Tejas Saraswathi’s grandmother is a wise woman. When Saraswathi was about to quit ballet because of the constant bullying from his friends, she advised him against it.
“If you give up this opportunity, you will be making a big mistake,” she said, acknowledging the fact that professional ballet schools are not very common in India.
“She was right. Everybody does contemporary and hip-hop. But boys doing ballet here … that's pretty rare," Saraswathi says. "That's when I decided to stop listening to other people who were out there to hurt me. I just followed my heart.”
Now he believes continuing the practice was the best decision of his life.
Saraswathi was studying in Bangalore at the Parikrma Foundation, a non-government organisation that provides free education to orphans and children from slums. He was introduced to ballet through an outreach programme run by The Lewis Foundation of Classical Ballet.
“I had no idea what ballet was when I was young. Since I come from a not-so-privileged family, I didn’t have much exposure to the arts. But the thought of learning a new dance form excited me. Boys in India don't prefer ballet. So, I thought let me give it a try and do something new and unique,” he adds. Today, Saraswathi has completed 12 years of ballet training, with several shows in Bangalore and Delhi to his credit.
What keeps the 19-year-old pursuing the dance is the combination of physical and mental strength it has helped him develop.
“While physically, ballet has helped build my agility and strength, mentally and emotionally it has helped me overcome stage fear. It helps me deal with exam stress better as well,” he says, adding that although he may not make a career out of dancing, he does plan to pursue physiotherapy in sport and dance. “This way, I can help and heal in the two fields that I love the most.”
Saraswathi is one of 200 boys who were provided ballet training and performance opportunities by The Lewis Foundation, through its partnership with NGOs such as the Parikrma Foundation and Snehadaan.
Established in 2006, The Lewis Foundation trains in various dance forms, including ballet, jazz, modern and other disciplines. It has more than 1,000 students at its six centres in Bangalore and the outreach weekly class at Parikrma Foundation. The male-to-female ratio is 34:1,000.
Yana Lewis, The Lewis Foundation's artistic director, co-founder and head teacher, believes that when people think of ballet, they think only of pointe work, where you support all your body weight on the tips of fully extended feet.
“Men, in ballet, are athletes,” she says, adding that, although things have improved over the years on the gender front, there is still more that could be done. But when asked if the skewed gender-ratio is India-specific when it comes to ballet, she is quick to reply that it is global.
Lewis is accredited by the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing in the UK. She has trained in classical ballet under Jean Campbell, Molly Lake and Celia Johnson and in jazz under Ivor Meggido and Arlene Phillips. She is also trained in modern techniques developed by dancing greats such as Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Lester Horton and Jose Limon. Lewis has choreographed for or featured in music videos for Elton John, Bryan Adams, Phil Collins and Ray Parker Jr.
The Lewis Foundation is credited with getting many students on to the path of ballet, and many have moved abroad to pursue further training. Rahul Pradeep, 32, is one of them. Pradeep started learning ballet at the age of 20, although he remembers being fascinated by it when he was seven.
“The flexibility, grace and power of dance intrigued me. As a boy, my parents always tried to push me into sports, as most parents do. But I preferred combining musical sensibilities and athletic prowess through ballet. Music is my first love and dance was the perfect engine to drive this passion,” he says.
Pradeep was offered scholarships to study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Ballet West Scotland where he was a part of the Ballet West Touring Company with national tours of Scotland. He has Bachelor of Arts degrees in ballet and musical theatre. Ask him if his journey as a male ballet dancer was a tough one and he smiles.
“Picking ballet was one of the easiest decisions I have ever made in my life. It gave me the freedom to leave everything I didn’t need behind, and push forward to what dance had to offer me. I leapt and have never looked back.” Pradeep is currently based in London.
Ballet helped Anand Dhanakoti, 31, realise his true calling as well. Today he lives in Hamburg, Germany and is pursuing a career as a freelance dancer and choreographer.
“Initially, I found the intricate movements in ballet difficult. But my curiosity drove me to master the art, and I grew to adore expressing myself through ballet," he says. Dhanakoti started learning ballet at the age of 13 and continued doing so for a decade.
Initially, societal prejudices challenged Dhanakoti, who had always studied at an all-boys school. “The ballet attire felt more feminine, making me slightly uncomfortable. However, my teacher’s support helped me overcome these hesitations. It took about two years for me to become more aware of my body and envision myself as a ballet dancer,” he adds.
Ballet led Dhanakoti to explore Indian folk dance, street circus, Kalari, flying, passing through, jazz and hip-hop as well. He eventually shifted to contemporary dance because he was fascinated by its movements. “It allowed me to explore classical and modern styles, fostering my desire to not just be a ballet dancer but a versatile artist, creating my own works as a choreographer," he says. Dhanakoti has had the opportunity to travel and collaborate with dance communities globally, from Poland to Japan.
Germany lured another ballet dancer, Peter Mani, too. Mani was selected for a three-year dance programme at the Contemporary Dance School in Hamburg. Like Dhanakoti, he had to use a crowdfunding platform to sponsor his ambition. His father was a daily wage labourer whose tuberculosis treatment pushed the family into the trap of money-lenders. Mani had to drop out of school and start earning for his family at the age of eight, building roads, parks and drainage. Mani was eventually helped by an NGO, through which he got a scholarship to take up ballet aged 12.
“From being someone who worked on the streets and couldn’t speak English, I became someone who not only graduated from a reputed college as the best outgoing student but also became an assistant teacher in ballet. The discipline that I learnt in ballet helped me cope with my life. Dance has given my life a direction and a purpose. I don’t intend to ever stop dancing,” Mani says.
The journey of many of these male ballet dancers is reflected in films such as the 2020 Netflix documentary/drama by Sooni Taraporevala, Yeh Ballet, and 2023 documentary Call Me Dancer. While the former drama film showcased the journey of two underprivileged boys from Mumbai, who pursue their ballet dreams despite all odds, the latter is a documentary that follows the trials of Manish Chauhan, who wants to be known as a dancer, despite his humble beginnings in Mumbai’s slums.
Chauhan followed his passion although his parents wanted him to have a stable career and complete his education. The story highlights the fact that dancing is not an investment the poor could afford and Chauhan was fortunate to have been spotted, trained and encouraged by Israeli ballet teacher Yehuda Maor.
Call Me Dancer has won several awards in independent and international film festivals this year, including the Audience Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival, Berkshire International Film Festival and Tasveer South Asian Film Festival.
It's said that dancers don’t need wings to fly. The grit of these ballet dancers in pursuing their passion, notwithstanding their roots and societal expectations, is a reflection of that.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
DUNE%3A%20PART%20TWO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Denis%20Villeneuve%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Timothee%20Chamalet%2C%20Zendaya%2C%20Austin%20Butler%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications
MATCH INFO
World Cup 2022 qualifier
UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm
Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Saeed Ahmed, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Muhammed Jumah, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers
Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.
It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.
The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.
Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.
Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.
He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.
AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”
A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.
Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.
Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.
Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.
By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.
Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.
In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”
Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.
She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.
Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5-litre%2C%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E410hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E495Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Estarts%20from%20Dh495%2C000%20(Dh610%2C000%20for%20the%20F-Sport%20launch%20edition%20tested)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More on Quran memorisation:
The specs: 2018 Genesis G70
Price, base / as tested: Dh155,000 / Dh205,000
Engine: 3.3-litre, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 370hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 510Nm @ 1,300rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.6L / 100km
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
