Winning the gold medal for her contemporary performance at the recent South African International Ballet Competition, Yuanyuan Zhang now performs her piece with partner Anpu Yuan to Joburg audiences. Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.

The double gold medallist awarded at last week’s South African International Ballet Competition, Chinese ballerina Yuanyuan Zhang, will perform with partner Anpu Yuan for just two performances in Johannesburg this week.

Joined by exceptional dancers from South Korea (the Korean Youth Ballet Stars), Cuba (from the National Ballet of Cuba), along with other competition winners and upcoming South African stars (including Johannesburg’s very strong Art of Motion dancers), you can see these dancers perform at the Young Ballet Stars of the World gala events on Tuesday 25 February and Wednesday 26 February at 8pm at the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City.

Booking details:

Dates: Tuesday 25 February 2014 at 8pm; Wednesday 26 February 2014 at 8pm.
Venue: Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City, Johannesburg
Tickets: R120, R250 or R360 via Computicket.com.

See the Korean Youth Ballet Stars perform in Cape and Johannesburg in February 2014.

As the first major ballet gala event of 2014, the Young Ballet Stars of The World production is said to be possibly the largest gathering of young international ballet dancers ever seen in one South African event. Following immediately after the South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC) in Cape Town – and including the competition’s medal winners alongside international guests – the Young Ballet Stars of The World assemble for gala performances in Cape Town on 23 February at Artscape and then Johannesburg on 25 and 26 February 2014 at the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City.

South Africa’s ballet entrepreneur, Dirk Badenhorst, has invited the Korean Youth Ballet Stars, dancers from the National Ballet School of Cuba, the Youth America Grand Prix in New York as well as dancers from the United States, Switzerland, China, Brazil and Japan, who will join local South African stars to mark the highlight of the 2014 South African International Ballet Competition.

The ‘young’ part of the title Young Ballet Stars of The World relates to the fact that the four gala performances aim to showcase “the brilliance of young stars on the verge of greatness, giving SA audiences a rare glimpse into the future of international ballet in a glittering array of ballet highlights” (according to their press release).

“The ballet world has recently seen an explosion of phenomenal talent from young dancers in their teens and early twenties and the galas in South Africa offer a unique preview of greatness before these dancers take the world by storm,” says Dirk Badenhorst, CEO of the SAIBC.

Booking details – Cape Town

Dates: Sunday, 23 February 2014 at 3pm and 7:30pm.
Venue: Artscape Theatre Centre, Cape Town
Tickets: R200 or R300 via Computicket.com.

Booking details – Johannesburg

Dates: Tuesday, 25 February 2014 at 8pm; Wednesday, 26 February 2014 at 8pm.
Venue: Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City, Johannesburg
Tickets: R120, R250 or R360 via Computicket.com.

Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.

The Cape Town International Ballet Competition is taking back the original name it started with in 2008 and will now be known (again) as the South African International Ballet Competition.

Dirk Badenhorst, the founder and CEO of the competition, has said that in view of the City of Cape Town’s decision to terminate its funding of the competition, the competition will no longer carry the city’s name.

The fourth South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC) will be supported by the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund and takes place from 17 to 23 February 2014 at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town.

As a ballet entrepreneur, it would seem Dirk Badenhorst rather likes the challenge that comes with a good name change. Apart from the ping-pong name changes for the ballet competition, his other ballet venture, Mzansi Productions, joined with the South African Ballet Theatre in July 2012 to become South African Mzansi Ballet. Then little over a year later, thanks to significant funding by the City of Johannesburg, they changed the name once more to Joburg Ballet.

Let’s hope the City of Joburg continues their funding well into the future, lest we have to report another funding-fragile name change yet again. However, if you read this mixing business with ballet case study, you’ll see that Joburg Ballet’s funders and partners should be particularly chuffed with the ballet company’s growth in 2013.

Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.

Still time to enter as a dance participant

Hailed by dance enthusiasts as one of the most exciting happenings on the South African ballet calendar, the SAIBC has taken place in Cape Town every second year since 2008 and is the only event of its kind on the African continent.

Said to attract top dancers from SA and the world, this year’s participants already include dancers from Switzerland, Cuba, South Korea, Japan, Brazil, China and the biggest number of South African entrants yet. The prize money totals R340,000.

The closing date for entries is on Monday, 13 January 2014. For the application and competition rules, queries should be addressed to Dirk Badenhorst on badenhorst.db@gmail.com or on 083 324 0949. More details are also available on www.ctibc.com.

Still time to book as a dance spectator

Open to the public and taking place at Artscape Theatre, the Preliminary Elimination Rounds take place on Tuesday 18 to Thursday 20 February at 6pm and the Finals take place on Friday 21 February at 7:30pm. The Awards evening, where the top 5 dancers in each category will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals and monetary prizes, takes place on Saturday 22 February at 7:30pm.

Special Gala performances take place on Sunday 23 February at 3pm and 7:30pm to showcase the competition winners along with the Young Korean Ballet Stars from South Korea and top dancers from the National Ballet School of Cuba.

A version of this gala event called the Young Ballet Stars of the World will also be performed at The Lyric Theatre in Johannesburg on 25 and 26 February 2014.

Photo by Pat Bromilow-Downing.

SAIBC booking details:

Dates: 18 to 23 February 2014
Venue: Artscape Theatre, Cape Town
Tickets:

• R60 for the Preliminary Elimination Rounds via Computicket here (18 – 20 February at 6pm).
• From R150 to to R350 for the Finals via Computicket here (21 February at 7:30pm).
• From R180 to R300 for the Awards evening via Computicket here (22 February at 7:30pm).
• From R200 to R350 for the Gala performances via Computicket here (23 February at 3pm and 7:30pm).

Young Ballet Stars of the World booking details:

Dates: 25 and 26 February 2014
Venue: The Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City, Johannesburg
Tickets: from R120 to R360 via Computicket here.