Audition for a gap year with Joburg Ballet’s 2014 graduate programme
Photo by Herman Verwey courtesy of Joburg Ballet.
(Update: South African Mzansi Ballet has changed its name to Joburg Ballet as of September 2013.)
For any post-matric aspiring dancer, Joburg Ballet’s 2014 Graduate Programme could be your opportunity to train with a ballet company and experience the career of a professional ballet dancer first-hand. The auditions for the 2014 Graduate Programme will be held on Saturday, 12 October 2013 at 10:00 at the company’s studios in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
The six or 12-month course will expose the graduate to the world of the professional stage and successful applicants will participate in the professional company’s classes, rehearsals and productions of a high professional standard. This exposure also enables amateur dancers to experience whether they are equipped physically, emotionally and mentally for the rigors of a full-time ballet career.
Photo by Herman Verwey courtesy of Joburg Ballet.
Audition details:
The audition will take place as a ballet class at the Joburg Ballet studios at Joburg Theatre, Hoofd Street, Braamfontein, from 10:00 till 12:00. The downstairs studio will be available from 09:00 as a warm up venue for candidates.
Dancers should be appropriately dressed in ballet gear – pink tights and leotards for ladies and tights and t-shirts for men – to enable the panel to clearly view their work. Female applicants need to bring their pointe shoes too.
You’ll need to register for the auditions by calling Edgar Moagi on +27(0)11 877 6898. Also remember to bring a one-page curriculum vitae on the day of the audition.
Programme details:
Joburg Ballet says that their 2014 programme has been revised and enhanced and will specifically include theory and practical training that provides broad exposure to the workings of a ballet company.
Photo by Herman Verwey courtesy of Joburg Ballet.
Practical: Graduates will be taught a set ballet class which they will learn at the beginning of the year, and work on in their private classes with members of the professional company. They will also receive pas de deux classes. Graduates learn repertoire variations – both classical and contemporary works – and how to set a class. They will also receive strength, stretch and cardio training and will learn about professional ballet hair, make-up and shoe care.
At a graduation ceremony at the end of the year, they will present the class, perform their variations from repertoire and present a group number. Graduates will also appear in the company’s productions, including Coppélia and La Bayadère, and learn the repertoire.
Theory: Subjects include physiology, pathology, anatomy, dance history, music appreciation, ballet terminology and first aid and they will be required to complete a project during the year. Graduates are also required to job shadow selected members of management/artistic team, thereby broadening their knowledge of and exposing them to alternative career opportunities within the performing arts sector. This includes general office management, production budgeting and public relations, dealing with the members of the media, public and role-players in the ballet fraternity, and an introduction to fundraising for the arts.
At the completion of the one-year course, the Joburg Ballet artistic team will evaluate each graduate’s progress and potentially offer a contract should positions be available. Every graduate who successfully completes the course (including the research project) will also receive a course certificate.
The fees to participate are R1 350 per month, and a limited number of bursaries may be available for qualifying candidates.
Category: Dance News
