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.

Tracy Li and Xola Putye in their pas de deux from Spartacus. Photo by Michael Groenewald.

Having recently completed their season of The Sleeping Beauty, Cape Town City Ballet returns to Artscape from 26 to 28 September 2013 with a new production simply titled Pas de Deux, highlighting some of the greatest moments in the classical pas de deux repertoire.

Bringing to the stage some of the most popular dances for two soloists, the company plans to showcase memorable partnering from ballets such as Spartacus, Anna Karenina, Le Corsaire, Diane and Acteon, The Merry Widow, and Scheherazade.

Cape Town audiences will have another opportunity to see prima ballerina Tracy Li, who made her comeback to the ballet stage this year, when she performs a moving pas de deux from Spartacus with Xola Putye.

Putye will also partner Mami Fuji – who recently had her debut in The Sleeping Beauty – as they dance the pas de deux from Diane and Acteon. (Trevor Schoonraad was initially announced as Fuji’s partner, but unfortunately will not be able to dance due to injury.)

And of course, considering that the pas de deux is often associated with a couple in love, this special production wouldn’t be complete without a scene from both Don Quixote and Romeo and Juliet (with roles alternating between different soloists across the various performances).

See Mariette Opperman & Jesse Milligan perform in Cape Town City Ballet’s Pas de Deux. Photo by by Pat Bromilow-Downing.

Booking details:

Dates & times:
Thursday, 26 September at 19:30
Friday, 27 September at 15:00
Friday, 27 September at 19:30
Saturday, 28 September at 14:00
Saturday, 28 September at 19:30

Venue: Artscape Theatre, Cape Town

Tickets: From R50 to R150 from Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-Seat on 021 421 7695.

Exciting new opportunities for Mami Fuji and Ramiro Samón, who will be performing for two performances in The Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.

Due to injuries, Nehemiah Kish from The Royal Ballet has had to cancel his appearances in Cape Town City Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty, and as a result, The Royal Ballet ballerina, Roberta Marquez, will not be performing either.

However, this has opened up the fairy tale opportunity to a young ballerina from Japan, Mami Fuji, who will make her debut as Princess Aurora on 14 and 17 August. She will be partnered by Ramiro Samón from Cuba, who will make his debut in the role of Prince Florimund.

“The show must go on…”

“In true show business fashion, the show must go on, and Fuji and Samón have been invited to step in”, commented Prof Elizabeth Triegaardt, CTCB’s Executive Director.

“We are tremendously excited to present Mami Fuji in the role of Princess Aurora. Since joining the company in May, she has made quite an impression on us. This will be her big break, and we are thrilled that it will be happening during our season,” says Prof Triegaardt.

See Puss in Boots, the Big Bad Wolf and other fairy tale characters in Cape Town City Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.

Keith MacKintosh, CTCB’s Artistic Executive, discovered Fuji when he attended a production of the English National Ballet School in 2012. He invited her to join Cape Town City Ballet for their production of Raymonda earlier this year and after her three month contract with the company expired, she was offered a full-time position with the company.

The Cuban-born Ramiro Samón was trained at the National Ballet School in Havana and is currently contracted with South African Mzansi Ballet in Johannesburg, where he recently appeared in their productions of Don Quixote (see the photos here) and the International Ballet Gala in honour of Alicia Alonso (with pictures here).

Updated principal casting:

•  Wednesday, 14 August at 19:30 (with CPO): Mami Fuji & Ramiro Samón
•  Friday, 16 August at 19:30 (recorded music): Burnise Silvius & Trevor Schoonraad
•  Saturday, 17 August at 14:00 (with CPO): Laura Bosenberg & Thomas Thorne
•  Saturday, 17 August at 19:30 (with CPO): Mami Fuji & Ramiro Samón
•  Sunday, 18 August at 15:00 (with CPO): Burnise Silvius & Trevor Schoonraad

The Lilac Fairy will be performed by Angela Hansford, Kim Vieira and Claire Spector, while the role of the wicked fairy Carabosse will be shared by Johnny Bovang and Mervyn Williams.

Booking details:

Dates: On until 18 August 2013
Venue: Artscape Opera House, Cape Town
Tickets: From R100 to R300 from Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-Seat on 021 421 7695.