Claudia Monja and Prima Ballerina Burnise Silvius dancing in Joburg Ballet’s Swan Lake. Photo by Lauge Sorensen

Following an invitation to join the China-South Africa Year ceremonies in Beijing, Shanghai and Liaoning Province, Joburg Ballet are flying off to the People’s Republic of China this November, touring a showcase of some of their popular classical and contemporary dance works. But not before first performing their touring programme for audiences at home on 8 and 9 November 2014 from 3pm to 5pm at the Joburg Ballet Studios in Braamfontein.

Joburg Ballet describe themselves as “a world class African ballet company”, and with dancers currently performing in Denmark, Ireland, Cuba and now soon China, the company is certainly amplifying its world class reach.

You’ll be able to see Joburg Ballet’s popular showpieces in their own beautiful, light-filled dance studio, with all the behind-the-scenes action too as there’ll be no “wings” and black curtains to hide the back-stage action.

To add to the intimate studio experience, ticket holders are invited to watch the company take their warm-up class from 1pm to 2:15pm followed by delicious tea and treats before the China Tour Showcase at 3pm.

The afternoon programme will be headlined by dancer and choreographer Kitty Phetla’s contemporary version of Carmina Burana, plus extracts from the neo-classical work entitled Kopona, and pieces of pure classical sparkle from the world’s greatest ballets including the pas de deux from Don Quixote.

Event details:

Dates: Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 November 2014
Programme:
1pm to 2:15pm: Watch warm-up class (optional)
2:20 to 3pm: Tea and treats
3pm to 5pm: China Tour Showcase performance
Venue: Joburg Ballet Studio 2, Joburg Theatre Complex, Hoofd Street, Braamfontein
Parking: The National School of the Arts, 17 Hoofd Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg (opposite the studios).
Tickets: R150 per person, tea included. Bookings through Edgar Moagi on 011 877 6898 or edgar@joburgballet.com

The Nutcracker set in the Kalahari Desert? You’ll have to see it to believe it. Photo by Susanne Holbaek

It’s the Nutcracker, but re-told in an African way and re-styled with a local-is-lekker flair. While still set to the beautiful effervescent music of Tchaikovsky, Joburg Ballet’s all new The Nutcracker Re-Imagined switches the usual snowy northern Christmas scenes for such sunny African settings as the Kalahari, complete with gumboots and Namaqua daisies.

Running as part of a double season alongside the company’s first staging of La Bayadère, The Nutcracker Re-Imagined is on at the Joburg Theatre from 12 to 27 September 2014 with staging by Adèle Blank, sets by Andrew Botha and even circus tricks designed specifically for Joburg Ballet by SircuSynergy.

Ballet dancers can jump, but can they stomp? Joburg Ballet’s gum boot dancers show us how. Photo by Susanne Holbaek

Same traditional storyline with some fresh new characters

While it may not be ballet tradition for The Nutcracker, a sangoma is very traditional and a completely appropriate South African replacement for the mysterious, magical and more familiar Dr Drosselmeyer character. Kitty Phetla and Sanmarie Kreuzhuber will perform as the Sangoma at alternating performances during the 5-performance season.

Clara, the young girl who receives a nutcracker doll and whose dream-world journey weaves the story of The Nutcracker Re-Imagined, will be shared by senior soloist Angela Revie, senior corps dancer Jessica Overton and Olivia Parfitt, who recently joined Joburg Ballet directly from two years at the National Ballet School of Canada in Toronto.

The characters of the Moon and the Sun, who in this production perform the Grand Pas De Deux, will be danced by Cubans Dayana Hardy Acuna and Randol Figueredo, alternating with principal dancer Shannon Glover and senior soloist Jonathan Rodrigues.

For a little sneak peak preview, see this video from Morning Live’s outside broadcast (which was filmed quite literally outside Joburg Ballet’s studios) where the company launched their double spring season of La Bayadère and The Nutcracker Re-Imagined.

Booking details:

Date: Final show: Saturday 27 September at 7:30pm.
Venue: Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Tickets: from R100 to R400 via JoburgTheatre.com or 0861 670 670

Special booking offer – Ballet Combo: 20% off all performances except ½ Price Nights if booking for both La Bayadère and The Nutcracker Re-Imagined at the same time. (When booking online, add the code joburg ballet into the coupon field and click on the green plus button to activate the discount to your purchase.)

Young South African star-in-the-making, Leroy Mokgatle, gets invited to perform in Stars of American Ballet at Montecasino. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.

Thanks to enthusiastic demand for tickets for this weekend’s performances of Stars of American Ballet, additional seats in the balconies at Montecasino’s Teatro in Johannesburg have been opened.

It’s the first event of its kind in over 30 years where such a group of outstanding American ballet dancers will perform in South Africa, representing New York City Ballet and other leading companies in the Americas. There are five performances only, taking place on Friday 20 June 2014 at 8pm; Saturday 21 June at 3pm and 8pm; and Sunday 22 June at 11am and 3pm. See further booking details below.

Two SA-based dancers get added to the line-up

For all those who followed the exciting South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC) in February this year, you’ll be happy to know that audience-favourite, 14-year-old Leroy Mokgatle has been invited to perform at this weekend’s Stars of American Ballet, as well as at Stars of American Ballet in the Bush in aid of rhino conservation, taking place at Legend Golf and Safari Resort in Limpopo Province on 23 and 24 June.

Audiences will see his solo from Satanella, which helped him win the SAIBC silver medal in Cape Town in February, as well as a bronze medal at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) in New York in April. This youngster, who trains with Art of Motion in Johannesburg, makes for an inspiring example of the future of home-grown ballet talent in South Africa.

Kitty Phetla rehearsing Nikiya’s Lament at Montecasino ahead of the Stars of American Ballet galas. Photo by Bill Zurich

The second South African dancer invited to perform alongside the Americans is Kitty Phetla from Joburg Ballet. As one of South Africa’s first professional black ballerinas, she has become a major role model for thousands of young aspiring South Africans.

Kitty Phetla has also become known as a talented choreographer and contemporary dancer, but for this weekend, she will perform Nikiya’s Lament from the Russian classic, La Bayadère, offering audiences a short highlight from the upcoming full-scale ballet production of La Bayadère by Joburg Ballet at the Joburg Theatre in September.

Click here for more stories and information behind the Stars of American Ballet gala performances, or follow these booking details to get your seats while you still can – there won’t be many left!

Booking Details:

Dates: 20 June 2014 at 8pm; 21 June 2014 at 3pm and 8pm; 22 June at 11am and 3pm.
Venue: The Teatro at Montecasino, Johannesburg
Tickets: from R150 to R420 via Computicket.

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):

Dancers from Joburg Ballet rehearsng Belinda Nusser’s new piece, called The Deep and Lovely Quiet. Photo by Bill Zurich.

Coming to both Johannesburg and Cape Town, the newly renamed Joburg Ballet (previously South African Mzansi Ballet) is collaborating with a leading Colombian dance company to bring audiences a showcase of classical and contemporary dance.

Starting on 20 September 2013, at the Joburg Theatre, audiences will see new works by South African choreographers – Belinda Nusser, Kitty Phetla and Shannon Glover – along with special pieces by Álvaro Restrepo, performed by the professional dancers from his Colombian company, El Colegio Del Cuerpo (The School of the Body) and dancers from Joburg Ballet.

For an inspiring and insightful insight into Restrepo’s School of the Body and its dancers, watch this short feature on the school in this episode of ArtsWorld from AlJazeera TV.

Coming up in the Celebration 5 programme…

Starting off the show will be a piece called The Deep and Lovely Quiet by Belinda Nusser. The ex-Joburg and now European-based Nusser explains her piece with these questions: “Does the feeling of belonging to a group make it any less lonely? How far does loneliness go, and where we can we find our peace?” Performed by 11 dancers from Joburg Ballet, they’ll explore the social interactions we experience in daily life and the monotony of them, but also the impact of group power and the strength that comes out of work in unison.

European-based South African choreographer, Belinda Nusser, as she works with dancers at their Joburg Ballet studios. Photo by Bill Zurich.

Talking of strength, Shannon Glover revealed at a recent choreographic discussion that her work – called Use Somebody – is all about strength, saying that the men in the Joburg Ballet company are so strong that she’s allowed them to dominate the stage. Sounds like we can expect some powerful jumps and impressive macho dancing.

Celebration 5 will also see Kitty Phetla premiere her new piece, called I am. At the same choreographic discussion, she confidently admitted that she’s “a very abstract choreographer” and likes to work with the “educated body”. Considering Phetla’s strong choreographic experience, her work with the very educated bodies of the Joburg Ballet dancers should create something rather special.

But when it comes to special moments, one of the much anticipated highlights of the production will be the work by the Colombian Álvaro Restrepo. Having watched him in action, Restrepo has a very grounded, humble, yet also spiritual approach to his work, which creates pure magic in movement. There’s also a deep sincerity and a depth of meaning to the man that seems to percolate through his wonderfully talented dancers.

These seven dancers will perform Romanian Dances, and will then join forces with 13 Joburg Ballet dancers to perform God-by-the-sea, which Restrepo says is in part a contemplative tribute to the memory of his sister, who died tragically 13 years ago.

But for those who can’t go to the ballet without actually seeing some classical ballet, you’ll be in for a treat with a pas de deux from The Flower Festival at Ganzano. It’s an enchanting Danish piece, which has not been seen on the Johannesburg stage for many years. The programme also includes a classical pas de deux from Act 1 of the ballet Le Corsaire.

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

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

Dancer interviews about Celebration 5 and Cinderella

See Joburg Ballet’s Nicole Ferreira and Michael Revie as they talk on Ballz Radio about both Celebration 5 and their current production of Cinderella.

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

Ta-da! Brooklyn Mack and Sanmarie Kreuzhuber in Don Quixote. Photo courtesy SAMB.

The jury is still out as to whether they will become Joburg Ballet or Joburg City Ballet, but either way the name change comes as a condition of the ballet company’s latest and largest funder – the City of Johannesburg, which has just given them an R8-million injection.

The announcement was made at a press conference at the ballet company’s studios in Braamfontein on Friday last week, where the dancers heard the announcement for the first time along with the media and invited guests.

In a reversal of roles, it was the dancers giving a standing ovation to the man of the moment, Chris Vondo, a Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development, who was partly responsible for the allocation of the grant and was there to make the big announcement.

Cllr. Vondo was quoted as saying: “We recognize the large steps the ballet company has taken in recent years towards transformation as a performing arts company in South Africa and also its successful outreach programmes for the youngsters of our city.”

World-class opportunities

It is especially these youngsters that should be excited about the news. According to Dirk Badenhorst, the company’s CEO, this R8m funding gives them the much-needed sustainability allowing them to focus on providing world-class opportunities to local dancers.

Young children from Joburg are given opportunities to perform as part of SAMB’s outreach programme.

“Children from the theatre’s Development Programme in Soweto, Alexandra, Olifantsfontein, Mamelodi, Melville and Braamfontein – as well as young people from across the City and environs – can now look forward with pride to joining the company”, says Badenhorst.

The company, which we’ll still call SAMB until the official name-switch, says it has already been invited to perform in Washington DC in April 2014 at celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of South African democracy. Other potential local and African tours were mentioned too.

Commenting on the funding, Kitty Phetla, one of SAMB’s home-grown ballerinas said “it makes me very proud to be part of the company.” She added, “we are one step closer to being a world-class ballet company in South Africa.”

Funding for one year and potentially more

The R8m funding is a one year grant, from July 2013 till June 2014. However, provided the company uses the money wisely and meets their scorecard goals, there is an indicative allocation for a three year period, signaling the city’s intention to support the company on a potentially ongoing basis.

To oversee the management of this grant, the second condition of the funding –  the name-change being the first condition to highlight and emphasize the partnership between the City of Joburg and the company – will see two representatives of Joburg City Theatres (the municipal entity now operating Joburg Theatre, Soweto Theatre and Roodepoort Theatre) being invited onto SAMB’s Board of Directors.

“I believe in the value of the arts to help us seek solutions to Africa’s problems” said Dirk Badenhorst, “and I am proud to be counted among the citizens of Joburg”.

Click on a picture to open the gallery.