Last minute change brings big break for Japanese ballerina
Exciting new opportunities for Mami Fuji and Ramiro Samón, who will be performing for two performances in The Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.
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, who will make her debut as Princess Aurora on 14 and 17 August. She will be partnered by Ramiro Samón from Cuba, who will make his debut in the role of Prince Florimund.
“The show must go on…”
“In true show business fashion, the show must go on, and Fuji and Samón have been invited to step in”, commented Prof Elizabeth Triegaardt, CTCB’s Executive Director.
“We are tremendously excited to present Mami Fuji in the role of Princess Aurora. Since joining the company in May, she has made quite an impression on us. This will be her big break, and we are thrilled that it will be happening during our season,” says Prof Triegaardt.
See Puss in Boots, the Big Bad Wolf and other fairy tale characters in Cape Town City Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.
Keith MacKintosh, CTCB’s Artistic Executive, discovered Fuji when he attended a production of the English National Ballet School in 2012. He invited her to join Cape Town City Ballet for their production of Raymonda earlier this year and after her three month contract with the company expired, she was offered a full-time position with the company.
The Cuban-born Ramiro Samón was trained at the National Ballet School in Havana and is currently contracted with South African Mzansi Ballet in Johannesburg, where he recently appeared in their productions of Don Quixote (see the photos here) and the International Ballet Gala in honour of Alicia Alonso (with pictures here).
Updated principal casting:
• Wednesday, 14 August at 19:30 (with CPO): Mami Fuji & Ramiro Samón
• Friday, 16 August at 19:30 (recorded music): Burnise Silvius & Trevor Schoonraad
• Saturday, 17 August at 14:00 (with CPO): Laura Bosenberg & Thomas Thorne
• Saturday, 17 August at 19:30 (with CPO): Mami Fuji & Ramiro Samón
• Sunday, 18 August at 15:00 (with CPO): Burnise Silvius & Trevor Schoonraad
The Lilac Fairy will be performed by Angela Hansford, Kim Vieira and Claire Spector, while the role of the wicked fairy Carabosse will be shared by Johnny Bovang and Mervyn Williams.
Booking details:
Dates: On until 18 August 2013
Venue: Artscape Opera House, Cape Town
Tickets: From R100 to R300 from Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-Seat on 021 421 7695.
Category: Dance News
