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).

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.

Roberta Marquez as Princess Aurora. Photo by Bill Cooper courtesy of CTCB

Cape Town City Ballet has announced that two international stars from The Royal Ballet – Roberta Marquez and Nehemiah Kish – will perform in their upcoming production of The Sleeping Beauty at Artscape from 10 to 18 August 2013.

Roberta Marquez and Nehemiah Kish, both principal dancers for The Royal Ballet in Covent Garden, will grace the stage in the roles of Princess Aurora and Prince Florimund for two performances, which makes for a special scoop for Cape Town City Ballet (CTCB).

Kish was born in the USA, but has travelled the world as a guest artist in numerous ballets and special performances, including partnering Darcy Bussell at the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony. He joined The Royal Ballet in 2010 and danced principal roles such as James in La Sylphide, Romeo (Romeo & Juliet), Prince (Cinderella, The Nutcracker) and Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake).

The award-winning Marquez, originally from Brazil, has been a principal with The Royal Ballet since 2004 and has starred in roles such as Odette/Odile (Swan Lake), the title role in Cinderella, Swanhilda (Coppélia) and of course Princess Aurora from The Sleeping Beauty.

Nehemia Kish of The Royal Ballet will perform as Prince Florimund in Cape Town. Photo by Bill Cooper courtesy of CTCB.

The most iconic kiss of all time

It’s the classic romantic happily-ever-after story of the beautiful princess, an evil spell by the wicked fairy, and a kiss from her handsome prince that sets her free.

Set to the enchanting tunes of Tchaikovsky, the CTCB says they are creating an opulent production of this classic ballet with beautiful sets and costumes, and certain performances are accompanied by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) too.

Casting of lead roles:

With Kish and Marquez dancing the lead prince and princess roles in two performances, the remaining four performances will alternate between Cape Town City Ballet’s principal dancers, Laura Bosenberg and Thomas Thorne, and with Burnise Silvius, principal dancer from South African Mzanzi Ballet, partnered by CTCB’s 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.

• Saturday, 10 August at 19:30 (recorded music): Laura Bosenberg & Thomas Thorne
• Wednesday, 14 August at 19:30 (with CPO): Roberta Marquez & Nehemiah Kish
• Friday, 16 August at 19:30 (recorded music): Burnise Sylvius & Trevor Schoonraad
• Saturday, 17 August at 14:00 (with CPO): Laura Bosenberg & Thomas Thorne
• Saturday, 17 August at 19:30 (with CPO): Roberta Marquez & Nehemiah Kish
• Sunday, 18 August at 15:00 (with CPO): Burnise Sylvius & Trevor Schoonraad

But before you click off to book (details below), first watch the lovely Roberta Marquez in this entertaining and animated Ribbon pas de deux (with Steven McRae) from The Royal Ballet’s La fille mal gardée.

Booking details:

Dates: 10 to 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.