From left to right: Elizabeth Nienaber, Bradley van Heerden, Kim Vieira, Daniel Szybkowski, Laura Bösenberg, Angela Hansford, Rosamund Ford and Thomas Thorne. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing

In the midst of Cape Town City Ballet’s 80 anniversary celebrations, there are now even more celebratory ching-chings to be had as the company recently announced eight promotions within the company. The dancers who have received promotions are Elizabeth Nienaber, Bradley van Heerden, Kim Vieira, Daniel Szybkowski, Laura Bösenberg, Angela Hansford, Rosamund Ford and Thomas Thorne.

Moving up from Principal Dancers to Senior Principal Dancers are Laura Bösenberg, Thomas Thorne and Kim Vieira, while Angela Hansford has been promoted to Principal Dancer, and Daniel Szybkwoski is now a Senior Soloist. Elizabeth Nienaber and Rosamund Ford have both been promoted to Soloists and Bradley van Heerden to Senior Artist.

Congrats lovely dancers!

See these dancers starring in their upcoming mid-year production called Ballet Beautiful, at Artscape Theatre from 4 to 12 July 2014.

Booking Details for Ballet Beautiful:

Dates: Friday 4 July 2014 at 19:30;
Saturday 5 July 2014 at 14:00 and 19:30;
Sunday 6 July 2014 at 15:00;
Friday 11 July 2014 at 19:30;
Saturday 12 July 2014 at 14:00 and 19:30.
Venue: Artscape Theatre, Cape Town
Tickets: from R150 to R175 via Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-Seat on 021 421 7695.

See pure white magic on stage with Cape Town City Ballet’s Swan Lake in April 2014. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.

Following an already busy start to their 80th anniversary year, starting with the popular modern ballet Night & Day at Artscape, then the outdoor performances of The Firebird and Les Sylphides at Maynardville, now Cape Town City Ballet prepares for one of the greatest classical ballets of all time, Swan Lake, to be performed at the Artscape Opera House from 5 to 20 April 2014.

Royal Ballet couple make star appearances

In a major scoop for the Cape Town ballet company, their production of Swan Lake will feature two leading dancers from the Royal Ballet in London – Hikaru Kobayashi and Federico Bonelli. The real-life husband and wife team will make their special guest performances in the lead roles on 19 and 20 April, where they will be dancing the famous roles together as a couple for the very first time.

Cape Town City Ballet’s own Laura Bösenberg, partnered by Thomas Thorne as Prince Siegfried, will dance the dual roles of Princess Odette and Princess Odile, which is always a great challenge and achievement for a ballerina considering the tremendous emotional depth, technical strength and stamina required for this challenging role.

See Thomas Thorne partner Laura Bosenberg as she dances the challenging dual roles of the white and black swan. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.

For the other performances, Daniel Szybkowski will partner Angela Hansford (Odette) and Kim Vieira (Odile) and Jesse Milligan will partner Kirstel Jensen (Odette) and Mami Fuji (Odile). See the casting details and dates below.

Cape Town’s great white ballet

First performed in Cape Town in 1971, this Swan Lake marks the CTCB’s 4th restaging of Attilio Labis’s version. It was originally created for the CAPAB Ballet Company by Labis, based on his many performances in productions around the world. Now produced by Prof Elizabeth Triegaardt, honorary executive director of the CTCB, who herself had the honour of dancing the role of Odette/Odile in that first production, while simultaneously, as Ballet Mistress of CAPAB, rehearsing the corps de ballet for 15 years.

Considering the hauntingly beautiful musical masterpiece that Tchaikovsky created for this ballet, audiences will be delighted to know that all but one of the scheduled nine performances of Swan Lake will be accompanied by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, which is also celebrating a big anniversary this year – 100 years of orchestral music in Cape Town! The orchestra will be conducted by Graham Scott.

According to the company, early ticket sales indicate that Cape Town City Ballet may have a sell-out success with Swan Lake in April 2014. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.

Those with sensitive hearts will also be happy to know that this particular version of Swan Lake is one of the few that has a satisfyingly happy ending!

Casts in order of appearance:

• Saturday 5 April, 19:30: Laura Bösenberg & Thomas Thorne
• Wednesday 9 April, 19:30: Angela Hansford, Kim Vieira & Daniel Szybkowski
• Saturday 12 April, 14:00: Kirstel Jensen, Mami Fujii & Jesse Milligan
• Saturday 12 April, 19:30: Laura Bösenberg & Thomas Thorne
• Sunday 13 April, 19:30: Angela Hansford, Kim Vieira & Daniel Szybkowski (recorded music)
• Wednesday 16 April, 19:30: Kirstel Jensen, Mami Fujii & Jesse Milligan
• Saturday 19 April, 14:00: Laura Bösenberg & Thomas Thorne
• Saturday 19 April, 19:30: Hikaru Kobayashi & Federico Bonelli (Royal Ballet guests)
• Sunday 20 April, 15:00: Hikaru Kobayashi & Federico Bonelli (Royal Ballet guests)

Booking details:

Dates: 5 to 20 April 2014.
Venue: Atrscape Opera House, Cape Town.
Tickets: From R100 to R320 via Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-Seat on 021 421 7695.

Cape Town City Ballet’s Laura Bosenberg as The Firebird. Photo by Pat Bromilow Downing.

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 Town City Ballet is weaving its magic through the scenic gardens of Maynardville Park to bring The Firebird to life at the Maynardville Open-Air Theatre, giving you the perfect sylvan setting to catch it (at least with your eyes) every Sunday from 19 January until 16 February 2014.

As 2014 marks the 80th anniversary year for Cape Town City Ballet, the company is flying into celebration mode with The Firebird, followed by another moonlit ballet, Les Sylphides, with both these enchanting and ethereal ballets performed back-to-back in the ideal setting of Cape Town’s Maynardville Park.

Both ballets were first staged by Russian choreographer Michel Fokine, but have been reworked here by David Poole. Here’s a brief background into the stories and mythical beings you’ll encounter in these ballets:

The Firebird and Kashchei the Immortal

Prince Ivan (Xola Putye) shows us how it’s done as he catches his Firebird (Kim Vieira). Photo by Michael Groenewald.

According to Russian folk tales, Kashchei the Immortal is an evil sorcerer who can cast a spell on those caught in his realm. Under this spell, he holds a group of 13 young royal princesses captive in a mystical garden.

Meanwhile, the hero of the story, young Prince Ivan, enters the villain’s domain and captures a magical Firebird. She begs him to release her in exchange for one of her magical feathers and the promise that the feather can be used to summon her aid at any time.

Ivan encounters the group of maidens one evening and as he watches them play in the moonlight he falls in love with Tsarevna, one of the princesses. But in pursuit of his love, the prince is waylaid by a horde of demons under Kashchei’s spell. Ivan remembers the feather, and the Firebird arrives to rescue him and end the tyranny of Kashchei.

The ballet ends with a wedding scene where the Firebird blesses the marriage of the prince and princess. The roles of the Firebird and Prince will be danced by Kim Vieira (debut) partnering with Xola Putye; Laura Bosenberg with Thomas Thorne (debut); and Mami Fuji (debut) with Ivan Boonzaaier (debut).

Les Sylphides and poetry in motion

Laura Bosenberg and the sylphs in Les Sylphides. Photo by Pat Bromilow Downing.

Described as a “romantic reverie”, Les Sylphides is a short ballet and one of the first ballets to not have a specific story-line or plot, but instead is considered a tribute to the romantic ballets and consists of many ballerinas in long white tutus as ethereal sylphs (mythological spirits of the air) dancing in the moonlight with a poet.

Set to Chopin’s serene music, this beautiful ballet has seen various versions, even by the original choreographer Fokine himself, but the Maynardville audiences will see the graceful ballet produced by Cecily Robinson for the CAPAB Ballet Company. For this production the lead partnerships will be Laura Bosenberg, dancing with Thomas Thorne, and Angela Hansford partnering with Daniel Szybkowski – who debuts in the role of the Poet.

For a dreamy and fascinating insight into Les Sylphides, watch this video (possibly filmed in the 1950’s) of Tamara Karsavina as she talks of performing with Anna Pavlova and Vaslav Nijinsky, and she discusses the role of the corps de ballet and the necessary ethereal expression of the port de bras.

Booking details:

The Firebird and Les Sylphides
Dates: Every Sunday at 8:15pm from 19 January to 16 February 2014
Venue: Maynardville Open-Air Theatre, Cape Town
Tickets: R110, R120 or R130 through Computicket.com or via Artscape Dial-a-Seat on 021 421 7695.

Jesse Milligan and Tracy Li in Cape Town City Ballet’s recent production of Camille. Photo by Suzette Vorster

To celebrate Women’s Day, Cape Town City Ballet is busy preparing a special ballet performance called Belles of the Ballet, which will be presented at Artscape on 9 August 2013 for one performance only.

Paying tribute to famous female ballet characters with a special focus on women in love, the leading belles of Cape Town City Ballet will bring audiences “the flirtatious Carmen, heartbroken Camille and the daring Delilah”, amongst several other scenes from well-loved ballets.

Prima ballerina Tracy Li will again partner with Jesse Milligan in a pas de deux from their recent production of Camille, while Xola Putye will join Tracy for a glorious pas de deux from Spartacus.

Supported by the company’s cast of male dancers, this event will feature the talents of Cape Town City Ballet’s ballerinas, including Laura Bosenberg, Kim Vieira, Angela Hansford, Jane Fidler, Kirstel Jensen, Rosamund Ford, Elizabeth Nienaber, Mariette Opperman, and Claire Spector.

Programme highlights

Laura Bosenberg as Raymonda. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing courtesy of Cape Town City Ballet.

Cape Town’s leading female ballet choreographer, Veronica Paeper, will be honoured with extracts from her critically acclaimed Carmen, Orpheus in the Underworld, Spartacus, and Camille.

The programme will also showcase the work of other renowned South African choreographers such as David Poole, Nigel Lucas, Norman Furber and Robin van Wyk.

Following their recent run in Durban, the audience will be treated to highlights from Robin van Wyk’s Night & Day, the vibrant tribute to popular American songwriter, Cole Porter.

And for those in seek of the classical ballet repertoire, scenes from The Nutcracker, Coppelia and Raymonda will complete a beautiful afternoon at the ballet.

Booking details:

Date: 9 August 2013 at 3pm – Note that there is only one performance.
Venue: Artscape Opera House, Cape Town
Tickets: R50, R90 and R110 through Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-Seat on 021 421 7695.