Joburg Ballet
Joburg Ballet is a ballet dance company based within the Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa. Joburg Ballet was formerly known as the South African Ballet Theatre (SABT). The company was formed in 2001 by six dancers who were retrenched by PACT Ballet. The company has been invited to perform in Russia in 2006 and has had exchange programmes with the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada, the Paris Opera and the San Francisco Ballet.[1][2][3]
About Joburg Ballet
Joburg Ballet is a full-time, professional ballet company, resident at Joburg Theatre in the heart of Johannesburg. Its repertoire includes full-length productions of major classical works, as well as shorter ballets, including original works created for the company by South African and international choreographers. The company presents three major seasons a year at Joburg Theatre, and also tours to other regions in South Africa and internationally. The company provides a high standard of training for students via Joburg Ballet School and Academy, plus a comprehensive programme of community-based development and outreach work via its Satellite Schools, with emphasis on historically disadvantaged communities.
Joburg Ballet is committed to openness, wide-reaching engagement, accessibility and inclusivity, and to sharing its energy and creativity with audiences, dance teachers and arts practitioners in Johannesburg, South Africa and abroad. It is dedicated to the growth and revitalisation of the great legacy of classical ballet and to the development of new choreographers, new works and new audiences from across South Africa. The company’s Chief Executive Officer is Esther Nasser and the Artistic Director is Iain MacDonald. The company's Ballet Mistress is Lauren Slade[4]
Joburg Ballet is supported by the Friends of the Ballet.[5]
The company is made up of the following ranks: Principals, Senior Soloists, Soloists, Senior Corps de Ballet, Corps de Ballet, Junior Corps de Ballet and Aspirants.
Board and Joburg Ballet Trust
As of May 2019, details of the Board and the Joburg Ballet Trust are as follows:
Honorary Life Patron: Annzie Hancock
Patron: Tito Mboweni
Board of Directors: Melanie De Nysschen, Marcelle Gordon, Ashley Hayden (Interim Chair), Rethabile Kikine, Priscilla Law, Mpho Lecoge, Vuyiswa Mutshekwane, Esther Nasser (CEO), Iain MacDonald (Artistic Director), Coenraad Visser
Trust: Mbali Dlamini, Biddy Faber, Annzie Hancock (Chair), Iain MacDonald, Don MacRobert, Jenni Newman, Titi Sekhukhune
Repertoire
2015
2016
- Giselle
- Romeo and Juliet
- Cinderella
2017
2018
- Carmen, choreographed by Veronica Paeper and performed to a live orchestral accompaniment by the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra
- Fire & Ice
- The Nutcracker
- Cinderella
Support for the Company
Joburg Ballet is a registered charity so is able to receive financial support. Sponsorship is crucial for the company to continue developing and taking its work to the widest possible audience. There are many ways for members of the public to help, from sponsoring a production to paying for a dancer’s pointe shoes, or assisting aspiring young dancers pay their tuition fees.
References
- Saevitzon, Samantha. "South African Ballet Theatre". Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- "Joburg Ballet". Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- van Niekerk, Garreth (13 June 2014). "SA dance superstars in the making". Johannesburg, SA: Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- "Joburg Ballet's Giselle sublime". The Citizen. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- "Friends of the Ballet". Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- Feel, Author: Creative (22 February 2017). "Joburg Ballet launches 2017 with La Traviata | Creative Feel". Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- "Big City, Big Dreams | Johannesburg". www.inyourpocket.com. Retrieved 17 June 2020.