Ballet for Peace

Manama : Inspiring the world to dream about “peace and harmony”, Bahrain Ballet Centre celebrated Peace One Day in the Kingdom by performing a ballet on the song ‘Imagine’ written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The ballet, Zilia Monteiro from Bahrain Ballet Centre told Tribune, celebrates an idealistic world without barriers, politics and the things which limit the world from being unified as ‘one’.

“We are proud to express our interpretation of the song in the spirit of dancing for peace,” she said while speaking to Tribune about the initiative which was held in association with Bahrain4All. Dance, she said, is an expressive art form, teaches students inner discipline, creativity, finesse and grace. “Many of these qualities promote harmony and unity within individuals, acting as catalysts for change in the environments around them.” The Bahrain Ballet Centre is the island’s oldest performing arts studio set up in 1982 in Barbar. The centre focuses on providing professional training in the performing arts, specifically in the fields of dance and music.

“Our motto here at the studio is ‘Making the Stage Your World’, through performance,” Monteiro told Tribune expressing her pride at the variety of classes the centre offers. “Here at the Bahrain Ballet Centre, we strongly believe in inclusivity - we have students of various ethnicities, age, gender and most importantly we include students with disabilities.” 

“We pride ourselves on having qualified teachers who provide a mix of fun and disciplined classes for kids who will learn to build self-esteem, fitness, confidence and grace through dance,” Monteiro. The centre holds classes for kids and adults in Ballet, Tap, Modern Theatre, Contemporary Jazz, Ballroom, Salsa etc. It has also started a top class for adults on Saturdays & Tuesdays. 

“In the future, we are looking towards more collaborations on the island & outside,” said Monterio on her plans. When asked about upcoming performances, she said their last year’s 35th Anniversary show at Cultural Hall was a huge success.  “Our next show is going to be held on February 1st, 2019, as the Cultural Hall.”

“Details will be out in due course on our social media pages,” Zilia added.