Joburg Ballet invites young dancers to audition for their upcoming productions. Photo by Bill Zurich (from Coppélia)

Joburg Ballet will be holding auditions on Saturday 24 May 2014 and boys and girls aged 6 to 12 are invited to audition for The Nutcracker and boys for La Bayadere. Both productions take place in September 2014.

Dance schools are encouraged to audition as a group. Here are the details:

Date: Saturday 24 May 2014
Times: From 9am to 10am for children aged 6 to 9 years old; 10:15am to 11:15am for children aged 10 to 12 years old.
Venue: Joburg Ballet Studios, Joburg Theatre, Hoofd Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
To register: contact Edgar Moagi on 011 877 6898 or edgar@joburgballet.com

If you are unable to attend an audition, you are invited to send a DVD of yourself dancing to:
Joburg Ballet, PO Box 291990, Melville 2109, South Africa.

Chukkas, dancers!

Cape Town City Ballet’s soldiers, Revel Yon, Ivan Boonzaaier, Alexander Vivien-Riding and Jesse Milligan. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.

Cape Town City Ballet will be holding auditions for young girls and boys on Saturday 5 October 2013, where the successful applicants will take part in an exciting new ballet, The Tin Soldier, choreographed by the company’s artistic director, Robin van Wyk.

The new ballet will be presented at Artscape from 11 to 24 December 2013 and is based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale of The Steadfast Tin Soldier.

Young dancers are required for the roles of Pillows, Lambs and Little Boys. Auditions will be held for girls between the ages of 9 to 11 (Pillows), and 12 to 15 (Lambs) to fill the parts. The number will be danced en pointe. Boys between the ages of 9 and 15 are invited to audition for the parts of Little Boys.

Audition and rehearsal details:

Auditions will be held on 5 October 2013 from 11:30 – 12:30 at the UCT School of Dance Lower Campus, Woolsack Drive in Rosebank, Cape Town.

Rehearsals will then take place every Wednesday between 16:00 – 18:00, starting on Wednesday 23 October. Once a dancer has been chosen to be in the production, a more detailed schedule will be provided. Dancers will be required to be available for all rehearsals and performances.

Interested parties can request an application form from Robin van Wyk on rvw@capetowncityballet.org.za or on 021 650 2400.

Good luck and have fun!

Former Miss South Africa, Joan Ramagoshi, invites performing artists to audition for her Women’s Day event.

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, and is set to attract over 500 aspiring and influential South African women.

Auditions in Johannesburg and Pretoria

The Johannesburg auditions will be held from 8am to 4pm on 19 and 20 July at Baseline in Newtown; and on 27 and 28 July at the State Theatre in Pretoria.

The auditions are open to dancers as well as aspiring musicians, bands and fashion designers who would like the opportunity to showcase their talents to a large and potentially lucrative audience.

Despite being a Women’s Day event, the auditions are not just for the ladies. The organisers say they’re looking for artistic, undiscovered raw talent in the performing arts and fashion design, with the auditions open to all individuals and groups in any age group or gender.

Opportunity for exposure

Joan Ramagoshi’s Women’s Day event is said to attract a high profile audience.

‘Women…The Real Architects of Society’ will be held on 24 August at Vodaworld. Joan Ramagoshi says that through this event, “I aim to give women the opportunity to enter into a conversation with myself and the guest speakers on issues that are important to them. By auditioning fresh, undiscovered talent I am also able to give new musicians, designers and dancers the opportunity to perform for a large, influential audience.”

“In addition to this exposure, I will continue to invest in the performers long after the event by assisting them with further tuition and other opportunities to help them realise their dreams,” she adds.

For more information on the Johannesburg or Pretoria auditions, contact Naledi Hlalele on naledi@joanmadibeng.co.za or on 010 591 2867.

Are you on Twitter? You may want to follow the action here: @Real_Architects and @JoanRamagoshi. And of course, you’ll always hear the latest dance news from us @BodyMindBallet.

Photo by Herman Verwey courtesy of Joburg Ballet.

(Update: South African Mzansi Ballet has changed its name to Joburg Ballet as of September 2013.)

For any post-matric aspiring dancer, Joburg Ballet’s 2014 Graduate Programme could be your opportunity to train with a ballet company and experience the career of a professional ballet dancer first-hand. The auditions for the 2014 Graduate Programme will be held on Saturday, 12 October 2013 at 10:00 at the company’s studios in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

The six or 12-month course will expose the graduate to the world of the professional stage and successful applicants will participate in the professional company’s classes, rehearsals and productions of a high professional standard. This exposure also enables amateur dancers to experience whether they are equipped physically, emotionally and mentally for the rigors of a full-time ballet career.

Photo by Herman Verwey courtesy of Joburg Ballet.

Audition details:

The audition will take place as a ballet class at the Joburg Ballet studios at Joburg Theatre, Hoofd Street, Braamfontein, from 10:00 till 12:00. The downstairs studio will be available from 09:00 as a warm up venue for candidates.

Dancers should be appropriately dressed in ballet gear – pink tights and leotards for ladies and tights and t-shirts for men – to enable the panel to clearly view their work. Female applicants need to bring their pointe shoes too.

You’ll need to register for the auditions by calling Edgar Moagi on +27(0)11 877 6898. Also remember to bring a one-page curriculum vitae on the day of the audition.

Programme details:

Joburg Ballet says that their 2014 programme has been revised and enhanced and will specifically include theory and practical training that provides broad exposure to the workings of a ballet company.

Photo by Herman Verwey courtesy of Joburg Ballet.

Practical: Graduates will be taught a set ballet class which they will learn at the beginning of the year, and work on in their private classes with members of the professional company. They will also receive pas de deux classes. Graduates learn repertoire variations – both classical and contemporary works – and how to set a class. They will also receive strength, stretch and cardio training and will learn about professional ballet hair, make-up and shoe care.

At a graduation ceremony at the end of the year, they will present the class, perform their variations from repertoire and present a group number. Graduates will also appear in the company’s productions, including Coppélia and La Bayadère, and learn the repertoire.

Theory: Subjects include physiology, pathology, anatomy, dance history, music appreciation, ballet terminology and first aid and they will be required to complete a project during the year. Graduates are also required to job shadow selected members of management/artistic team, thereby broadening their knowledge of and exposing them to alternative career opportunities within the performing arts sector. This includes general office management, production budgeting and public relations, dealing with the members of the media, public and role-players in the ballet fraternity, and an introduction to fundraising for the arts.

At the completion of the one-year course, the Joburg Ballet artistic team will evaluate each graduate’s progress and potentially offer a contract should positions be available. Every graduate who successfully completes the course (including the research project) will also receive a course certificate.

The fees to participate are R1 350 per month, and a limited number of bursaries may be available for qualifying candidates.

A scene from the Taihu Lake tourist district, west of Shanghai, China. Photo by Anthony Marchi via Flickr

Screendance Africa have been approached by an international creative team from Los Angeles and China to cast 20 top South African professional dancers in a brand new production to be staged in China later this year.

The dance auditions will be held in Cape Town on Friday 12 April at the Dream Factory between 16:00 and 19:00.

Dancers outside of Cape Town are able to audition too, and are strongly encouraged to submit an online audition (see details below).

Professional dancers required for spectacular stage production

The new show, Illusions, will be a spectacular large scale stage production featuring a cast of 60 international and Chinese dancers and acrobats, held at the Joyland Grand Theater located in the Taihu Lake tourist district, west of Shanghai.

Screendance Africa say that they “are seeking a young, sassy and contemporary appearing group of versatile dancers. Must be excellent dancers in contemporary ballet and lyrical movement. Martial arts, adagio, acro or aerial skills are also a plus.”

Successful applicants will receive a 6 month Contract of $800 to $1200 per week with all travel and accommodation included.

The show has been created by an amazing team of top level artists from China and the U.S., including:

• Melissa Barak – Principal Dancer and Choreographer for the New York City Ballet and founder of Barak Ballet.
• Charles Moulton – Principal Dancer & Choreographer at Merce Cunningham Dance Company.
• Alain Gauthier – Choreographer for Cirque and Cavalia.

Illusions will be presented in a newly built 1400 seat theatre, with a massive 180 degree state of the art high definition 3D LED video wall. It is located next to World Joyland, China’s largest video game themed amusement park.

Roles available for technically strong professional dancers:

Principal Dancers
Attractive male and female (Princess and Hero), Chinese or Asian looking. Toned, lithe, beautiful Asian body types (not too muscular, heavy or tall). Must be excellent dancers and pantomime actors with contemporary ballet / lyrical and modern movement. Hero (Male Principal) should have Martial arts or acro skills. Martial arts, acro or aerial skills are a plus.

Specialty Act Performers
Attractive males or females, Chinese or Asian. Seeking aerialists, martial artists, acro, adagio or other cirque style specialty skills. Caucasian, black and mixed race performers are also welcome.

Ensemble Dancers
Seeking primarily Chinese or Asian dancers. However, we will consider non-Asian looking performers as long as they have an Asian style body appearance (as detailed above).

Job details:

6 Month Contract, $800 – $1200 per week depending on experience and role. All travel and accommodation included. Specialty Act performers will be negotiated at a higher rate, commensurate with skill and experience. The production will provide translators depending on the nationality of the performers. The production and creative team are primarily American, European and Canadian.

Audition details for dancers in Cape Town:

Audition date:
Friday, 12 April 2013

Audition venue:
The Dream Factory, 10 Orphan St, Cape Town CBD (Between Bree and Loop st)

Audition time:
From 16:00 to 19:00 (single auditions)

Casting coordinator:
Contact Dominique Jossie from Screendance Africa on +27 76 709 1041 or jossiedominique@gmail.com for more information.

Audition process:
Only professional dancers/performers with training and performance experience will be considered.

1. Please confirm your attendance by sending a headshot photo and your CV to jossiedominique@gmail.com.

2. Prepare a 1 – 3 min solo showcasing the best of your dance ability. Please bring your music on a CD or flash drive.

3. Have a short introduction ready about you, your dance style and why you think you would be good for the role. You will present this before you dance.

Audition details for dancers outside of Cape Town:

Online audition deadline:
7pm, Friday 12 April 2013

Audition process:
If you do not live in Cape Town but still wish to audition please email the following to jossiedominique@gmail.com:

1. Your first and last name
2. Contact phone number
3. A brief sentence or two about you, your dance or performance style and ability, and why you’d be great for this show
4. Recent photo(s) (jpg format please)
5. An online link and performance skills (video). Please upload your video to Youtube and send us the link. The video can be 2-3 minutes in length.
6. Also send the video via WeTransfer to jossiedominique@gmail.com

Casting coordinator:
Contact Dominique Jossie from Screendance Africa on +27 76 709 1041 or jossiedominique@gmail.com for more information.

And for the curious, here’s a video of the concept behind the World Joyland theme park (with English subtitles).

Dancers warm up for class in South African Mzansi Ballet’s lovely Braamfontein studio. Photo courtesy of SAMB

South African Mzansi Ballet is looking for senior corps de ballet and soloist dancers to fill short-term contracts and the company will be holding open auditions for male and female dancers at their studios on 29 and 30 April.

South African Mzansi Ballet (SAMB) is a classically based company performing the traditional classical repertoire and newer works. Therefore, dancers wanting to apply should have a sound classical ballet technique as well as be capable in contemporary dance styles.

Applicants unable to attend the auditions may send a DVD (including centre practice, pirouettes, allegro and a classical variation) to reach SAMB by Tuesday 30 April 2013.

Applicants who are able to attend the auditions will do a ballet class with the company on Monday 29 April or Tuesday 30 April from 10:00 to 11:15.

Audition details:

Where: SAMB Studios, Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
When: Monday 29 April and Tuesday 30 April 2013 at 10am
Contact: Chase Bosch on chase@samzansiballet.com or call 011 877 6898.

Postal Address for mailing DVD:
Mr. Iain MacDonald, Artistic Director
PO Box 290990, Melville, 2109

Photo via Deb au Nare

The brand new South African Burlesque Company is looking for talented dancers and performers to audition for new Burlesque shows, with plans for both large and smaller productions country wide.

The first auditions take place on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 March 2013 at The Dance Factory in Newtown, Johannesburg.

Time for something a little different

If you’re looking for clues of what to expect, this should get your imagination going: The company says that the type of performers they’re looking for should be “vivacious, extraordinary, extroverted, versatile and uninhibited dancers, singers, aerial, pole and other acts”.

Ooh la la, now doesn’t that sound intriguing?

Joint venture director and dance and ballet entrepreneur, Dirk Badenhorst, believes that South Africa is ready for burlesque. “I believe the market is ready to embrace it and fall in love with its naughty-but-nice on-stage demeanour.”

“Shows will comprise both traditional and new-burlesque elements,” says Badenhorst, “combining the sultry with eccentricities reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich through to more modern interpretations that include satire, performance art, comedy and dance. Burlesque is fast becoming one of the world’s most celebrated variety entertainment acts.”

“There is nothing quite like it and with the talent we have in South Africa, I believe that burlesque’s moment has arrived.” – Dirk Badenhorst

And we won’t have too long to wait to see The South African Burlesque Company in action, as the company plans to launch its first range of scalable experiences in June 2013.

Want to be part of it? Here are the audition details:

Requirements:
•    The auditions are open to female and male applicants, 18 years of age and older.
•    Applicants should have professional experience with performance skills and, apparently, a sense of curiosity.
•    Singers are obliged to dance, but dancers and other acts do not need to sing.

Audition Date:
Saturday 2 March and Sunday 3 March 2013.

Audition Time:
1:30pm till 4:30pm

Audition Venue:
The Dance Factory, Newtown, Johannesburg

The process:
•    Applicants will be split into separate male and female groups.
•    Applicants will be expected to learn a short piece of choreography.
•    Please bring appropriate Burlesque attire or (tight fitting) dance wear.
•    Rehearsals: 6 weekends (Saturday and Sunday 8am – 1pm) starting April 2013 in Johannesburg (with a rehearsal fee of R10 000).

Extra tips:
It would be best to register for the audition ahead of time, by sending your CV with contact details, stats and a photograph to Lindsay McDonald via email on wacslik [at] hotmail.com, or call on 0761010421. Alternatively, take your CV with contact details, stats and a photograph on the audition day.