A scene from Lauge Sorensen’s beautifully produced mini-documentary for Joburg Ballet.

Joburg Ballet have created a video series that takes you into their studios and into dancers’ homes to follow their journey as they rehearse and prepare for every detail of their new production of Swan Lake 2015.

With new choreography, new stage sets and an international cast from China, Cuba, the United States, Brazil and South Africa – the logistics are scary and the nerves are running high, but so is the excitement.

But let’s step back to one month before opening night, when the dancers first start to truly feel the pressure as they prepare physically and mentally. Here’s Episode 1, titled Pressure, with a special behind-the-scenes focus on South Africa’s own prima ballerina, Burnise Silvius.

Looking at the aspirations of up-and-coming young dancers and the unique challenges of a South African ballet company encouraging children from the townships to one day take centre stage – here’s Episode 2, Aspirations…

In Episode 3 you’ll meet soloist Nicole Ferreira-Dill and experience her joy as she learns she’s going to take on the roles of Odette and Odile for the very first time. This Episode is called Casting.

And then Episode 4, Swan Lake Production Week, shows the company in the final few days of preparations and rehearsals before opening night.

Booking details for Joburg Ballet’s Swan Lake:

Dates: Friday 17 April – Sunday 3 May 2015.
Venue: Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Tickets: from R100 to R400 via JoburgTheatre.com or 0861 670 670

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.)

Ramiro Samón in his gold medal winning variation from Satanella at the 2014 South African International Ballet Competition in Cape Town in February. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.

Bringing the top prize back to Johannesburg, senior gold medal winner from the recent South African International Ballet Competition, Ramiro Samón, rejoins the Joburg Ballet cast along with fellow Cuban and silver medallist, Javier Monier, as the company prepares for its production of Coppélia, opening at Joburg Theatre on 7 March 2014.

Both competition medallists will perform in the lead male role (as Franz) in classical ballet’s much-loved comedy, interchanging with Joburg Ballet’s other principal men such as Michael Revie, Jonathan Rodrigues, Carlos Santos and Randol Figueredo.

Joburg Ballet’s leading ladies to perform the role of Swanhilda will include prima ballerina Burnise Silvius and principals Shannon Glover, Angela Revie and Lindé Wessels. See the casting details and dates below.

Coppélia tells the story of an old toymaker who mistakenly believes he’s breathed life into his most beautiful mechanical doll, naturally with comical repercussions. The full cast of 40 dancers delivers all the romance, jealousy, intrigue and of course comedy that makes this ballet one of the much loved classics in the ballet world.

Javier Monier receives his silver medal in the senior classical division at the 2014 South African International Ballet Competition. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.

Casting for Coppélia:

Casting for the roles of Swanhilda, Franz and Dr Coppelius are subject to change.

• Friday 7 March, 19:30: Burnise Silvius, Michael Revie, Jacob Mosehla.
• Saturday 8 March, 15:00: Shannon Glover, Ramiro Samón, Luis de Castro.
• Saturday 8 March, 19:30: Angela Revie, Javier Monier, Luis de Castro.
• Sunday 9 March, 11:00: Burnise Silvius, Michael Revie, Chase Bosch.
• Sunday 9 March, 15:00: Shannon Glover, Jonathan Rodrigues, James Fraser.
• Tuesday 11 March, 11:00: Lindé Wessels, Carlos Santos, Jacob Mosehla.
• Friday 14 March, 19:30: Angela Revie, Randol Figueredo, Luis de Castro.
• Saturday 15 March, 15:00: Burnise Silvius, Michael Revie, Chase Bosch.
• Sunday 16 March, 15:00: Shannon Glover, Jonathan Rodrigues, James Fraser.
• Tuesday 18 March, 11:00: Lindé Wessels, Carlos Santos, Chase Bosch.
• Friday 21 March, 19:30: Shannon Glover, Ramiro Samón, Jacob Mosehla.
• Saturday 22 March, 15:00: Burnise Silvius, Randol Figueredo, Luis de Castro.
• Sunday 23 March, 15:00: Angela Revie, Javier Monier, Jacob Mosehla.

Booking details:

Dates: 7 – 23 March 2014
Venue: The Mandela at Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg
Tickets: From R100 to R450 via wwwJoburgTheatre.com

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

If you missed it, read the full story here: Highlights from the International Ballet Gala Part 1, and what they didn’t tell you about Alicia Alonso.

With an impressive combination of international and local ballet talent, the ballet gala had three programmes across their five performances, giving audiences an enticing look into ballet repertoire not often seen in South Africa, such as Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes and Agrippina Vaganova’s Diana and Actaeon.

Gala photo gallery

Whether you saw one programme, all three, or none, here’s a frame by frame recap of some of the memorable moments.

Click on a photo to open the gallery…

Sadaise Arencibia and Arian Molina in a scene from Swan Lake. Photo courtesy of The National Ballet of Cuba

Covering east, west, north and south, the International Ballet Gala taking place in Johannesburg from 28 to 30 June brings us ballet stars from around the globe, including gold medallists and acclaimed dancers from far-flung regions such as Russia, South Korea, the USA and of course Cuba.

Alicia Alonso in 1955.

I say “of course” because this ballet production is Dirk Badenhorst’s way of saluting Madame Alicia Alonso, considered to be Cuba’s prima ballerina assoluta – an honorary title rather than an active rank considering that she is now in her nineties. Madame Alonso still directs the National Ballet of Cuba that she founded in 1948 and found an admirer in South African ballet entrepreneur Dirk Badenhorst ever since he began his close association with Cuban ballet in 2008.

Take a peek at who’s coming:

Dancers appearing in the galas are:

• Mariinsky Ballet, St Petersburg: Kimin Kim
• National Ballet of Cuba: Anette Delgado, Dani Hernández, Sadaise Arencibia, Arián Molina, Viengsay Valdes, José Losada
• Dutch National Ballet: Wen Ting Guan
• Dresden Ballet & Hungarian National Ballet: István Simon
• Columbia Classical Ballet, USA: Tamako Miyazaki
• The Washington Ballet: Maki Inuki, Brooklyn Mack
• English National Ballet: Aaron Smyth
• South African Mzansi Ballet: Burnise Silvius, Michael Revie, Shannon Glover, Jonathan Rodrigues, Luis de Castro, Randol Figueredo, Javier Monier, Ramiro Samón
• South Korea: Ga Yeon Jung

Brooklyn Mack from The Washington Ballet danced as Basilio in SA Mzansi Ballet’s 2013 production of Don Quixote.
Photo courtesy of South African Mzansi Ballet

What to expect:

The two gala programmes in the 5-performance only season include showpieces from Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, La Bayadére, Le Corsaire, Giselle, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet and more.

Of special interest to South African audiences will be the first ever performances in this country of the Balcony Pas de Deux from John Cranko’s version of Romeo and Juliet.  One of the great choreographers of the 20th century, SA-born John Cranko led the Stuttgart Ballet to international fame before his tragically early death at the age of 46 in 1973.

Get your tickets:

Dates: Friday 28 June at 8pm
Saturday 29 June at 3pm and 8pm
Sunday 30 June at 2pm and 6pm
Venue: The Teatro at Montecasino, Johannesburg
Tickets: From R90 to R400 from Computicket