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.
How to catch a Firebird? For a start you’ll need an enchanted garden, some moonlight and of course, this magical creature’s only ever been spotted with the sounds of Stravinsky. Well, considering she’s half-woman, half-bird, you didn’t think this would be a walk in the park did you? Except that this time it is. Cape […]
Whether you’re looking to end the holiday on a high note, or kick start the new year with some memorable melodies, Cape Town City Ballet will have you tapping and clapping to the lively tunes of legendary singer/songwriter Cole Porter with their production of Night & Day, on at Cape Town’s Artscape Theatre until 11 […]
Kiddies in Cape Town are in for a special experience this Christmas Eve, when the stage of the Artscape Opera House will be transformed into a wonderland of fairies, princes, princesses and other young storybook heroes with Cape Town City Ballet’s annual Fairy Parade. On Tuesday 24 December 2013, following the 2pm performance of The […]
Cape Town City Ballet are mixing up the festive mood with their lively and fun-filled performances of Belles & Beaux from Friday 20 December to Sunday 22 December 2013 at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town. In a selection of favourite scenes from across various well-loved ballets, the ballet company will show off their ballerinas […]
The Cape Town International Ballet Competition is taking back the original name it started with in 2008 and will now be known (again) as the South African International Ballet Competition. Dirk Badenhorst, the founder and CEO of the competition, has said that in view of the City of Cape Town’s decision to terminate its funding […]
At a recent concert in Johannesburg, South African musician Johnny Clegg shared a little story with the audience about a special moment back in 1999 at a concert in Frankfurt, where Nelson Mandela surprised everyone on stage and delighted everyone in the audience by unexpectedly walking on stage in the middle of one of Clegg’s […]
They may be a non-profit organisation on paper, but in action Joburg Ballet look more like a young, caffeine-spiked business startup with big dreams rather than any tired arts institution with old ideas. While they’re not the most web- or social-savvy kids on the ballet block (that title goes to Diablo Ballet with their world […]
As the final preparations are being made for the premiere of Cape Town City Ballet’s brand new ballet, The Tin Soldier, the company is offering you a sneak peek behind the curtains to see the creative process first-hand on Friday 6 December 2013 at the Artscape Opera House at 6pm. Hosted by the company’s Artistic […]
While the term ‘prima ballerina’ refers to the ‘first’ ballerina of a company, it doesn’t go to say that every ballet company has one – usually the highest rank in a company is principal dancer, or at most, senior principal dancer. In fact, to be officially awarded the title of prima ballerina is a rare […]
The Cuban-born Jonhal Fernández is set to visit South Africa this November when he takes the lead role as the Nutcracker Prince in Joburg Ballet’s Nutcracker, which will be at the South African State Theatre, Pretoria, from 22 November to 1 December 2013. Having graduated from Havana’s National Ballet School in 2010, he performed as […]
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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 […]