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.
Covering east, west, north and south, the International Ballet Gala taking place in Johannesburg from 28 to 30 June brings us ballet stars from around the globe, including gold medallists and acclaimed dancers from far-flung regions such as Russia, South Korea, the USA and of course Cuba. I say “of course” because this ballet production […]
Screendance Africa have been approached by an international creative team from Los Angeles and China to cast 20 top South African professional dancers in a brand new production to be staged in China later this year. The dance auditions will be held in Cape Town on Friday 12 April at the Dream Factory between 16:00 […]
Did you know that some high performing professional athletes get up to 12 hours sleep a night? Usain Bolt, widely regarded as the fastest sprinter on the planet, gives part of the reason when he says that “sleep is extremely important to me – I need to rest and recover in order for the training […]
Bovim Ballet’s toe-tapping, hip-swaying rock ‘n roll ballet Private Presley takes you on a tour of the defining moments and the private liaisons in the life of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock. Set to over 20 of Elvis’ greatest hits, Sean Bovim has Cape Town audiences all shook up with his latest ballet creation. […]
You trust your dance teachers to guide you to peak physical fitness, but when it comes to your mental fitness, do you have a strategy or are you just winging it? Taking a cue from high-performance sportsmen and women who have realised the importance of a high-performance mental coach, I set out to discover just […]
Take a peek at some behind-the-camera action during filming of First Position, the award-winning ballet documentary. We’ve also included some beautiful images from memorable moments in the film, as well as some photo shoot pics too. Five minutes on stage will change their lives forever… To find out more about the movie, the dancers and […]
“At least 5000 enter the competition, and then only a couple hundred make it to New York. You have five minutes on stage to prove why you deserve this chance.” These words, heard on the First Position movie, refer to the Youth America Grand Prix finals, one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions and […]
Here is a collection of photos from South African Mzansi Ballet‘s recent production of Don Quixote at the Joburg Theatre in March 2013 (you can read the full review here). Enjoy and Olé! Click on a picture to open the gallery.
When a teacher tells a dancer to lift the arches of the foot, you’d think it’s a simple instruction with no room for misinterpretation. Think again. Are you doing it wrong? Following our recent post on arches (Fact or Myth: Do high heels strengthen the foot arch), we’ll show you one surprisingly simple exercise to […]
Here’s a fun interview with four dancers from the cast of Private Presley, appearing on SABC 3’s The Expresso Show. Get an insight into the making of the ballet, the characters, the dress-rehearsal drama (like last-minute injuries, yikes!) and the athleticism required to pull off this show. Bovim Ballet’s Private Presley is on stage at […]
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A few surprises revealed in Joburg Ballet’s Don Quixote casting
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 […]
Joburg’s leading dancers perform in Ballet Highlights Gala – new format, new venue
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 […]
Cape Town City Ballet takes Thumbelina to Pietermaritzburg
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 […]
Grand classical Russian ballet tour to open in South Africa this week
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 […]
A few surprises revealed in Joburg Ballet’s Don Quixote casting
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 […]
Joburg’s leading dancers perform in Ballet Highlights Gala – new format, new venue
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 […]
Video: Is ballet a sport? Are dancers athletes?
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 […]