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Video: Viengsay Valdés and Brooklyn Mack reveal their ballet challenges and inspirations

Video: Viengsay Valdés and Brooklyn Mack reveal their ballet challenges and inspirations

| April 24, 2015 | 0 Comments

As the prima ballerina of the National Ballet of Cuba, Viengsay Valdés is widely acclaimed as one of the leading ballerinas of our time. Watch her and US ballet star, Brooklyn Mack from the Washington Ballet, in this mini-documentary video clip as they perform and talk about their inspirations and challenges, particularly with Swan Lake. […]

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Video: Peek inside Joburg Ballet’s Swan Lake production

Video: Peek inside Joburg Ballet’s Swan Lake production

| April 20, 2015 | 0 Comments

Joburg Ballet have created a video series that takes you into their studios and into dancers’ homes to follow their journey as they rehearse and prepare for every detail of their new production of Swan Lake 2015. With new choreography, new stage sets and an international cast from China, Cuba, the United States, Brazil and […]

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More photo highlights from the 2014 SAIBC part 3: Going behind the scenes

More photo highlights from the 2014 SAIBC part 3: Going behind the scenes

| March 9, 2014 | 0 Comments

Take a peek behind the curtains, snoop backstage and peer from between the wings of the fourth South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC) with this special behind the scenes photo gallery. Held at Cape Town’s Artscape Theatre from 18 to 22 February 2014, the SAIBC attracted 70 dance participants from around the world to compete […]

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South African International Ballet Competition photo highlights part 2: Awards and Finals

South African International Ballet Competition photo highlights part 2: Awards and Finals

| March 5, 2014 | 0 Comments

Following on from our Part 1 story (read it here), enjoy these photos from the Finals and Awards of the South African International Ballet Competition, held on the Saturday night of 22 February 2014 at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town. Magical moments from the SAIBC Finals and Awards Don’t squint, click on a photo […]

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Photo highlights and big winners of the 4th South African International Ballet Competition – Part 1

Photo highlights and big winners of the 4th South African International Ballet Competition – Part 1

| February 24, 2014 | 0 Comments

In a breathtaking and sometimes eye-popping display of talent, technique, strength and agility, 70 dancers from the ages of 11 to 28 competed and were systematically eliminated in what dancers labelled an “intense” week at the South African International Ballet Competition, held at Artscape in Cape Town from 18 to 22 February 2014. In what’s […]

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Mixing business with ballet – A case study on the unusual ideas that worked

Mixing business with ballet – A case study on the unusual ideas that worked

| December 6, 2013 | 0 Comments

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 […]

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Challenges, comedy and ballet magic – Behind-the-scenes with Cinderella choreographer Iain MacDonald

Challenges, comedy and ballet magic – Behind-the-scenes with Cinderella choreographer Iain MacDonald

| October 4, 2013 | 0 Comments

What does it take to create a brand new ballet? Robynn Burls visited Joburg Ballet to meet the real fairy godmother godfather working behind the scenes in the company’s recent season of Cinderella. This is what she discovered about the man behind the magic… I extended my hand out as I walked up to meet […]

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Video: Funniest take on interpretative dance

Video: Funniest take on interpretative dance

| July 19, 2013 | 0 Comments

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 […]

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Review and photos: Big performance spills over Swan Lake stage

Review and photos: Big performance spills over Swan Lake stage

| July 15, 2013 | 3 Comments

Despite being the second largest theatre (in terms of seats) on the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre’s international tour – which includes 50 cities so far in 2013 – the Teatro at Johannesburg’s Montecasino doesn’t have a particularly large stage, made even smaller by the ballet company’s beautifully elaborate sets. Add the corps de ballet of […]

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Infographic: Swan Lake and what you don’t know about this travelling ballet company

Infographic: Swan Lake and what you don’t know about this travelling ballet company

| July 12, 2013 | 0 Comments

The St Petersburg Ballet Theatre had their opening night of Swan Lake in Johannesburg this week, but they’ve already opened the ballet to sold-out theatres across Europe over the past few months and they’ll be flying off to Australia next. As far as we can tell, St Petersburg Ballet Theatre (SPBT) is the only classical […]

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