Every little detail counts – artistic director, Iain MacDonald, coaches Shannon Glover during final dress rehearsals for Cinderella. Photo courtesy Joburg Ballet.

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 Iain MacDonald, Joburg Ballet’s artistic director, but before I knew it the handshake became a hug. This, I came to learn, is Iain’s way, and it was quickly apparent why he’s so well liked by everyone who knows him.

Cinderella’s magical carriage and charming/comical horses arrive to cart her off to the Prince’s ball. Photo by Susanne Holbaek.

We were sitting down for a coffee and a talk following another successful performance of Cinderella, but any plans I might have had of some form of structured interview were tossed aside two minutes into what immediately became a lively, animated chat, delving into Iain’s latest creation.

He’s naturally warm and easy-going, but clearly equally intense with his enthusiasm for his craft. And the more we talked, the more I could identify his inspired signature all over this brand new ballet – from the little comic moments (like the bobbing of the horses heads as they pulled Cinderella’s carriage) to the laugh-out-loud antics of the ugly sisters, to the very grand and extended final wedding pas de deux.

Balancing act – mixing grand moves with traditional expectations

Iain admits that he created the kind of ballet he would’ve loved to dance himself. Being particularly fond of the pas de deux scenes, but not the stop-start solo variations in-between, he opted to drop the traditional approach and go for one big, impressive final pas de deux instead.

“I wanted it to be a wow thing,” says Iain. “I mean, the whole ballet was based around the final pas de deux. You’ll notice there are no big variations, where he goes, she goes, and I did that intentionally, because I think we’re so used to that.”

And ‘wow’ it was. The final pas de deux was certainly complicated, challenging and dazzling. It was also quite possibly game-changing, especially for the poor Prince who required tremendous strength and a deep stash of stamina to make it through this piece. And just when you thought they’d completed their final hoorah move, the couple went on to do another aerial trick and another (one-armed) lift.

Burnise Silvius and Jonathan Rodrigues created a magic all of their own in Cinderella’s big and dramatic final wedding pas de deux. Photo by Susanne Holbaek.

Iain knew his final pas de deux was tough, but he created it anyway confident that his opening night Prince Charming had the strength to pull it off. In fact, the handsome Jonathan Rodrigues couldn’t be a better fit for the role, leaving more than just Cinderella swooning over his suave, effortless strength and purrrfectly toned b…

Ahem, getting back to the story, Iain said, “For me, the prince is a tall, dark, good-looking guy and I wanted every woman in the audience to be oohing and aahing over him, which works, and the pas de deux is ridiculously hard and Jonathan’s a strong, strong partner”.

Uh-huh, no doubt about that. You can see Jonathan rehearsing with the lovely Burnise Silvius in this video montage from the SABC…

But it’s not only Iain’s final scene that was “ridiculously hard”, the corps were challenged right from the very start too. He had the flower sellers, bakers and dressmakers doing multiple pirouettes while still holding their baskets and breads. (You try doing a double pirouette en pointe while holding a big basket of stuff!) “They asked me if they could put it down” laughs Iain, “and I said no!”

And watch this short video clip (43 seconds) where Iain talks to Top Billing about Cinderella’s entrance and the big pas de deux…

Last minute changes and unexpected surprises

Apart from creating challenges for the dancers, Iain had a few challenges tossed his way too when at the last moment – at 6pm on the final dress rehearsal night – they still had to change sets and rework certain key entrances and exits. But that’s show-business for you.

Iain admits he also had a few flat-lining days during the choreography process, circling in a creative drought not sure how to proceed. And then there were the freak-out moments too.

In particular, he laughs at the cosmic joke that was played on him a few weeks before opening night, running out of time to still teach and finish the ballet. At the height of this stress, with no time to spare (or so he thought), in glided the ever-so-cool-and-calm Colombian choreographer, Álvaro Restrepo, who then wooed almost the entire Cinderella cast into a collaborative Colombian-South African piece for Celebration 5. While Iain helplessly watched the time tick away, itching to get things moving along as swiftly as possible, Álvaro had all the dancers sitting in a large circle… meditating… for three days!

Iain laughingly concedes though that it was probably exactly what everyone needed to calm the frenetic pace and frazzled nerves.

Finding the funny side

In fact, Iain seems quick to spot the humour in most things, which is probably why laughter and giggles bubbled up so naturally from the audience throughout his Cinderella production. Humour was not an afterthought, but rather a very central consideration for Iain.

After commenting on some piece of comic choreography, Iain said to me, “I hope you got the humour throughout the whole ballet. I wanted mom, dad and kids to come to the ballet and for the father not to think, oh my gosh, I’m so bored I can actually cry. I wanted there to be humour for them as well.”

Much of the comedy was also a collaborative process, where Iain allowed the dancers to experiment. “We laughed till the tears were running in the rehearsals,” he said. However, Iain has a strategy even in humour and explained that “it’s a fine line being so funny but not actually telling the story.”

Cinderella’s stepsisters brought a serious dose of comedy to the show, while the stepmother made for an impressively intimidating character. Played here from left, Carlos Santos, Kitty Phetla, Luis de Castro with Burnise Silvius as Cinderella.

In the end, after months of thinking, dreaming and dancing, through inspiration and frustration, and despite time-munching meditating circles and last minute hiccups, Iain and his Joburg Ballet colleagues created a beautifully balanced ballet, as well as a jolly good show.

Coming attractions

“So what’s next?” I asked Iain, to which the answer became another hour-long talk, revealing the mind of an inspired creator, where every song and movie holds the potential for a brand new ballet idea or a creatively updated classic.

But while (always) dreaming up fantastic ideas for future ballets, he’s also preparing for next year’s seasons of the light-hearted Coppélia and then the highly challenging classic, La Bayadere. But also look out for a few fun twists to The Nutcracker coming up in the meantime too.

Wrapping up our talk, with only five minutes to spare before his next appointment, I asked about the long and all-consuming hours he puts into his work. “But for me,” Iain says, “it’s what I love doing, I’m passionate about it. I come to work every day being inspired.”

Here are a few more photos for you to enjoy (click on an image to open the gallery):

Fairy-tale dreams with Shannon Glover and Jonathan Rodrigues in SAMB’s all-new Cinderella. Photo by Bill Zurich.

Johannesburg audiences will have a choice of four ballerinas alternating in the title role of South African Mzansi Ballet’s all-new production of Cinderella, which opens on Friday 13 September 2013 at the Joburg Theatre.

SAMB’s principal dancers, Burnise Silvius and Michael Revie. Photo by Bill Zurich.

Won, two, three, four…

Across this 11-performance season, the local SAMB stars – Burnise Silvius, Shannon Glover and Lindé Wessels – will share Cinderella’s magical coach with international guest dancer, Jin Ho Won from South Korea. (Read more about Won here: Gold medalist guest ballerina arrives in SA.)

The source of the magic in the story, Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, will be danced by Nicole Ferreira, Lindé Wessels, Sanmarie Kreuzhuber, Claudia Monja and Kitty Phetla; while the dashing Prince Charming will be danced by Jonathan Rodrigues, Michael Revie and Ramiro Samón.

Providing the comic flamboyance to the story, Cinderella’s two Ugly Sisters will be pranced, ahem, I mean danced by men, with Luis de Castro, Chase Bosch, Javier Monier, Carlos Santos, Keke Chele and Randol Figueredo getting their drag on in alternating performances.

And adding the high jinks (and high jumps) will be the Jesters danced by Javier Monier, Randol Figueredo, Luis de Castro and Chase Bosch.

Casting Summary

Here’s the quick casting guide for Cinderella and her Prince:

• 

  See visiting star, South Korean Jin Ho Won as Cinderella. Photo courtesy of SAMB.

  Friday 13 September at 19:30: Burnise Silvius & Jonathan Rodrigues

• Saturday 14 September at 15:00: Jin Ho Won & Michael Revie
• Saturday 14 September at 19:30: Lindé Wessels & Jonathan Rodrigues
• Sunday 15 September at 11:00: Shannon Glover & Ramiro Samón
• Sunday 15 September at 15:00: Jin Ho Won & Michael Revie
• Tuesday 17 September at 11:00: Lindé Wessels & Jonathan Rodrigues (School Performance)
• Saturday 21 September at 15:00: Shannon Glover & Ramiro Samón
• Sunday 22 September at 15:00: Burnise Silvius & Jonathan Rodrigues
• Friday 27 September at 19:30: Jin Ho Won & Michael Revie
• Saturday 28 September at 15:00: Shannon Glover & Ramiro Samón
• Sunday 29 September at 15:00: Burnise Silvius & Michael Revie

Cinderella booking details:

Dates: 13 to 29 September 2013
Venue: Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg
Tickets: From R189 to R336 from www.joburgtheatre.com

SA Mzansi Ballet dancers in rehearsals for their upcoming production of Celebration 5. Photo by Jurgen Badenhorst courtesy of SAMB.

If you’re in Joburg this weekend, make your way over to South African Mzansi Ballet’s Open Day on Saturday, 31 August 2013 at their Braamfontein studios, taking place from 10am to 1pm.

You’ll be able to watch the dancers warm up in their morning ballet class, followed by a tea break where fans and friends of the ballet can socialise and network within the inner-workings of the Joburg Theatre. Thereafter, you’ll be treated to a mix of rehearsals for the ballet company’s upcoming all-new production of Cinderella, as well as rehearsals for Celebration 5 (more information on this to follow soon).

Keen to attend? Contact Edgar Moagi on 011 877 6898 or edgar@samzansiballet.com to book your seat. The cost is R90 per person.

Can’t make it? You can still get that sneak peek by watching this video. See South Korean guest dancer, Jin Ho Won, and SAMB’s principal ballerina, Burnise Silvius, rehearsing the role of Cinderella with artistic director, Iain MacDonald.

Want to see the real deal? Go and book your seats here…

Cinderella booking details:

Dates: 13 to 29 September 2013
Venue: Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg
Tickets: From R189 to R336 from www.joburgtheatre.com

Celebration 5 booking details – Johannesburg:

Dates: Friday 20 September at 19:30; Saturday 21 September at 19:30; Saturday 28 September at 19:30.
Venue: Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg
Tickets: From R189 to R336 from www.joburgtheatre.com

Celebration 5 booking details – Cape Town:

Dates: Tuesday 24 September at 19:30; Wednesday 25 September at 19:30.
Venue: Joseph Stone Auditorium, Athlone, Cape Town
Tickets: R150 (or R120 for children under 12) from Computicket

Jin Ho Won in her Gold medal winning performance at CTIBC 2012. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing

South Africans first saw South Korean ballerina Jin Ho Won (21) when she won her double gold medals in the senior division of the Cape Town International Ballet Competition in 2012. Now she has returned, this time to Johannesburg, as a guest ballerina in South African Mzansi Ballet’s new production of Cinderella, alternating in the title role with the local SAMB principal dancers.

Jin Ho Won studied both in South Korea and at American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York. She has also danced extensively in South Korea and with American Ballet Theatre 2 in the USA, and will now be able to add South Africa to the list as she takes part in  SAMB’s new full-length ballet.

Apart from her award-winning performances at the Cape Town International Ballet Competition, she’s also danced in the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland, the Youth America Grand Prix in New York, the Beijing International Competition and you can watch her in this video, where she received a gold medal at the Seoul International Dance Competition…

All-new production of Cinderella

Artistic director Iain MacDonald has choreographed the ballet to the sparkling melodies of Johann Strauss II. SAMB tells us that the lilting and charming sounds of Strauss’ only full-length ballet score will be heard in Johannesburg for the first time, replacing the more familiar Prokofiev music.

The ballet company’s previous production of Cinderella broke box-office records in 2009 and the 2013 staging promises new delights with Strauss’ sumptuous melodies, new choreography and  re-imagined sets by designer Andrew Botha.

Cinderella is also the first production to be presented by the company since the announcement in June of generous funding from the City of Johannesburg. (Read more on that here: Funding and future name change announced by SAMB)

The casting is still to be announced, but in the meantime, you’ll have an opportunity to see Jin Ho Won in rehearsals at an Open Day at the SAMB Studios at the Joburg Theatre on Saturday 31 August from 10am to 1pm.  Booking is through Edgar Moagi on (0)11 877 6898 or edgar@samzansiballet.com.

Or, for those not in Johannesburg, here’s another video of Jin Ho Won from her performance as Kitri (Don Quixote) from the Beijing International Ballet Competition. Enjoy!

Cape Town City Ballet warm-up class. Photo by Michael Groenewald courtesy of CTCB.

Do you ever have those days where you know there is so much more you can do in ballet class, but your body stubbornly refuses to cooperate? Of course you do, silly question, pushing the body beyond its boundaries is basically the definition of ballet, right?

After all, there is no such thing as too many pirouette turns or too much elevation in jumps – dancers are always striving for more.

Dramatic moment with Elizabeth Nienaber. Photo by Michael Groenewald courtesy of CTCB.

But while relentlessly pushing yourself in ballet can certainly give you results, it can also give you injuries. A better approach is to find a happy balance, where you can identify your weak areas and safely strengthen them out of class, enabling you to work harder and with more control in the class.

This is where cross-training for ballet is so valuable.

So when you’re panting after that first allegro exercise and when your feet should be doing hummingbird beats but start to resemble flopping fish instead, it’s time to add some cardio fitness workouts.

And when you’re fighting to hold (or lift) that arabesque, perhaps it’s time to include some core strength conditioning.

Following the recent cross-training article on BodyMindBallet (Best out-the-class ideas for in-the-class performance), I asked a few South African professional ballet dancers to tell us what type of ballet cross-training they do and what works best for them.

Here are some of their ideas that you can try for yourself.

[Although remember that what works for one dancer doesn’t necessarily work for another, so it’s always best to chat to your ballet teacher and physical therapist before starting any new training schedules.]

Ballet cross-training that works:

Michael Revie from South African Mzansi Ballet stretching during rehearsals. Photo by Jurgen Badenhorst courtesy of SAMB.

Michael Revie, principal dancer at South African Mzansi Ballet says, “when I perform, it is normally for 1 and a half to 2 hours and it is a mix of everything, so training many different ways is very, very important for me.”

Michael does circuit training three times a week, mixing upper body and leg workouts, and he aims to do weight training twice a week too. However, he doesn’t stop there.

“Being a dancer, we move every day in different ways,” says Michael. “I feel if I stick to one type of training, I will be neglecting some parts of my body. I need to be fit to run long distance and do sprints, long jump, high jump, weight lifting, flexibility and strength.”

Thomas Thorne of Cape Town City Ballet (CTCB) takes a similar approach with cross-training.  He says “I don’t believe that just a ballet class is enough to keep strong. Ballet has become more athletic and bodies are more toned, so going to the pilates class or the gym is needed.”

Thomas recommends trying many different forms of exercise and he emphasizes that “male dancers also must be strong to partner a girl and get through a solo”.

Kirstel Jensen and Daniel Szybkowski during rehearsals at Cape Town City Ballet’s studios. Photo by Michael Groenewald courtesy of CTCB.

However, even though the physical demands and cross-training needs are different for ballet men and women, that doesn’t mean gym is only for the boys.

Kirstel Jensen, a CTCB dancer, says that gym makes her stronger too, especially helping with upper body strength and also strengthening her legs for jumping and landing. She says working out at the gym also improves her stamina and “it makes muscles not usually used stronger, which in turn improves my ballet technique”.

But when it comes to increasing core body strength, pilates pops up on almost all dancers’ cross-training schedules. Claire Spector (from Cape Town City Ballet) says pilates helps her build strong core muscles, while it’s good for preventing injuries and for general body conditioning.

Elizabeth Nienaber (CTCB) says she does pilates, yoga and gym, listing several benefits including increasing flexibility, relieving stress and she says it provides a “better understanding of the body/mind connection”.

Angela Hansford during rehearsals. Photo by Michael Groenewald courtsy of CTCB.

Angela Hansford (CTCB) believes that yoga works best for her. In particular Angela says that because she’s tall, she needs a very strong core. “This helps me to move faster and be more coordinated,” she says.

Angela adds that yoga stretches are very beneficial, and “heated yoga is also great because you feel more flexible in the heat and can really push your stretches.”

But if you prefer fresh air to hot, stuffy studios, Daniel Szybkowski (CTCB) says he goes jogging and hiking, which he claims strengthens his ankles and legs and also improves his stamina.

But what about cross-training for injury rehabilitation?

Michael Revie has dealt with his fair share of injuries over his career and has developed his own injury prevention/recovery techniques. But as a starting point he says, “if I have an injury, I wait until the physio says I am allowed to train, then I train the injured area by itself (pilates, swimming, biokinetics). As soon as I feel the strength coming back, I start to lift more and train longer.”

See them in action…

Now that you have some insight into these dancers’ off-stage workouts, why don’t you see for yourself how it translates into their on-stage performance?

You can still catch the Cape Town City Ballet dancers on stage this week with their production of The Sleeping Beauty at Artscape until 18 August (tickets through Computicket here); and you can see Michael Revie and the South African Mzansi Ballet dancers in their upcoming production of Cinderella at the Joburg Theatre in September (book those tickets here).

Can you design Cinderella’s ball gown? Photo by John Hogg of Burnise Silvius in SAMB‘s new production of Cinderella.

Calling all aspiring fashion designers and fashion students: Cinderella needs a dress for the ball and you get to wave your magic pencil and design the dress of your dreams.

Should your design be chosen as the winner, Marie Claire and South African Mzansi Ballet (SAMB) will help bring your fairy tale dream to life as the magical ball gown for the leading ballerina in SAMB’s production of Cinderella, taking place at the Joburg Theatre from 13 to 29 September 2013.

Fashion fairy tale dreams are made of this

This fashion design competition is open to all aspiring designers, students of design schools and tertiary-education centres. But be quick, your entry needs to be in by 24 June 2013 or, uh, you’ll turn into a pumpkin or something.

To stand a chance of playing fashion fairy godmother, start by downloading and completing the entry form at www.marieclaire.co.za. You’ll need to describe your vision for your ball gown in one paragraph and submit a mood board to Marie Claire by 24 June.

Bibbidy bobbidy boo…

There’s nothing quite like Disney to spark the creative imagination, so take a minute to enjoy this clip of Cinderella’s magical dress transformation straight from the source.

Winning tips:

• In classic Cinderella tradition, the ball gown needs to be a pale blue beauty.
• Ballerinas are athletes who need to move freely, and the ball gown needs to allow for leaps, turns and high leg lifts.

The winner will be selected by early July and will be briefed by SAMB about further design specifications for the dress, in addition to working closely with the costume department to create this ball gown for their leading ballerina.

The winning design will feature in Marie Claire’s October 2013 issue and will, of course, debut on stage for all to admire as Cinderella becomes the belle of the ball in this brand new ballet production at the Joburg Theatre from 13 to 29 September 2013.

“This collaboration between Marie Claire and SAMB offers a unique opportunity for young students to experience the process of the design industry first hand,” explains Aspasia Karras, editor of Marie Claire. “We are looking forward to the entries for this iconic ball gown.”

Need a touch more inspiration? Take a look at this fashion catwalk display of five gorgeous wedding dresses from the Alfred Angelo Cinderella Diamond Collection. Bibbidy bobbidy bootiful…

Photo by Photoloni via Flickr

What started as a clever marketing initiative to attract new audiences to the ballet, has now evolved into an exciting competition for ballet studios and dance groups.

South African Mzansi Ballet (SAMB) has taken their good idea – of allowing select studios to perform during their Don Quixote intervals – and created an even better initiative by creating a competition open to all ballet and dance groups in Gauteng, with various prizes and dance opportunities awarded to the winners.

The Just Dance! competition will take place during the September performances of SAMB’s new production of the classical ballet, Cinderella, at the Joburg Theatre between 13 and 29 September. Studios and groups will compete for prizes awarded in recognition of a combination of entertainment values and technical accomplishment. The competition is open to dancers across all dance techniques.

Prizes and dance opportunities:

A wide range of awards will be presented, with awards going to the winning groups as well as specific awards to individual participants for which all will be eligible, not just the dancers in the finalist groups. In addition to the cash awards and other prizes, performing opportunities will be awarded by the judges.

Entrants will also receive discounted tickets to SAMB’s new production of the classical ballet, Cinderella. The judging panel will feature well-known personalities from the dance and entertainment field and the judges will be looking for a “wow!” factor and dance that combines entertainment with solid technique.

SAMB dancers Claudia Monja and Nelson Nunez. Photo by Susanne Holbaek courtesy of SAMB.

Competition and application details:

The closing date for applications is Friday 2 August 2013, after which auditions will be held at the Joburg Theatre and, facilitated by SAMB’s Development Programme, also in Soweto, Mamelodi, Olifantsfontein and Alexandra to choose the competing groups who will perform at the Joburg Theatre in September.

Competing groups must commit to performing in the preliminary rounds as well as in the finals and performing in both rounds is a condition of participation. Semi-finals will take place in the SAMB studios at the Joburg Theatre.

Groups must comprise of five or more dancers; all dance styles are welcome and each work may be no longer than 4 minutes. No sets or props will be allowed and basic stage lighting will be provided onstage.

Three selected groups will perform at each Cinderella performance, either before the show or during the interval. Six semi-finalist groups will be selected to perform at the final performance of Cinderella and the winners will be announced after that performance. On the final day of the programme, Sunday 29 September at 11am, all groups that participated in the programme will re-assemble for a performance featuring all groups; and later that same day the finalists will perform in the intervals of the season’s final Cinderella performance.

For more information or for an application form please call Edgar Moagi on 011 877 6898 or email him on edgar@samzansiballet.com.