November 29, 2007
By Millicent Kgowedi
TWO well-loved ballets have lent themselves to Ballet Theatre Afrikan's latest Hooked on Classics work - Petipa's Paquita and Christopher Kindo's Sollopa.
The company has combined a fresh take on the dances in its work, which runs from Thursday, 29 November to Sunday, 9 December at the University of Johannesburg Arts Centre.
Paquita is a classic ballet choreographed by Joseph Mazilier and Marius Petipa. Dating from 1846, it tells the story of a young gypsy girl in Spain under the French occupation.
The Ballet Theatre Afrikan premiered Sollopa in 2004; the ballet weaves a tale of love in a kingdom found somewhere between light and shade. Using the mesmerising music of Night Prayers by the Kronos Quartet, Kindo fused classical ballet and contemporary dance in his work.
It takes place in a mythical kingdom, where a sangoma casts a spell on a girl. If she is kissed in succession by three young men, she will turn into a tree. Each year when the leaves fall, they will turn into tears of passion and ecstasy.
Dancers in Hooked on Classics include Ballet Theatre Afrikan's artistic director, Martin Schonberg, and Alex Girard, Carmen Harris, Thoriso Magongwa, Simon Muller, Thabani Ntuli, Elizabeth Nienaber, Yolandi Olckers, Kitty Phetla and Bertus Barkhuizen.
Schonberg is trained in classical ballet, Spanish dancing, contemporary jazz and classical Greek dancing. Girard has danced in numerous productions, including Alice in Wonderland, Peter Rabbit, The Jungle Book and Winnie the Pooh.
Starting her dancing career at the age of 11 under Schonberg at the Ballet Theatre Afrikan Academy of Dancing, Harris has danced in almost all of the company's productions. Another Schonberg student, Magongwa has been with the director since he was 12. He has performed in productions such as Cinderella, En Route, Voila, The Adventure of Alice and The Stars of Tomorrow.
Muller spent seven years studying in the United Kingdom. His choreographic experience includes Kol, for the Grahamstown National Arts Festival, and Touch in the Night. Ntuli is a former gymnast who enrolled with Ballet Theatre Afrikan in 2005 where he does contemporary solo pieces.
Nienaber completed her studies at the National School of Arts in 2006 with seven distinctions; she is now training with Schonberg. Olckers completed her dance training at the Ballet Theatre Afrikan's academy, and she tours nationally and internationally with the company.
Phetla, who has been with the company since she was 10, has worked on productions such as Debut, Cinderella, En Route and The Start of Tomorrow. Barkhuizen started dancing with Kmad.com at the age of 14 and has toured with the Ballet Theatre Afrikan as a cast member of Me and You, which was choreographed by Kindo.
Ballet Theatre Afrikan presents Hooked on Classics at the University of Johannesburg Arts Centre, from Thursday, 29 November to Sunday, 9 December. Shows start at 8pm during the week and at 3pm on weekends. There are no performances on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Tickets cost from R80 to R115 and are available at Computicket outlets, on 083 915 8000, or online on the Computicket website.
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
