Robynn Burls

Hi, I'm Robynn, and I'm a student of the potential of the body, the marvels of the mind, and the beauty of it all combined in ballet.

As the editor, BodyMindBallet is where I get to learn, to share and to enjoy this wide world of dance - and with every day I gain an ever richer respect for the athleticism of dance and the skill of performance artistry.

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Robynn Burls's Latest Posts

A few surprises revealed in Joburg Ballet’s Don Quixote casting

A few surprises revealed in Joburg Ballet’s Don Quixote casting

| August 28, 2015 | 0 Comments

Don Quixote is known to be one of the most lively, big, bold and vibrant ballets, and we should be expecting exciting things from Joburg Ballet who love to snatch every opportunity to show off their virtuoso skills. Don Quixote opens at the Joburg Theatre tonight, 28 August, and runs until 13 September 2015, but […]

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Joburg’s leading dancers perform in Ballet Highlights Gala – new format, new venue

Joburg’s leading dancers perform in Ballet Highlights Gala – new format, new venue

| July 8, 2015 | 0 Comments

For three performances only, Joburg Ballet are visiting a new venue with a shorter one-hour programme at a smaller price-point, aiming to take the best ballet highlights to more people. And with an impressive sounding line-up of popular dance pieces, you might want to take up the opportunity too at the Roodepoort Theatre this weekend […]

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Video: Is ballet a sport? Are dancers athletes?

Video: Is ballet a sport? Are dancers athletes?

| July 7, 2015 | 0 Comments

In her recent sports and fitness article, Discovery’s online editor, Catherine Davis, asked: Is ballet a sport? And, are ballerinas athletes? To any aspiring and professional dancer, the answers to these questions are painfully obvious. Painful in more ways than one, but sadly only obvious to some. The art and pursuit of making dance look […]

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Cape Town City Ballet takes Thumbelina to Pietermaritzburg

Cape Town City Ballet takes Thumbelina to Pietermaritzburg

| July 7, 2015 | 0 Comments

On 8 and 9 July, the full-length ballet of Thumbelina, a Cape Town City Ballet Youth project, will be on stage at the Hilton College Theatre produced in association with the KZN Midlands Youth Ballet  Company. Starring nine principal dancers from the Cape Town City Ballet in the leading roles, and 71 ballet students from […]

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Grand classical Russian ballet tour to open in South Africa this week

Grand classical Russian ballet tour to open in South Africa this week

| May 5, 2015 | 0 Comments

Having already toured to 36 cities in France since the start of the year, the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre open their South African tour on Wednesday 6 May at Montecasino in Johannesburg performing Giselle, followed by Don Quixote and Swan Lake before they head to Cape Town to perform Swan Lake at Artscape from 19 […]

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Video: Viengsay Valdés and Brooklyn Mack reveal their ballet challenges and inspirations

Video: Viengsay Valdés and Brooklyn Mack reveal their ballet challenges and inspirations

| April 24, 2015 | 0 Comments

As the prima ballerina of the National Ballet of Cuba, Viengsay Valdés is widely acclaimed as one of the leading ballerinas of our time. Watch her and US ballet star, Brooklyn Mack from the Washington Ballet, in this mini-documentary video clip as they perform and talk about their inspirations and challenges, particularly with Swan Lake. […]

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Unique opportunity with Liaoning Ballet and Joburg Ballet’s Open Day

Unique opportunity with Liaoning Ballet and Joburg Ballet’s Open Day

| April 23, 2015 | 0 Comments

“China is now producing superb classical dancers, among the best in the world,” said Joburg Ballet’s artistic director, Iain MacDonald. And he should know, considering his tour to China with the company last year, and Joburg Ballet’s collaboration with China’s Liaoning Ballet for their current season of Swan Lake. And now you’ll have a unique […]

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Video: Peek inside Joburg Ballet’s Swan Lake production

Video: Peek inside Joburg Ballet’s Swan Lake production

| April 20, 2015 | 0 Comments

Joburg Ballet have created a video series that takes you into their studios and into dancers’ homes to follow their journey as they rehearse and prepare for every detail of their new production of Swan Lake 2015. With new choreography, new stage sets and an international cast from China, Cuba, the United States, Brazil and […]

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Three prima ballerinas share the stage for Joburg Ballet’s Swan Lake

Three prima ballerinas share the stage for Joburg Ballet’s Swan Lake

| April 17, 2015 | 0 Comments

With an impressively large cast of over 80 dancers hailing from Cuba, China, Brazil, the United States and South Africa, Joburg Ballet is readying itself for what it claims is the “largest and grandest” production of Swan Lake South Africa has yet seen, taking place at Joburg Theatre from 17 April to 3 May 2015. […]

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See Joburg Ballet perform in studio ahead of China tour

See Joburg Ballet perform in studio ahead of China tour

| November 7, 2014 | 0 Comments

Following an invitation to join the China-South Africa Year ceremonies in Beijing, Shanghai and Liaoning Province, Joburg Ballet are flying off to the People’s Republic of China this November, touring a showcase of some of their popular classical and contemporary dance works. But not before first performing their touring programme for audiences at home on […]

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