Sleeping Beauty: one of the South African Ballet Theatre's productions

South African Ballet Theatre FOR more information about the South African Ballet Theatre, click here. RELATED LINKS: 'Tis the season to celebrate ballet THE dancers in the glass-fronted studio are not little girls in pink tutus doing pliés, but the professional dancers of South Africa's largest ballet company hard at work. Read more Taking dance to the kasi PENNY Thloloe is determined to bring ballet to the townships, and has established three companies to give life to her vision - the Kasi Ballet Academy, the Kasi Ballet Youth Dance Company and the Kasi Ballet Professional Company. Read more Three decades of non-racial dance FOUNDED in June 1976 after the Soweto uprisings, the Johannesburg Youth Ballet has just celebrated 30 years of non-racialism. Read more Dance goes to Alex kids CHILDREN in Alexandra were mesmerised by a fantastic display of classical and contemporary ballet, all performed on a makeshift stage. Read more Slideshow FOR photographs of the South African Ballet Theatre, click here.

Ballet company holds auditions Dancers have been invited to audition for a place in the graduate programme at the South African Ballet Theatre. The programme runs for either six or 12 months. October 8, 2007 By Lesego Madumo AUDITIONS are being held for dancers to earn a place in the graduate programme of the South African Ballet Theatre (SABT), on Saturday, 13 October. The SABT is the country's largest ballet company. Under the programme, young dancers train for six months or a year with a professional ballet company, while getting first-hand experience from professional dancers. Auditions are being held on Saturday, 13 October from 10am to noon at the SABT studios inside the Johannesburg Civic Theatre complex, on Hoofd Street in Braamfontein. They will include a ballet class, and registration is free. However, the graduate programme costs R2 000 a quarter, or R8 000 for the year. Participants must be 16 years or older. Females dancers must bring their pointe shoes and must wear pink leotards and tights. Male dancers should wear form-fitting T-shirts and tights. The studio will be open from 9am so dancers can warm-up before the auditions start. There is huge support for the auditions, with dancers from as far away as Eastern Cape attending. But making the cut "depends on the talent that the company will spot during the audition", says Theo Ncube, an assistant to the company's directors. Through the programme, dancers learn whether or not a full-time career in ballet is right for them. They also get a better understanding of their physical, emotional and mental abilities. She says the course exposes young dancers to professional ballet, lighting, design and costuming. It includes ballet classes, rehearsals and presenting high-quality, professional productions. Other skills are learned too, such as general office management. "[They] will gain experience in public relations by dealing with the public and role players in the ballet fraternity." Ncube says that at the end of the six-month and one-year courses, the SABT evaluates the participants' progress and, depending on available places in the company, offers contracts to individual dancers. All successful graduates are awarded a certificate. To register for the auditions or for further information, contact the South African Ballet Theatre on 011 877 6898, email it at admin@saballettheatre.co.za, or visit the South African Ballet Theatre 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 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za