founder and director, began her ballet training at the age of 5. Born and raised in the Philippines, she continued her formal training in classical ballet for 17 years under the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus (UK), Ballet Conservatoire Syllabus (Australia), and National Ballet Syllabus (Philippines), receiving Distinction marks in all her examinations.

 

She has also received formal training in jazz, modern ballet, hiphop, and contemporary dance. By age 16, she became an apprentice of the Philippine Ballet Theatre and was part of productions such as The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Cinderella, and Esmeralda. She was also a company member of the House of Dance Company, participating in performances and competitions in Chicago, Hawaii, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia.

 

Marianne received her accreditation as an instructor of the Ballet Conservatoire syllabus in 2017, making her the first ballet instructor to teach the internationally-renowned curriculum in India. She is also the first certified Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) instructor in India.

 

Apart from her extensive dance background, she also holds a Masters degree in International Business from Audencia Nantes School of Management, France.

 

Curriculum

Ballet Conservatoire

The Ballet Conservatoire, The Australian Conservatoire of Ballet’s Training and Examination Program, is based on the Russian (Vaganova) Method of Classical Ballet. BC’s 12 year program is designed to suit the needs of all classical ballet students who are unable to take full-time dance training from an early age. The program emphasises correct placement, dynamics and performing quality which are all qualities inherent in the Vaganova method.

 

In addition to this, the program aims to develop in the student a professional attitude which will assist them in the pursuit of a career either as a professional dancer or dance teacher.

The Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT)

Progressing Ballet Technique is an innovative body-conditioning and strengthening program that has been designed to enhance students’ technique by focusing on training the muscle memory required in each exercise in all forms of dance. It is a unique training system using ballet technique specific exercises to train skill acquisition in a graded and progressive manner from junior through to advanced levels. 

 

En Pointe Ballet Academy is the first ballet school in India to incorporate PBT in its training curriculum, further emphasising our dedication towards proper and safe training.

Examinations

En Pointe Ballet Academy selects students who meet the school’s criteria to enter yearly examinations. As the BC upholds a high standard of certification, we make sure that each student we enter is able to clear the exams successfully.

Students from each level must be attending the required number of class hours per week:

 

  • Pre Primary & Primary: 2 hrs per week
  • Prep Level 1: 2.25 hrs per week
  • Level 1: 2.5 hrs per week
  • Level 2: 3 hrs per week
  • Level 3: 3.5 hrs per week
  • Level 4: 4 hrs per week

 

Examinations are conducted by accredited lecturers and examiners from Australia and the Philippines.

Recitals and Competitions

Spotlight: Annual Recital Showcase

As part of our training curriculum, we stage an annual recital at the end of every school year to showcase our students’ progress. Participating in recitals are a vital part of dance education as it develops confidence, camaraderie, and hard work. Moreover, our recitals are staged in a fun and unique way, wherein various themes are incorporated while still maintaining the classical elements of ballet.

 

We also take part in national competitions, wherein selected students are given intensive training to reach competition level standards. Through competitions, our students are exposed to the various aspects of competitions such as rigorous trainings and constructive criticism from judges and peers.

 

We are proud of our students for having participated and garnering the following awards:

 

Mosaic Competition New Delhi, OCT 2018

    • 1st Place Classical Ballet Group, age 6-8:
          Vaama Patel, Anaaya Shah, Anna Kothari
    • 1st Place Modern Ballet Group, age 9-12:
          Ananya Hoof, Riya Patel, Cahira Sarabhai
    • 3rd Place Contemporary Solo, age 6-8:
          Aahna Harsh
    • 3rd Place Contemporary Group, age 13-16:
          Amira Munshaw, Meesha Chotai, Priyata Mangal

Great Indian Ballet Competition Mumbai, DEC 2019

    • 1st Place Modern Ballet Ensemble, age 4-6:
          Amaira Dikshit, Samaya Patel, Veronica Mittal
    • 1st Place Modern Ballet Ensemble, age 7-10:
          Aarya Sharma, Prisha Mittal, Prissha Gopalka, Rhianna Sanghvi, Samaira Shah
    • 2nd Place Modern Ballet Ensemble, age 7-10:
          Anna Kothari, Drisha Dave, Riya Patel, Sia Bhagchandani, Vaama Patel
    • 1st Place Modern Ballet Ensemble, age 11-14:
          Cahira Sarabhai, Fiona Vashist, Michelle Joy, Parissa Barai, Sanvi Kamboj
    • 1st Place Modern Ballet Solo, age 11-14:
          Amira Munshaw
  • Scholarship to Armiani Baletski Studio, Serbia awarded to Amira Munshaw
  • Scholarship to Russian School of Ballet, South Africa awarded to Parissa Barai

Great Indian Ballet Competition, online, DEC 2021

    • 3rd Place, Modern Ballet Solo, Junior Division:
          Janala Davis
    • Consolation Prize, Classical Ballet Solo, Teens Division
          Astha Agarwal
    • Consolation Prize, Classical Ballet Solo, Seniors Division
          Meesha Chotai
    • Recipient of Ballet Project India Feature
          Amira Munshaw

Faculty & Team

Divya Ramani

Divya started her dance journey with Terrence Lewis’s 3-month workshop conducted in Ahmedabad. She was trained in bollyhop and contemporary, and had performed onstage in Terrence Lewis Academy’s annual showcase in Mumbai.

She then started her training with D Dancing Street, Ahmedabad for 6 years where she learned various dance styles such as hip hop, bollywood, and semi-classical. During this training period, she received training from various artists from Mumbai as well as participated in showcases.

Her classical ballet training started off as a self-taught journey since there were no formal
institutions in Ahmedabad that offered proper training. So when En Pointe Ballet Academy
opened in 2016, she joined the adult ballet classes and was then transferred to the curriculum
training batch.

She has successfully completed her Level 2 and 3 Ballet Conservatoire exams, and was also sent as a representative of the school to the Ballet Festival of India held in Mumbai. There she received training from prominent international faculty from France, the Philippines, and the US. She is also attending technique training under Ms. Chiiho Sano, Bombay Ballet Company’s Artistic Director.

She has been an assistant instructor at En Pointe for the past 2 years, and is also currently in training for teacher’s certification for Progressive Ballet Training.