Tutus, tulle, tights & tiaras...a Night at the Ballet...

Friday evening found me in Johannesburg at the International Ballet Gala, presented by uber ballet entrepreneur  Dirk Badenhorst, at the splendid Teatro at Montecasino. The season, only 5 performances long (28-30 June), was a tribute to one of the greatest names in Classical Ballet, Alicia Alonso, & she herself was in the audience of 1,800. It was an unforgettable night as top dancers from SA & around the world ~ Cuba, China, the USA, Russia, Australia & more ~ paid homage to Madame Alonso, dancing spectacularly in pas de deux & solo variations that had me screaming Bravo every 5 seconds! The cast delivered outstandingly, executing bravura ballet at its best... split leaps, multiple pirouettes, barrel turns, jetes en tournant & more...I think my mouth was hanging open again, in very un-Diva fashion. Tutus, tulle, tights, tiaras...I was in my element ~ everything was, as they say, beautiful at the Ballet.

Here are a few photographs I took backstage before & after the performance...

My favourite image....

Alicia Alonso & the cast of the International Ballet Gala backstage afterwards.

The next top international dance company performing in Cape Town this year is Introdans from The Netherlands ~ they will perform Superstars in September 2013 at the Baxter Theatre with booking via Computicket or 08619158000 / www.baxter.co.za *

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Ballet...dance...movement...beauty...

I went through to the Cape Acedemy of Performing Arts in Tokai (Cape Town) yesterday & watched some beautiful choreographies presented by the LEAP (Liberal Education for Arts Professionals) faculty led by Kristine Elliot from California. The LEAP team had worked with several dance teachers & studios in & around Cape Town, such as CAPA, Dance for All in Athlone & the Zama Dance School in Gugulethu. Dancers of varying technical levels & of different ages, performed with aplomb, zest & joie de vivre...it was amazing to see. For more info about LEAP, visit http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/leap ~ I took a few studio shots...enjoy....

Watching...

Mthuthuzeli November...

Having a ball....

Londiwe Khoza...

Dance like no-one's watching....Carpe Diem *

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Adelaide Tambo

This pic was taken in Johannesburg in about 2004, with the late Adelaide Tambo, wife to the late Oliver Tambo, the great ANC leader who once ran a legal firm with Nelson Mandela. I was having tea with her at her home in Houghton. At the time she was the Honorary Patron of Cape Town City Ballet where I was Marketing Director, and I was in touch with her a lot when it came to arranging her tickets to ballet performances at Artscape. When in Cape Town, Adelaide stayed in Sea Point, as did I. She used to call me one of her 'daughters' and sometimes would call me to ask me to get her some cheesecake from the New York Bagels....they do a smashing one there by the way.

 

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Olde Ballet Photographs...

CAPAB Ballet, 1989~ The first pic is of me, Wayne Martin & Janet Lindup in Carmen, at the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre in Stellenbosch...what a venue for dance! And what a ballet that was...Janet & I had a ball every night!

PACT Ballet, 1991~ me with Ashley Durrant, in our dressing room at the State Theatre in Pretoria....I was doing Nikiya in La Bayadere...not my best role....

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Ballet & Me, 1969

Here I stand, nervous, before my first ballet exam. My ballet teacher, Mignon Furman, on the right, was superb. She was my only teacher, from Grade 1 all the way through Solo Seal (Royal Academy method). She took me overseas when I was 14 & 15, giving me the chance to train with other teachers in London, Paris, Monaco, Cannes, Tel Aviv...she was an incredible connector. By giving me the opportunity to see other dancers, both professional & non professional, I learnt so much & was able to implement technique that not many of my age were able to do. It gave me a tremendous head start & I'm so grateful for what Mignon did for me. I thanked her for all this over lunch in New York in 2006 ~ I'm so glad I did that....sometimes we forget to say thanks. May she rest in peace.

 

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Editorial day

Great coverage today in the Argus Tonight of the Cape Dance Company, about their Grace season that opened in Johannesburg last night & that opens in Cape Town this Thursday 7th December. Stunning new Neo classical ballets will be presented, choreographed by Adele Blank, Bradley Shelver & Christopher L. Huggins @CapeDanceCo @ArtscapeTheatre

 

 

A fun pic of the November cousins, Aviwe & Mthuthuzeli, who have just been awarded scholarships to attend the Washington Ballet School's summer intensive in 2013... fabulously done & richly deserved. These dancers work so hard & began learning Ballet in difficult conditions in a township called Zolani in the Cape. Bravo!

 

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Raymonda, the ballet

Hikaru Kobayashi and her dance partner Valeri Hristov Kobayashi took the Principal roles last night in Cape Town City Ballet's 'Raymonda' (choreographed by Norman Furber) at the Artscape Opera House ~ both are First Soloists with the Royal Ballet in London. Kobayashi seemed to have had a nervous start & wasn't on top of her game until Act 3 where she danced exquisitely, with a gorgeous line, gorgeous leg extensions and excellent footwork. Her pas de deux with Hristov was beautifully fluid and her solo so stylish~ lovely epaulement & a unique interpretation. Hristov (pictured) is an elegant dancer who only really gets a chance to show off in the third act where he performed with aplomb.

Other stand out performances for me were those of the pas de trois (trio of dancers), Jesse Milligan, Rosamund Ford and Kirstel Jensen. I've not seen Jesse before & he was consistent & is very promising, if a little camp, but that can be ironed out over time with coaching & experience. Jensen & Ford were fabulous~ confident & well matched dancers with solid technique, lovely ballon & great feet. I am such a ballet-feet girl~always will be. Lauren Rogers & Kim Vieira delivered a dynamic duet as the Spanish Captives~ they were so having a ball! 

On the downside, I was so disappointed with Xola Putye's performance as Abderam...he has put on way too much weight & his elevation and ease of movement suffered badly. Make no mistake though, he is an amazing dancer with a natural talent that pulled him through his performance ~ I've known him since his days at Dance for All where he was trained, & have always been a fan. I also found the corps de ballet struggled a bit with the waltz choreography in Act 1. Furber wrote it with loads of awkward twists & turns & it needs a lot of stamina (trust me, I remember it well from my CAPAB Ballet days); the girls petered out somewhat towards the end & the footwork became sloppy. The corps throughout the rest of the ballet looked good & danced well, especially in the third act.  

The Cape Philharmonic under Allan Stephenson was superb...Glazunov's score is magnificent and the orchestra showed it off superbly. Kudo's to CTCB for having the live accompaniment at this season.

Book now for Raymonda via Computicket or 0214217695 @ArtscapeTheatre @CTCityBallet

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Little Ballet Feet at Stargaze 2012

 

 

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Ballet

Don't forget to book for the National Ballet of Cuba at Artscape from 13-16 September...a very limited season! 60 top dancers from Havana doing excerpts from the favorite ballets such as Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty & more...0214217695/Computicket to book *

 

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National Ballet of Cuba

The National Ballet of Cuba is coming to SA, to Jo'burg, Cape Town & Bloemfontein as well! These are dancers who dance with huge passion..amazing energy & sex appeal...details via Computicket.com. Watch the press!

 

Ballet

Moi, ballet class, the 80's, CAPAB Ballet Company.

I started ballet when I was 5 & won the studio's Margot Fonteyn picture that year. Ballet was me..I lived it and loved it..I had an incredible teacher, Mignon Furman, who dreamt big & took me at age 14 and 15 to do specialized training in London, Paris, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Tel Aviv...I saw unforgettable performances by the Royal Ballet, the Paris Opera Ballet, Bat Dor. I met Margot Fonteyn when I was 15 ~ she judged me in the Adeline Genee competition in London. I didn't place but she sought me out.."are you the girl with the lovely tan (it was December)..please don't be discouraged...prizes mean very little...you have a great talent and will go far." those words dropped into my spirit and I truly did have a beautiful career in an art form I am still passionate about. More to follow. CTD*