Indian ballerina and educator Dhvani Kothari is mounting a quiet but pointed challenge to one of the performing arts' most persistent stereotypes: that ballet belongs only to a narrow physical ideal. As the founder of the National Ballet School of India, Kothari is using training, outreach and public advocacy to argue that ballet can and should be open to dancers of different body types, backgrounds and levels of access.
Breaking the Ballet Mold
For generations, ballet has carried a reputation for exclusivity. In India, that perception has often been reinforced by limited training infrastructure, high costs, and the lingering belief that the art form is imported, rarefied and physically unforgiving. Kothari's message cuts directly against that legacy. By insisting that "ballet is for every body type," she is reframing the discipline not as a gatekept aesthetic, but as a rigorous art that can accommodate diversity without sacrificing excellence.
That argument matters in a country where classical and contemporary dance ecosystems are vast, yet ballet remains relatively niche. The barriers are not only cultural but practical: access to qualified instructors, suitable studios, performance opportunities and sustained training is uneven across cities and income groups. Kothari's school is positioned as part of a broader corrective, seeking to build a pipeline that does not depend on inherited privilege or imported assumptions about the "right" dancer.
Her stance also speaks to a larger global conversation in the arts. Ballet institutions worldwide have faced criticism for promoting rigid body standards that can discourage participation and narrow the talent pool. In India, where public discourse around body image is increasingly visible, Kothari's intervention is especially resonant. It challenges the idea that discipline must be policed through appearance, and instead places emphasis on technique, musicality, strength and commitment.
Access Over Elitism
The National Ballet School of India is central to that mission. By creating a dedicated institution, Kothari is helping formalise ballet training in a context where many aspiring dancers may otherwise encounter the form only through short workshops, private lessons or online exposure. A school model allows for continuity, structure and legitimacy — all essential if ballet is to move beyond novelty and become a sustainable part of India's performing arts landscape.
Accessibility, however, is not only about opening doors; it is also about changing expectations once people enter. Kothari's approach suggests that inclusion in ballet should not require conformity to a single body ideal. That is a significant cultural shift in a field long associated with discipline enforced through visual uniformity. Her work implies that the future of ballet in India may depend less on reproducing old hierarchies and more on widening the definition of who can train, perform and excel.
The timing is notable. Indian audiences are increasingly receptive to hybrid cultural forms, and younger performers are more willing to question inherited norms around gender, body image and artistic legitimacy. In that environment, Kothari's advocacy has the potential to influence not just students, but parents, teachers and arts institutions that shape early access to dance.
A Wider Cultural Shift
Kothari's challenge is ultimately larger than ballet itself. It is about who gets to be seen as graceful, disciplined and worthy of elite artistic training. In a society where body standards often shape opportunity, her message carries both artistic and social weight. By insisting that ballet can welcome different body types, she is pushing against a narrow cultural script that has long defined excellence through exclusion.
If her work gains traction, it could help reposition ballet in India as a more democratic art form — one that values training and expression over conformity. That would not only broaden participation, but also deepen the art form's relevance in a country where the next generation of dancers is likely to demand both rigor and representation. Kothari's project suggests that ballet's future in India may depend on a simple but radical idea: talent is not confined to one shape.