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.
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
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
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
Overview
Cricket World Cup League Two: Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
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Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
'O'
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Trippier bio
Date of birth September 19, 1990
Place of birth Bury, United Kingdom
Age 26
Height 1.74 metres
Nationality England
Position Right-back
Foot Right
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
UAE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani
Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Salem Rashid, Mohammed Al Attas, Alhassan Saleh
Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Yahya Nader, Ahmed Barman, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani
Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
