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Joburg Ballet returns to Hermanus Writer Hedda Mittner
T
he Joburg Ballet Company will be returning to Hermanus for the fourth year running to present three performances in aid of Just Care Aftercare. This much-anticipated event will take place during the school holidays, with the Gala evening performance on Friday 27 March, followed by two performances on Saturday 28 March – a matinee at 15:00 and an evening performance at 19:30. This year’s programme will include highlights from various well-known and much-loved classical works such as La Bayadère, Swan Lake, and the spectacular Walpurgisnacht pas de deux. There will also be some entertaining jazzy numbers and a selection of dances from the company’s latest production of Don Quixote, which they’ll be performing at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town. Joburg Ballet is a professional ballet company headquartered in the Johannesburg Theatre complex, where they have two specially-designed ballet studios and employ full-time professional dancers and staff. The company came into existence (originally as the ‘South African Ballet Theatre’) in 2001 under the direction of six ex-dancers from PACT (Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal), which had been disbanded the year before. Artistic Director, Iain MacDonald, one of the founders of Joburg Ballet, was approached by local resident and former ballet dancer, Cheryl van Niekerk, to bring the company to Hermanus and the first event took place in 2017, in aid of SANTA. Since then it has become an annual highlight, both for Overstrand residents and for Joburg Ballet. “It is rewarding for our dancers to perform for new audiences, and our experience has shown that the welcome we receive in smaller cities and towns is always warm and enthusiastic,” said MacDonald.
Because Hermanus does not have a suitably large stage for these professional dancers, this year’s performance will again make use of the unique ‘in the round’ format. This allows the audience to sit in a circular arrangement around the floor space where the dancers will perform, with two or three rows of elevated seating around the stage. “It’s a specialised way of presenting ballet and the advantage is that it opens up more space, allowing up to 12 dancers to perform together. Last year’s audiences were enthralled not only by the excellent programme, but also by the close proximity of the dancers, something that cannot be experienced at a regular stage performance,” said Cheryl. The Opening of this year’s performance was specially choreographed by Ruan Galdino, who is one of the soloists. Among the other dancers who will be in Hermanus this season are principal dancer, Shannon Glover, senior soloist, Monike Cristina, Shana Dewey, Ivan Domiciano, Revel Yon, Cristina Nakos and many more. This is the second year in a row that the event has been organised by Just Care Aftercare, which is also the beneficiary. Founded in 2015, Just Care provides both a safe haven and a stimulating environment for approximately 130 primary school children under the watchful eye of founder and trustee Jacquie Rathfelder, with the support of her staff and several volunteers. The Joburg Ballet performance will raise much-needed funds for the centre and Overstranders are encouraged to support this exciting event in aid of a very worthy cause.
The venue for this year’s Joburg Ballet performance is the Grobbelaar Hall in Marine Drive, Hermanus. Tickets are available from the Hermanus Tourism Bureau (Tel: 028 312 2629) or online at www.webtickets.co.za.
Joburg Ballet dancers Ruan Galdino and Shannon Glover performing scenes from Don Quixote.
Getting to know senior soloist Monike Cristina Why did you take up dancing? I started dancing classical ballet at the age of six, but my whole family on my mother’s side is involved in art in some way or another. My grandmother was a classical singer, my uncle is a jazz dancer, my aunt danced jazz and ballet and my mother did ballet and afro-dance. When I was a baby my grandfather played classical music for me to go to sleep so I believe classical dancing was a natural path for me to follow.
interpret inspire me a lot. I work hard to show this to the audience.
What makes you keep pushing yourself? I have always had a great passion for ballet so with everything I do, I always try to put my heart and soul into it. Besides the movements and the music, the stories we have to
What has been your favourite role/production with Joburg Ballet? Choosing only one production or role is difficult because I have filled a lot of roles in the many ballets that we have performed. However, perform-
Do you have a routine to prepare yourself for a performance? I try to sleep well the night before by going to bed earlier than usual. I eat a meal that is heavy with carbohydrates, then have something much lighter on the day of the performance. The main aim is to relax from when I wake up until I have to go on stage.
ing the title role in Veronica Paeper’s Carmen left a huge mark on me. It was my first production in Joburg Ballet’s repertoire and it was truly memorable. What advice would you give to someone who aspires to join a company like Joburg Ballet? Work hard on your technique, but always remember that ballet is not just about the steps. It is an art that involves love, passion and movement. A good dancer is one who manages to combine her technique with artistry.
