***This class is FREE and open to the public***
TITLE: “Let’s Go to the Ballet!”
WHEN: SUNDAY, December 8th, 2024 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
WHERE: BIM BOM STUDIO (5226 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60641)
CLASS DESCRIPTION / WHAT TO EXPECT
Many of us are called back to aspects of ballet. What aspects of ballet are still present within us? How does it inform our personal and/or professional lives?
Tuli and Ashwaty, each with a unique relationship to ballet, have found common ground to craft this first-ever workshop, inviting participants to join their journey of exploration. Through guided movement, choreography, and storytelling, you’ll engage with themes of nostalgia, creativity, and personal connection to ballet. This is not your standard ballet class—it’s a collaborative space where ballet’s traditions, joys, and challenges intersect with reflection and innovation.
Expect an experimental structure:
Arrival & Atmosphere: Music sets the tone as participants settle in. There will be light snacks and warm beverages available throughout the workshop. The vibe is casual, cozy, and warm!
Movement Introductions: Tuli and Ashwaty will lead a movement exploration inspired by their ballet practices, memories, and choreographic instincts.
Creative Play: Explore choreography, shapes, and expressions, using prompts to connect ballet fundamentals with intuitive movement.
Reflection & Sharing: A space for participants to process and share their memories and relationships with ballet through writing, movement, or discussion.
Whether you’re revisiting a powerful memory, challenging traditional notions of ballet, or simply curious, this workshop is a space to pause, reflect, and reconnect. Let’s break assumptions, honor differences, and celebrate the creative threads that tie us to ballet.
THIS CLASS IS LIMITED TO 8 participants. Please double check that you are available to attend. If anything changes please email Tuli (tuli.bera92@gmail.com)
About Ashwaty and her relationship to Ballet
I wanted to wear a pink tutu and look sparkly when I first joined a ballet class at the age of 4.5. The meditative state of simple physical actions in a sequenced set to dynamic melodies and rhythms soon felt like home to me. I never imagined not dancing and looked forward to every recital and finding my way to create to music and stories that inspired me. Friends and family had to witness my tinkering and choreographic projects in all states. I only had two ballet teachers in my life, but their passion and choice to take us "seriously" as young artists in the classroom was palpable and there isn't a day that goes by where I don’t feel immense gratitude to Miss Lisa and Mis Deena. Ballet is in my body and I carry it around wherever I go, more than anything else I have physically attempted. I spent so many hours of my physical and social life in the ballet studio, and it is the most comforting memory I have. I feel grateful that I didn't go any further with it - I quit in the 10th grade - as I am sure the creeping competition and the body shaming would have eventually tainted my experience.
About Tuli and their relationship to Ballet
I began my Ballet training around the age of 4-5 at the Lee School of Ballet in Champaign, IL under the direction of Gwendolyn Lee. And a few years later, I continued training with Deanna Doty at Champaign-Urbana Ballet Academy for the next 10-12 years. I fell hard for Ballet and it became a significant part of my life. I lived and breathed it day and night. My favorite memories when it came to performances were the pantomime moments. I loved the theatrical component and I loved to smile. I still remember the soreness from smiling so hard! I took a break from Ballet and dance in general at the age of 16 to pursue a more active social life. But found myself yearning to be back in the studio. It was my time in college (The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), that my mind and body were opened up to the potential and diversity of movement expression. Here I was immersed in a plethora of styles and genres of dance. While I still found my comfort with Ballet this time was also the moment I started to question Ballet and eventually I rejected it by vowing to not perform it again. I saw how much I let the form define who I was and how I expressed myself. I often found myself asking, how can I love a form that doesn’t accept all bodies and expressions? As much as I wanted to reject the form, it was still a skill I was an expert in— plus, ya girl had bills to pay. Thus, Ballet stayed in my life through teaching. And I have to admit that Ballet is one of my first loves. Today, I find myself excited to find ways to create an environment where Ballet feels more accessible. I absolutely love teaching Adult Ballet— to break down the form is a challenge that motivates me. I want to find 50 more ways to describe how to do a tendu!
If you have any specific questions (or anything you'd like to share) about the series please contact me (Tuli Bera).