Mumbai-based ballet teacher Ashifa Sarkar Vasi began studying the dance form at the age of six. Ashifa trained for 14 years in the US, at institutions such as the School of American Ballet in New York City and the Rock School for Dance Education (Philadelphia Ballet) in Pennsylvania. She performed for 11 years, in productions of The Nutcracker; La Bayadere and Sleeping Beauty and played lead roles in Les Sylphides, Carousel, and multiple original works. An ABT (American Ballet Theatre) Certified Teacher, she has been teaching ballet since 1999 both in the US and India and has worked with students of various ages, levels, abilities and backgrounds in different settings.

In India, she has taught for the Institute of Classical and Modern Dance, Terence Lewis, Sumeet Nagdev, The Danceworx and Shiamak Davar. The Ballet Festival of India is her endeavour to promote learning, networking, collaboration and performance opportunities in ballet with an emphasis on artistic and technical excellence.