(Photos by Mariola Biela courtesy of Mango airline.)

Taking ballet outdoors and to the sky. Photo by Mariola Biela courtesy of Mango airline.

Ballet in unexpected places with an unusual partner

As far as we can tell, this type of synchronised aerial collaboration hasn’t been attempted before. But by all accounts, on Saturday 11 May 2013 the South African Mzansi Ballet dancers and the pilots of Mango’s new-generation Boeing 737-800 performed a perfect lift-off with many plane twists and ballet turns to entertain the 35 000 strong crowd.

Here’s a comment from one of the dancers, Michael Revie (the foremost male dancer partnering Burnise Silvius in the photo alongside):

“As a principal dancer for South African Mzansi Ballet, a keen air plane model enthusiast and aviation fanatic, it was an incredible experience for me to perform at this first ever choreographic collaboration between ballet dancers and a Boeing 737-800.

I had a wonderful time combining the art and craft of my day job with the mechanical engineering wonders of aviation. A performance I will never forget!”

While the majority of this Swartkops audience would have attended the Airshow for the airplanes and their tricks, they certainly got to see aerial manoeuvres of a different kind with SA Mzansi Ballet’s virtuoso dancers.

Let’s hope the crowd went home with a whole new appreciation for dance (and let’s hope their plane-dancer-plane-dancer-plane-dancer whiplash recovers quickly).

For more details on this novel ballet performance, the ballet dancers involved, the choreography and more, see the original full story here.

A dance with a difference. Mango airline and SA Mzansi Ballet collaborate at the Swartkops Air Show.

Okay, think about it for a moment, the ballet company can’t do much choreography with a Boeing while it’s sitting heavy-as-a-heffalump on the tarmac (even this sleek new generation 737-800); nor can the dancers attempt a flying corps de ballet alongside the plane in the air – that would be a little undignified, what with being blown around like a leaf and all, not to mention lethal.

No, it all comes down to synchronisation and timing, something that both pilots and dancers know pretty-darn well, and will be put to the test during their collaborative “aerial ballet spectacular” at the Swartkops Air Show outside Pretoria on Saturday 11 May 2013.

Time for some precision aerial manoeuvres…

And the planes can do some cool tricks too.

Hein Kaiser, spokesperson for the Mango airline explains: “While the aircraft performs its procedure in the air, the ballet company will execute movement on stage”. Now while that description may sound a little dry; the opportunity/challenge that this gives a ballet company is actually rather juicy (no Mango puns intended).

You see, essentially the ballet piece will be choreographed to synchronise and respond to the aerial performance of the Boeing 737-800 – now how many dancers can add that to their CVs? (Although let’s hope they explain the context, imagine the interviewer saying “hmm, you danced with a ‘Boeing’? Well that’s not a very nice way to refer to your partner.”)

SA Mzansi Ballet chief executive Dirk Badenhorst adds that while, at 7 minutes, it is likely the shortest performance in the company’s history, it is also an important one.

“We endeavour to take ballet to the public at every possible opportunity and to share its beauty and grace. What better platform than sharing airspace with a giant and graceful aircraft. What a juxtaposition,” says Dirk Badenhorst.

Choreography: A jumbo challenge

Angela Malan, SAMB’s ballet mistress and senior principal dancer, choreographed the piece for this special and unusual event. Her idea was to create a sense of flying, using an upbeat score. She has taken iconic steps from the major classics and essentially rolled them up into one performance.

The following twelve dancers will all be seen flying across the stage: Sanmarie Kreuzhuber, Burnise Silvius, Lindé Wessels, Jessica Overton, Claudia Monja, Angela Maree, Jonathan Rodrigues, Michael Revie, Ramiro Samón, Randol Figueredo, Carlos Santos and Luis de Castro.

Air Show details:

The dance performance is scheduled to take place at the Swartkops Air Show on Saturday 11 May at around 11:45 am. There will be a lot more to see with a full day of aerial activities and you’ll find all the air show details at www.saafmuseum.org.

Booking: Online-tickets are available at www.ticketbreak.co.za and Gautrain bus services are available from its Centurion station.