March 31, 2004
By Chandrea Gerber
WHEN Bernard Jay, CEO of the Civic Theatre, asked what it would take to persuade Dirk Badenhorst, CEO of the South African Ballet Theatre (SABT) to move his company from Pretoria to Johannesburg, his simple answer was: "Build us two studios".
Today, two and a half years of conceptual development and planning later, South Africa's largest ballet company is prepared for its launch in the Johannesburg Civic Theatre on Thursday, 1 April.
The Civic Theatre piazza
After PACT moved from Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city, to Pretoria in 1981 the former was relegated to the status of touring destination for visiting ballet companies, explains Badenhorst.
Then, when the State Theatre in Pretoria said they could no longer house the ballet, and the mayor of Pretoria could not offer assistance, he entertained the thought of moving back to Johannesburg.
"The large pool of existing audiences and the potential for attracting new audiences in Johannesburg and environs is unequalled by any other area in the country," Badenhorst says.
True to Jay's prediction that the theatre's dance studios would become "a new magnet of interest and fascination for the City of Johannesburg, and a focal point of the city's cultural arc", the new studios have already had a positive impact on the SABT.
Being in Johannesburg has made it easier for the SABT to work with other companies in Johannesburg, as well as providing better relations with overseas companies that SABT has networked with over the past three years.
"Here, we control our space", says Badenhorst. "The company will be in the dynamic environment of South Africa's largest and most exciting city, which will in turn feed the creative energies of the company."
To vouch for their enthusiasm, the Johannesburg Development Agency, the City of Johannesburg and paper giant, Sappi, all confirmed generous contributions for the new building project that cost R5-million.
At the moment it consists of two dance studios, perched atop Braamfontein Ridge, each one larger than the stage of the Nelson Mandela Theatre. Both studios have glass façades on the south side, allowing passers-by, and visitors in the Johannesburg Civic Theatre piazza, to watch the excitement of dance rehearsals throughout the day and into the evening. The Johannesburg Civic Theatre has also provided office, dance and storage space for the SABT.
Besides the tiny glitch of still waiting for an Internet connection, the SABT had experienced no problems in relocating to Johannesburg and Badenhorst rated the co-operation by both the City and the Johannesburg Civic Theatre as phenomenal.
"We are enjoying being part of the city of Johannesburg," Badenhorst says. "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."
Visit the South African Ballet Theatre website for more information
Visit the Civic Theatre's website for information on current and forthcoming productions.
The Johannesburg Civic Theatre, situated in Loveday Street, Braamfontein, can be contacted on 011 877 6800.
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