Colombian Álvaro Restrepo works with the dancers of SA Mzansi Ballet. Photo courtesy of SAMB.

Coming up on Monday 16 September at 09:30 at the South African Mzansi Ballet Studios, dancers, students and ballet lovers are invited to attend a free choreographic discussion and workshop with Colombian choreographers Marie France Delieuvin, Álvaro Restrepo and SAMB’s artistic director Iain MacDonald.

Following a half hour discussion on choreography, there will be a workshop facilitated by Álvaro Restrepo open to all dancers and students (at no charge) allowing for a deeper understanding into the workings of a choreographer, and a special opportunity to experience the Colombian choreographers’ methodology.

The co-founders and choreographers of Colombian company El Colegio del Cuerpo, Marie France Delieuvin and Álvaro Restrepo have returned to South Africa with seven dancers from their company, who will be performing in the upcoming Celebration 5 production in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Workshop details:

Venue: South African Mzansi Ballet Studios, Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein
Date: Monday, 16 September 2013
Times:  09:30 – Choreographic discussion
10:00 – 12:00 – Workshop open to all dancers and students facilitated by Álvaro Restrepo.
Discussion topic: The role and contribution of dance and choreography to social recovery processes.
Booking: Contact South African Mzansi Ballet on 011 877 6900 to book your seat.

Watch Álvaro Restrepo in action in this video as he performs and talks at the TEDxObserver event in London in March 2012. (The talk is in English.)

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

SA Mzansi Ballet dancers in rehearsals for their upcoming production of Celebration 5. Photo by Jurgen Badenhorst courtesy of SAMB.

If you’re in Joburg this weekend, make your way over to South African Mzansi Ballet’s Open Day on Saturday, 31 August 2013 at their Braamfontein studios, taking place from 10am to 1pm.

You’ll be able to watch the dancers warm up in their morning ballet class, followed by a tea break where fans and friends of the ballet can socialise and network within the inner-workings of the Joburg Theatre. Thereafter, you’ll be treated to a mix of rehearsals for the ballet company’s upcoming all-new production of Cinderella, as well as rehearsals for Celebration 5 (more information on this to follow soon).

Keen to attend? Contact Edgar Moagi on 011 877 6898 or edgar@samzansiballet.com to book your seat. The cost is R90 per person.

Can’t make it? You can still get that sneak peek by watching this video. See South Korean guest dancer, Jin Ho Won, and SAMB’s principal ballerina, Burnise Silvius, rehearsing the role of Cinderella with artistic director, Iain MacDonald.

Want to see the real deal? Go and book your seats here…

Cinderella booking details:

Dates: 13 to 29 September 2013
Venue: Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg
Tickets: From R189 to R336 from www.joburgtheatre.com

Celebration 5 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

Celebration 5 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

Jin Ho Won in her Gold medal winning performance at CTIBC 2012. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing

South Africans first saw South Korean ballerina Jin Ho Won (21) when she won her double gold medals in the senior division of the Cape Town International Ballet Competition in 2012. Now she has returned, this time to Johannesburg, as a guest ballerina in South African Mzansi Ballet’s new production of Cinderella, alternating in the title role with the local SAMB principal dancers.

Jin Ho Won studied both in South Korea and at American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York. She has also danced extensively in South Korea and with American Ballet Theatre 2 in the USA, and will now be able to add South Africa to the list as she takes part in  SAMB’s new full-length ballet.

Apart from her award-winning performances at the Cape Town International Ballet Competition, she’s also danced in the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland, the Youth America Grand Prix in New York, the Beijing International Competition and you can watch her in this video, where she received a gold medal at the Seoul International Dance Competition…

All-new production of Cinderella

Artistic director Iain MacDonald has choreographed the ballet to the sparkling melodies of Johann Strauss II. SAMB tells us that the lilting and charming sounds of Strauss’ only full-length ballet score will be heard in Johannesburg for the first time, replacing the more familiar Prokofiev music.

The ballet company’s previous production of Cinderella broke box-office records in 2009 and the 2013 staging promises new delights with Strauss’ sumptuous melodies, new choreography and  re-imagined sets by designer Andrew Botha.

Cinderella is also the first production to be presented by the company since the announcement in June of generous funding from the City of Johannesburg. (Read more on that here: Funding and future name change announced by SAMB)

The casting is still to be announced, but in the meantime, you’ll have an opportunity to see Jin Ho Won in rehearsals at an Open Day at the SAMB Studios at the Joburg Theatre on Saturday 31 August from 10am to 1pm.  Booking is through Edgar Moagi on (0)11 877 6898 or edgar@samzansiballet.com.

Or, for those not in Johannesburg, here’s another video of Jin Ho Won from her performance as Kitri (Don Quixote) from the Beijing International Ballet Competition. Enjoy!

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).

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…

Photo by Herman Verwey courtesy of Joburg Ballet.

(Update: South African Mzansi Ballet has changed its name to Joburg Ballet as of September 2013.)

For any post-matric aspiring dancer, Joburg Ballet’s 2014 Graduate Programme could be your opportunity to train with a ballet company and experience the career of a professional ballet dancer first-hand. The auditions for the 2014 Graduate Programme will be held on Saturday, 12 October 2013 at 10:00 at the company’s studios in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

The six or 12-month course will expose the graduate to the world of the professional stage and successful applicants will participate in the professional company’s classes, rehearsals and productions of a high professional standard. This exposure also enables amateur dancers to experience whether they are equipped physically, emotionally and mentally for the rigors of a full-time ballet career.

Photo by Herman Verwey courtesy of Joburg Ballet.

Audition details:

The audition will take place as a ballet class at the Joburg Ballet studios at Joburg Theatre, Hoofd Street, Braamfontein, from 10:00 till 12:00. The downstairs studio will be available from 09:00 as a warm up venue for candidates.

Dancers should be appropriately dressed in ballet gear – pink tights and leotards for ladies and tights and t-shirts for men – to enable the panel to clearly view their work. Female applicants need to bring their pointe shoes too.

You’ll need to register for the auditions by calling Edgar Moagi on +27(0)11 877 6898. Also remember to bring a one-page curriculum vitae on the day of the audition.

Programme details:

Joburg Ballet says that their 2014 programme has been revised and enhanced and will specifically include theory and practical training that provides broad exposure to the workings of a ballet company.

Photo by Herman Verwey courtesy of Joburg Ballet.

Practical: Graduates will be taught a set ballet class which they will learn at the beginning of the year, and work on in their private classes with members of the professional company. They will also receive pas de deux classes. Graduates learn repertoire variations – both classical and contemporary works – and how to set a class. They will also receive strength, stretch and cardio training and will learn about professional ballet hair, make-up and shoe care.

At a graduation ceremony at the end of the year, they will present the class, perform their variations from repertoire and present a group number. Graduates will also appear in the company’s productions, including Coppélia and La Bayadère, and learn the repertoire.

Theory: Subjects include physiology, pathology, anatomy, dance history, music appreciation, ballet terminology and first aid and they will be required to complete a project during the year. Graduates are also required to job shadow selected members of management/artistic team, thereby broadening their knowledge of and exposing them to alternative career opportunities within the performing arts sector. This includes general office management, production budgeting and public relations, dealing with the members of the media, public and role-players in the ballet fraternity, and an introduction to fundraising for the arts.

At the completion of the one-year course, the Joburg Ballet artistic team will evaluate each graduate’s progress and potentially offer a contract should positions be available. Every graduate who successfully completes the course (including the research project) will also receive a course certificate.

The fees to participate are R1 350 per month, and a limited number of bursaries may be available for qualifying candidates.

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”.

Can you design Cinderella’s ball gown? Photo by John Hogg of Burnise Silvius in SAMB‘s new production of Cinderella.

Calling all aspiring fashion designers and fashion students: Cinderella needs a dress for the ball and you get to wave your magic pencil and design the dress of your dreams.

Should your design be chosen as the winner, Marie Claire and South African Mzansi Ballet (SAMB) will help bring your fairy tale dream to life as the magical ball gown for the leading ballerina in SAMB’s production of Cinderella, taking place at the Joburg Theatre from 13 to 29 September 2013.

Fashion fairy tale dreams are made of this

This fashion design competition is open to all aspiring designers, students of design schools and tertiary-education centres. But be quick, your entry needs to be in by 24 June 2013 or, uh, you’ll turn into a pumpkin or something.

To stand a chance of playing fashion fairy godmother, start by downloading and completing the entry form at www.marieclaire.co.za. You’ll need to describe your vision for your ball gown in one paragraph and submit a mood board to Marie Claire by 24 June.

Bibbidy bobbidy boo…

There’s nothing quite like Disney to spark the creative imagination, so take a minute to enjoy this clip of Cinderella’s magical dress transformation straight from the source.

Winning tips:

• In classic Cinderella tradition, the ball gown needs to be a pale blue beauty.
• Ballerinas are athletes who need to move freely, and the ball gown needs to allow for leaps, turns and high leg lifts.

The winner will be selected by early July and will be briefed by SAMB about further design specifications for the dress, in addition to working closely with the costume department to create this ball gown for their leading ballerina.

The winning design will feature in Marie Claire’s October 2013 issue and will, of course, debut on stage for all to admire as Cinderella becomes the belle of the ball in this brand new ballet production at the Joburg Theatre from 13 to 29 September 2013.

“This collaboration between Marie Claire and SAMB offers a unique opportunity for young students to experience the process of the design industry first hand,” explains Aspasia Karras, editor of Marie Claire. “We are looking forward to the entries for this iconic ball gown.”

Need a touch more inspiration? Take a look at this fashion catwalk display of five gorgeous wedding dresses from the Alfred Angelo Cinderella Diamond Collection. Bibbidy bobbidy bootiful…

Photo by Photoloni via Flickr

What started as a clever marketing initiative to attract new audiences to the ballet, has now evolved into an exciting competition for ballet studios and dance groups.

South African Mzansi Ballet (SAMB) has taken their good idea – of allowing select studios to perform during their Don Quixote intervals – and created an even better initiative by creating a competition open to all ballet and dance groups in Gauteng, with various prizes and dance opportunities awarded to the winners.

The Just Dance! competition will take place during the September performances of SAMB’s new production of the classical ballet, Cinderella, at the Joburg Theatre between 13 and 29 September. Studios and groups will compete for prizes awarded in recognition of a combination of entertainment values and technical accomplishment. The competition is open to dancers across all dance techniques.

Prizes and dance opportunities:

A wide range of awards will be presented, with awards going to the winning groups as well as specific awards to individual participants for which all will be eligible, not just the dancers in the finalist groups. In addition to the cash awards and other prizes, performing opportunities will be awarded by the judges.

Entrants will also receive discounted tickets to SAMB’s new production of the classical ballet, Cinderella. The judging panel will feature well-known personalities from the dance and entertainment field and the judges will be looking for a “wow!” factor and dance that combines entertainment with solid technique.

SAMB dancers Claudia Monja and Nelson Nunez. Photo by Susanne Holbaek courtesy of SAMB.

Competition and application details:

The closing date for applications is Friday 2 August 2013, after which auditions will be held at the Joburg Theatre and, facilitated by SAMB’s Development Programme, also in Soweto, Mamelodi, Olifantsfontein and Alexandra to choose the competing groups who will perform at the Joburg Theatre in September.

Competing groups must commit to performing in the preliminary rounds as well as in the finals and performing in both rounds is a condition of participation. Semi-finals will take place in the SAMB studios at the Joburg Theatre.

Groups must comprise of five or more dancers; all dance styles are welcome and each work may be no longer than 4 minutes. No sets or props will be allowed and basic stage lighting will be provided onstage.

Three selected groups will perform at each Cinderella performance, either before the show or during the interval. Six semi-finalist groups will be selected to perform at the final performance of Cinderella and the winners will be announced after that performance. On the final day of the programme, Sunday 29 September at 11am, all groups that participated in the programme will re-assemble for a performance featuring all groups; and later that same day the finalists will perform in the intervals of the season’s final Cinderella performance.

For more information or for an application form please call Edgar Moagi on 011 877 6898 or email him on edgar@samzansiballet.com.