After an absence of three and a half years, Giselle, the most sublime of all romantic ballets, returns to the stage of Joburg Theatre when Joburg Ballet presents a season of ten performances of the beloved classic from Friday 4 to Sunday 13 October in association with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra.

A heartrending story of love so powerful it reaches from beyond the grave, the ballet’s exquisite dancing lays bare a tale of passion, betrayal and forgiveness with one of the greatest of all ballerina roles at its centre.

Joburg Ballet dancers sharing the title role during the season of Giselle are Shannon Glover, Claudia Monja and Monike Cristina who will be joined by French guest artist Anaïs Chalendard who made an acclaimed SA debut earlier this year in Joburg Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty.

In the leading role of Albrecht, audiences will see Revil Yon (with Glover), Leusson Muniz (with both Monja and Chalendard) and Ruan Galdino (with Cristina).

In addition to the two leading roles of Giselle and Albrecht, the ballet also provides a showcase for dancers in other roles including a massed corps de ballet which appears in the ghostly second act to chilling effect.

Giselle will be staged by Joburg Ballet’s artistic director Iain MacDonald and ballet mistress Lauren Slade while Australian-based SA ballet luminary, former prima ballerina and artistic director Dawn Weller will rehearse and coach the dancers in the leading roles.

Giselle opens at Joburg Theatre on Friday 4 October for ten performances, ending on Sunday 13 October. The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra will play for all performances except Wednesday 9 October at 11:00, which will be to a recorded score to facilitate filming of Giselle for release on DVD.

Joburg Ballet offers its usual range of affordable ticket options for Giselle, including a 30%-off Early Bird Special (valid until 4 August), 50%-off on Opening Night, two budget-priced Morning Matinees with all seats just R110, and discounts for pensioners and groups.

Joburg Ballet’s Giselle

Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein

Friday 4 Oct at 19:30 – Half Price: R110, R152, R207, R226, R262

Saturday 5 October, Friday 11 October, Saturday 12 October at 19:30;

Saturday 5 October, Sunday 6 October, Saturday 12 October, Sunday 13 October at 15:00

Standard Prices: R220, R303, R413, R451, R523

Tuesday 8 October & Wednesday 9 October at 11:00

All tickets R110 (Wed 9 Oct at 11:00 to recorded music)

Tickets At Joburg Theatre Box Office; or tel. 0861 670 670.

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After a hugely successful première season in February this year, Mozart & Salieri returns to the Artscape Opera House by popular demand from 24 August to 1 September 2018.  The sumptuous adaptation of Alexander Puskin’s short story, choreographed by Marc Goldberg, will once again be presented by Cape Town City Ballet (CTCB), for only six performances.  The two-act production drips with glamour, intrigue and innovation, with ground-breaking digitized set design, exquisite costuming and powerful dancing, all set to Mozart’s celebrated compositions.

Mozart and Salieri, made famous by Sir Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, follows Mozart’s rumoured rivalry between himself and the court composer Antonio Salieri, and his tumultuous relationship with wife Constanze. The ballet is charged with emotion and previous reviews celebrated it as a thrilling, cutting edge spectacle, rarely seen on the South African stage and one that should not be missed.

Guest artist Maxime Quiroga (Mozart), who has danced with the Stuttgart Ballet, Wiener Staatballett and the Royal Ballet of Flanders and was previously seen in CTCB’s Giselle, shares the principal role with Martin Milner, while Daniel Szybkowski and Ivan Boonzaier alternate as Salieri, opposite ballerinas Laura Bosenberg and Mariette Opperman alternate as Constanze.

Goldberg, whose previous work includes The Vortex, spent three years bringing his vision to the stage and the result is a unique modern ballet; one that has captured the attention of dance lovers and new audiences who have praised Mozart and Salieri as a breath of fresh air in its genre.

Lighting design is by Denis Hutchinson, costumes by Jenny Stretch, Henriette Lamprecht and Kathryn Maclachlan, wigs by Barry du Bruin, and animation and projection by Pieter Steyn.

Mozart and Salieri

Cape Town

Artscape Opera House

Friday, 24 August, to Saturday, 1 September 2018 with performances at 2:00pm and 7:30pm

Tickets prices range from R120 to R280

Bookings are through Computicket or call 0214217695

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Presented by Dirk Badenhorst, the CEO and Founder of the biennial South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC), in association with Artscape and supported by South African Tourism, the highly anticipated SAIBC Galas in Cape Town and Johannesburg and once-off Ballet in the Bush performance in Limpopo will showcase thrilling ballet variations, pas de deux and neo classical works. Performed by a stellar company of top professional dancers from South Africa, Russia, Spain, Mongolia, Armenia, the USA, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt and Mexico, the stars performing include ballerina Maria Rudenko (pictured) partnered by Artemiy Pyzhov, Monier Javier Jouve, Anujin Otgontugs, Hassan Eltabie, Mariam Karapetyan, Jonhal Fernandez, Lissi Baez, Dzianis Klimuk, and our own Angela Malan and Andile Ndlovu.

Audiences can look forward to spectacular pas de deux and solos from Giselle, Swan Lake (Black Swan and White Swan pas de deux), as well as Paquita and Le Corsaire. Renowned South African choreographer Adele Blank will also create a new piece that will enjoy its world premiere at Artscape on 2 September 2017.

Says Dirk Badenhorst, “I’ve always believed in the role of Arts and in particular ballet can play in bringing South Africans and the world together, and started calling it Ballet Diplomacy, but in this exciting partnership with SA Tourism, we are taking it one step further and now it also becomes Ballet Tourism, with outstanding dancers from around the world becoming Ambassadors for this beautiful country”.

The SAIBC International Ballet Gala takes place in four venues in Cape Town and Johannesburg, as follows:

Artscape Theatre on 2 September at 8pm and 3 September at 2pm and 6pm.

In Gauteng at Mountain Cambridge School in Hartebeespoort on 5 September at 7pm,

In Johannesburg at the Mosaiek Teatro in Fairland on 7 September at 8pm,

At the Legend Golf and Safari Resort in Limpopo on 9 September at 7pm .

Tickets for performances at Artscape and the Mosaiek Theatres are through Computicket and cost from R120 – R395. For tickets & workshop info in Hartebeespoort, call Dirk Badenhorst on 0833240940, and for Ballet in the Bush at Legends, email reservations@legendlodges.co.za or call 0124436700.

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Joburg Ballet celebrates 175th Anniversary of Giselle in stellar production

The mere thought of attending my first ballet and the subsequent review, evoked some feelings of fear and trepidation within me. Would a production of this nature, consisting of interpretive dance sequences and classical music be able to relay a story, without any dialogue, contained therein? Would I be able to interpret and form a holistic view of what would unfold before me on stage?

Let me dispel this misconception regarding ballet in one swift stroke. The answer is a resounding yes! Any seasoned ballet aficionado would of course attest to this statement. I just had to sit back, relax and relinquish all ties that bind me to my everyday existence, by immersing myself into a magical world of make believe… In front of me, the curtain was about to lift on Joburg Ballet’s stellar production of Giselle…

This ballet is an enchanting world comprising of fluid-like, precision movement, set against striking lifelike scenic backdrops and imaginative stage décor. No ballet would be complete without one crucial element: sweeping classical music.   All these attributes come together in one seamless production that make up this fine art form.

Kudos to the visionary production team, under the artistic direction of Iain MacDonald, and the world class Joburg Ballet Company for realising this classical ballet on such a powerful scale. The choreography was adapted for this stage presentation by MacDonald himself, assisted by Lauren Dixon-Seager, Michael Revie, Elena Cangas and Burnise Silvius.  The very effective lighting design, was courtesy of the creative Simon King.

This moving story of a girl, Giselle, who dies of a broken heart, is a ballet performed in two very contrasting acts. Act one is set in the heart of a Rhineland village, adorned with old cottages and the splendour of the grape harvest’s ending, being depicted, basking in soft hues of golden stage lighting. The antithesis between the two acts is quite striking and brought to the fore in the second act. In this act, we are met with an eeriness that descends onto the theatre, accentuated by the setting – a lake surrounded by a dark forest, enveloped by a thick layer of fog. An undertone of sweet melancholy exists. The stage is set, or is it?

On opening night, Shannon Glover portrayed the role of Giselle, who first made her debut in this role, in 2009. This principal ballerina from Durban added to the elegance, the style and character, with amazing flexibility and poise. Opposite Glover, was Juan Carlos Osma, who was dancing the role of Loys. Osma embodied the svelteness of his routines and is a ballerino deserving of this praise.

In most ballets the intrigue of a love-triangle is core to the plot of the story and in Giselle, there is no exception. Alongside Loys, fighting for Giselle’s affection, was Hilarion, played by the very talented Jonathan Rodrigues. In the story, he unmasks Loys for who he really is, expressing himself in his masculine and forceful repertoire. Personally, Rodrigues’s passion and dedication to his role was evident, and a true contributor to the emotions in his dancing routine.

Strikingly apparent in this production, was a delicate blend of subtle acting, entwined with spirited, yet graceful movements. Precision is key in a production such as this and Giselle did not disappoint. Starting in the first act, the mellifluous sounds of the classical music this ballet is set to, slowly sweeps you along, and then… nothing can prepare the audience for what is about to unfold in the second act…

Myrthe, Queen of the Wilis, displayed as small figures of jilted girls who have all died before their wedding day, all decked out in white, appeared in what can only be described as a menacing display of little ghosts, dropping from the ceiling, on demi-pointe around the wings. This scene was breath-taking, as was their perfectly sequenced movements, in an effort to appease their Queen, played by Claudia Monja.

Monja’s enactment of this role was forceful and commanding, yet carefully executed to manipulate the majestic dominance of her character. She wielded her spell in a seemingly effortless manner over her subjects, until their powers fade, with dawn approaching. The ghost of Giselle, whom until now has done everything to protect Loys from Myrthe, sadly also drifted away into the thin air.

In celebrating its 175^th anniversary, this production of Giselle by Joburg Ballet, is without a doubt doing justice to the production, which had its first premiere in 1841. This production is a must see experience, and on the Nelson Mandela stage at the Joburg Theatre Complex until the 17^th of April.

So, my inaugural ballet experience was concluded and I cannot wait to see what magic Joburg Ballet will showcase next…

*Photos in this review were taken by Lauge Sorensen

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Joburg Ballet artistic director Iain MacDonald has announced major productions for 2016, beginning with Giselle, widely acknowledged as one of the most beautiful classical ballets ever created, from 8 – 17 April at Joburg Theatre. Giselle will be followed by Romeo and Juliet (15 – 24 July) and Cinderella (30 September – 9 October), with a number of shorter ballets, new works, touring engagements and open days throughout the year.

Joburg Ballet will join many companies worldwide in marking Giselle’s 175^th anniversary this year. “Ever since its first performance in 1841, this moving story of a young girl who dies of a broken heart has been admired as one of the ultimate measures of a ballerina’s greatness,” said MacDonald. “We are proud to join the international community in celebrating this landmark anniversary after an absence of four years from our repertoire.”

MacDonald also announced promotions and new appointments in the company: Jonathan Rodrigues and Juan Carlos Osma have been promoted from Senior Soloist to Principal Dancer rank; Nicole Ferreira-Dill and Claudia Monja have been promoted from Soloist to Senior Soloist and Shana Dewey has been promoted from the Corps de Ballet to the Senior Corps de Ballet.

Newly appointed as Soloists from Brazil are Monike Cristina and Ivan Domiciano, while joining Joburg Ballet’s Junior Corps from the Joburg Ballet Academy are Kelly Roberts, Cristina Nakos and Alice Le Roux, and new to the Aspirant Programme are Jessica Lombard and Krystn Janicek, who joins the company from the USA. This brings the total number of dancers in the company to 28.

Commenting on the new company members, MacDonald said: “It’s wonderful to see Joburg Ballet continues to attract top flight international talent. I’m also particularly pleased that the three new members of our Junior Corps de Ballet are all graduates from our Academy, which I think reflects well on both the strength of young dancers emerging in South Africa and also on the company’s investment in training and developing the next generation.”

The company’s new ticket pricing for 2016 is now in effect and is part of an ongoing drive to make ballet more accessible to a wider audience and to expand its appeal as popular family entertainment.

Several price categories have been lowered and the theatre seating plan reconfigured to substantially increase the number of seats now on sale at lower prices. An Early Bird Special of 30% off all standard priced tickets for Giselle purchased before 7 February, together with a 50% discount on all tickets for the opening night performance on 8 April and an R80 ticket price throughout the house for two 11.00am performances on 12 and 13 April, increases affordability and gives the public a wider variety of low cost ticket options.

Giselle

Joburg Theatre

8 April at 7.30pm – Half Price: R90, R125, R170, R195, R225

9, 10, 16, 17 April at 3.00pm

9, 15, 16 April at 7.30pm

Early Bird offer – 30% off Standard Prices until 7 February: R126, R175, R238, R273, R315

Standard Prices (after 31 January): R180, R250, R340, R390, R450

12, 13 April at 11.00am – all tickets R80

Booking for Giselle is now open via Joburg Theatre – 0861 670 670 & online at www.joburgtheatre.com and www.webtickets.co.za – and casting will be announced in the first quarter of 2016.

*Photos by Lauge Sorensen

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