October 2, 2003
By Lucky Sindane
SOUTH AFRICA'S largest ballet company, the South African Ballet Theatre, will be moving to Johannesburg next year, with the Johannesburg Civic Theatre set to become its new headquarters.
Johannesburg Civic Theatre CEO, Bernard Jay, announced that the ballet company would move to Johannesburg as the principal tenant of new dance studios, currently under construction, from 1 March 2004.
Johannesburg has not had a resident dance company at the civic theatre since 1981, when PACT Ballet, the then provincial company, moved to Pretoria.
"Johannesburg is a city whose vitality shapes the personality of the whole country and in making our decision we have been acutely alive to the opportunities for growth that this offers," South African Ballet Theatre CEO Dirk Badenhorst said.
Extensive developments are currently underway at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre, including the building of two new ballet studios and underground parking areas. The Johannesburg Development Agency, the Johannesburg Property Company and Sappi have contributed R5-million to the building project.
Other developments involving the Johannesburg Civic Theatre and its surrounds includes a 300-bay parking garage to be shared between the theatre and its neighbours, Sappi, the creation of a pedestrian piazza between Sappi and the theatre and the upgrading and maintenance of the public park in front of the theatre, by Sappi.
The two dance studios are being built, one above the other, facing the pedestrian piazza on Simmonds Street. They will be positioned on top of the Braamfontein ridge, where the theatre's loading bay is currently situated. At 15m² each studio will be larger than the visual area of the Nelson Mandela Stage - the main stage at the civic theatre.
The entire south-side development will have a glass façade, allowing members of the public who are relaxing in the new piazza to watch dance rehearsals.
"We predict the theatre's new dance studios will become a magnet of interest and fascination for the citizens of Johannesburg, and a focal point in the city's cultural arc," said Jay.
The Johannesburg Civic Theatre recently won an award from the City for being "the best corporatised entity for 2003".
For Johannesburg, and the Johannesburg Civic Theatre in particular, having South Africa's largest ballet company in residence will prove to be an asset that will be reflected in the theatre's pre-eminent position as South Africa's premier home of live entertainment, said South African Ballet Theatre's Badenhorst.
"There was close consultation between the ballet company and the architects to ensure that the new studios will correspond precisely to our requirements," he added.
When the South African Ballet Theatre does not require the studios, other dance companies working at the theatre, such as Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance, the Ballet Theatre Afrikan, Tap Dogs or the Russian National Ballet, will be able to use the space for rehearsals.
Community and outreach programmes will also be able to utilise the studios, said Jay.
The JPC aimed to maintain "the integrity of the land, which in essence belongs to the people of Joburg, in this and other projects", said JPC portfolio manager for the project, Daphne Chili.
"The efforts by the City and companies in Braamfontein to uplift and rejuvenate the area are beginning to bear fruit," said Sappi chairman, Eugene van As.
The planned parking garage and pedestrian piazza, as well as the revamping of the public park, were all aimed at improving the environment for theatre patrons, Sappi staff members and other members of the public, Van As said.
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