Ballet Manila co-artistic director Osias Barroso is headed to Mumbai, India to teach ballet classes at the Rhythmus Happy Feet dance school from January 14 to 17.

He will teach Levels 1 and 2 for children aged 7 to twelve years old and a teacher’s course to guide the school’s faculty members.

Barroso will also choose the recipients of two full scholarships and two half scholarships at The Lisa Macuja School of Ballet Manila for its 2017 summer workshop.

This is the third year that Barroso, on Ballet Manila’s behalf, is collaborating with the school in Mumbai that offers classes in ballet, jazz, hiphop, funk, creative movement and Bollywood dance.

“Rhythmus Happy Feet as an organization is very admirable because they seek guidance and truly want to improve their standard of ballet in Mumbai,” said Barroso.

Barroso first visited the school in 2015, upon the invitation of founders Swara Patel and Deepika Ravindran who wanted to administer ballet examinations for their students.

He also conducted a one-on-one teacher’s course for Ravindran.

The school founders were keen on learning more about the Vaganova ballet technique that Ballet Manila is known for and which they had heard about previously.

Ravindran subsequently attended The Lisa Macuja School of Ballet Manila’s 2015 summer workshop.

Last year, the school hosted two Indian girls from Rhythmus Happy Feet, giving a full scholarship to Krisha Shah, 12, and a half scholarship to Eesha Karnani, 12.

Ravindran came with them to teach Bollywood dance classes at BM’s summer workshop.

“It’s a great endeavor for us to open our doors to international ballet schools, students and teachers,” said Barroso.

In 2016, he and Macuja-Elizalde also conducted an intensive dance workshop in Jakarta, Indonesia in coordination with the Katinka International Dance Sports Center owned by dance advocate Catherine Kasim.

Barroso said BM will continue to explore possible tie-ups with other ballet schools in the Asian region.