The Liaoning Ballet’s Yu Chuanya performing in the opening night of Joburg Ballet’s Swan Lake. Photo by Bill Zurich

“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 opportunity to see for yourself, not just by watching the dancers on the Joburg stage, but in their warm-up class too.

This Saturday, 25 April 2015, Joburg Ballet is hosting an open day at their studios, featuring the 20 Liaoning Ballet dancers as they take class with the company and warm up for their performances. The open day starts at 1pm to coincide with the dancers’ class, followed by tea from 2pm. Tickets are R120 (which includes the tea) and bookings can be made with Edgar on 011 877 6898 or edgar@joburgballet.com.

See the Liaoning Ballet’s principal dancers, Ma Ming and Yu Chuanya, in ballet class during Joburg Ballet’s Open Day on 25 April 2015. Photo by Bill Zurich

Big collaboration for Swan Lake

The combination of Joburg Ballet, the Liaoning Ballet, as well as guest dancers from Cuba and the United States plus additional performers appearing in this production brings together an impressive 80 dancers for Swan Lake.

The 20 dancers from the Liaoning Ballet will perform alongside Joburg Ballet’s dancers in principal, soloist and corps de ballet roles, with two performances during the season (Sunday 19 April at 3pm and Saturday 25 April at 7:30pm) featuring principal dancers from the Liaoning Ballet in the leading roles of Odette-Odile and the Prince. You can find the full casting details here.

The Liaoning Ballet of China was founded in 1980 and is one of China’s major ballet companies, performing ballets on Chinese themes as well as a strong classical repertoire, including Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty and Spartacus. The company has 64 dancers in its roster and tours extensively, with past destinations including Europe, Australia, Japan, Cuba, Russia and Canada.

Here is a video clip of the company performing a traditional Chinese folk dance en pointe.

Booking details for Open Day:

Dates: Saturday 25 April 2015 from 1pm to 2pm, followed by tea.
Venue: Joburg Ballet studios off Hoofd Street, Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Tickets: R120 per person (includes tea), bookings via Edgar on 011 877 6898 or edgar@joburgballet.com

Booking details:

Dates: Friday 17 April – Sunday 3 May 2015.
Venue: Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Tickets: from R100 to R400 via JoburgTheatre.com or 0861 670 670

South African prima ballerina, Burnise Silvius, with Jonathan Rodrigues and dancers from Joburg Ballet in front of the company’s grand new sets designed by Andrew Botha. Photo by Lauge Sorensen

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.

It’s a big claim that’s bound to raise the eyebrows of the competition (St Petersburg Ballet Theatre are performing Swan Lake in Johannesburg and Cape Town in May). But with Joburg Ballet’s knack for always finding innovative ways to surprise and delight, we’re rather keen to see what they’ve got hidden in those wings.

For a start, the ballet company has announced a very peculiar, but creatively enticing decision regarding their casting for the opening night. Each act will see a different leading couple perform the roles of Odette/Odile and the Prince, giving the audience an absolutely unique opportunity to enjoy the performances of the international guests as well as Joburg Ballet’s own principal dancers in sequence in one night.

While this might mess with classical purists’ sense of calm and continuity, the exposure to more dancers with their individual interpretations and style is bound to be an interesting take on a Swan Lake opening night.

Commenting on this decision, Joburg Ballet CEO Dirk Badenhorst said, “We decided to make the opening night of Swan Lake a gala event, partly to celebrate having all of our friends from around the world here dancing with us and partly to showcase everything this collaborative run will offer to the high profile audience – which includes government ministers, ambassadors and other dignitaries from South Africa, China, Cuba and the US – on the first night.”

Cuban prima ballerina Viengsay Valdes with partner José Losada performing a black swan variation at the International Ballet Gala in Johannesburg 2013. Photo by Sarah Weyman

Dancing stars from across the globe

So who are these leading dancers sharing the stage?

From Cuba, you’ll see prima ballerina Viengsay Valdés from the National Ballet of Cuba partnering with US ballet star Brooklyn Mack from The Washington Ballet, who is always a popular crowd-raising guest on the South African stage.

Miss Valdés is also a returning visitor to South Africa and gave an electric performance of the black swan during the International Ballet Gala of 2013. She’s known for her remarkable sense of balance and performed six pirouette turns leading into fouettes! See for yourself in the video below.

From China, the Liaoning Ballet’s prima ballerina, Yu Chuanya, will perform with her partner Ma Ming. And South Africa’s own prima ballerina, Joburg Ballet’s beautiful Burnise Silvius dances with the dapper Brazilian Jonathan Rodrigues. It’s the United Nations on one stage in one night.

Missed opening night? Here’s the casting for the rest of the production for you to take your pick (casting subject to change).

Casting for Joburg Ballet’s Swan Lake 2015

April 2015:

• Friday 17, 19:30: Gala Performance with Joburg Ballet stars and visiting guest stars
• Saturday 18, 15:00: Burnise Silvius (Odette-Odile), Jonathan Rodrigues (Prince)
• Saturday 18, 19:30: Nicole Ferreira-Dill (Odette), Claudia Monja (Odile), Juan Carlos Osma (Prince)
• Sunday 19, 15:00: Dancers from the Liaoning Ballet of China
• Tuesday 21, 11:00: Claudia Monja (Odette-Odile), Juan Carlos Osma (Prince) – Edutainment Performance
• Friday 24, 19:30: Viengsay Valdés (Odette-Odile), Brooklyn Mack (Prince)
• Saturday 25, 15:00: Burnise Silvius (Odette-Odile), Jonathan Rodrigues (Prince)
• Saturday 25, 19:30: Dancers from the Liaoning Ballet of China
• Sunday 26, 11:00: Kirstel Jensen (Odette-Odile), Michael Revie (Prince) – Edutainment Performance
• Sunday 26, 15:00: Viengsay Valdés (Odette-Odile), Brooklyn Mack (Prince)
• Tuesday 28, 11:00: Nicole Ferreira-Dill (Odette-Odile), Juan Carlos Osma (Prince) – Edutainment Performance

May 2015:

• Friday 1, 19:30: Burnise Silvius (Odette-Odile), Jonathan Rodrigues (Prince)
• Saturday 2, 15:00: Kirstel Jensen (Odette-Odile), Michael Revie (Prince)
• Saturday 2, 19:30: Shannon Glover (Odette-Odile), Ramiro Samón (Prince)
• Sunday 3, 15:00: Burnise Silvius (Odette-Odile), Brooklyn Mack (Prince)

Now brace yourself for this, partly because of the poor video quality, but don’t worry, the other ‘partly’ has to do with such astounding dancing that you can easily forgive the amateur footage…

Booking details:

Dates: Friday 17 April – Sunday 3 May 2015.
Venue: Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Tickets: from R100 to R400 via JoburgTheatre.com or 0861 670 670