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.
Johannesburg audiences will have a choice of four ballerinas alternating in the title role of South African Mzansi Ballet’s all-new production of Cinderella, which opens on Friday 13 September 2013 at the Joburg Theatre. Won, two, three, four… Across this 11-performance season, the local SAMB stars – Burnise Silvius, Shannon Glover and Lindé Wessels – […]
If you’re in Joburg this weekend, make your way over to South African Mzansi Ballet’s Open Day on Saturday, 31 August 2013 at their Braamfontein studios, taking place from 10am to 1pm. You’ll be able to watch the dancers warm up in their morning ballet class, followed by a tea break where fans and friends […]
South Africans first saw South Korean ballerina Jin Ho Won (21) when she won her double gold medals in the senior division of the Cape Town International Ballet Competition in 2012. Now she has returned, this time to Johannesburg, as a guest ballerina in South African Mzansi Ballet’s new production of Cinderella, alternating in the […]
Do you ever have those days where you know there is so much more you can do in ballet class, but your body stubbornly refuses to cooperate? Of course you do, silly question, pushing the body beyond its boundaries is basically the definition of ballet, right? After all, there is no such thing as too […]
Due to injuries, Nehemiah Kish from The Royal Ballet has had to cancel his appearances in Cape Town City Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty, and as a result, The Royal Ballet ballerina, Roberta Marquez, will not be performing either. However, this has opened up the fairy tale opportunity to a young ballerina from Japan, Mami Fuji, […]
It may sound counter-intuitive, but if you want to improve your ballet performance, you may need to step outside the ballet class to do it. Cross-training is the new must-do for professional and aspiring dancers, helping you improve fitness, flexibility, strength, injury recovery, musicality and more. Now don’t get me wrong, the only way to […]
To celebrate Women’s Day, Cape Town City Ballet is busy preparing a special ballet performance called Belles of the Ballet, which will be presented at Artscape on 9 August 2013 for one performance only. Paying tribute to famous female ballet characters with a special focus on women in love, the leading belles of Cape Town […]
Being able to act is a central skill for all aspiring and professional dancers (although not all dancers get it quite right – see this Swan Lake review for a recent example). But with no speaking allowed, dancers have to rely on mime to convey their messages. The hilarious master of mime So let me […]
Starting this weekend, former Miss South Africa, Joan Ramagoshi, will be holding auditions with the aim of giving undiscovered talent the chance to perform at one of the country’s biggest Women’s Day events in August 2013. Ramagoshi’s third ‘Women…The Real Architects of Society’ event will feature well known speakers covering topics from business to nutrition, […]
Joining international ballet stars such as Darcey Bussell, the artistic executive of Cape Town City Ballet, Keith MacKintosh, has been invited to participate in the prestigious International Ballet Masterclasses in Prague, where he will conduct a daily 90 minute ballet class from 22 to 27 July 2013. MacKintosh was invited by prima ballerina Daria Klimentova, […]
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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 […]