‘Ballet Beautiful’ opens  at Reps Theatre Cape Town City Ballet participants

Kundai Marunya  Arts Correspondent
“Ballet Beautiful”, a collaborative show that features 80 young dancers from the Dance Trust of Zimbabwe and four seasoned ballet dancers from Cape Town City Ballet opened yesterday at Reps Theatre.

The show will run until Sunday and the dancers will be performing excerpts from Sleeping Beauty, and Romeo and Juliet among other acts being directed by a top South African director Robyn van Wyk.

Returning after a highly energetic performance of “Ballet Bouquet” in 2016 is Daniel Szykowski and Rosamund Ford while their other two colleagues Gerald Pedro and Mariette Opperman are making their debut in Harare.

The four guest dancers who were present at the media briefing held at Meikles Hotel expressed great enthusiasm to be staging in Zimbabwe where ballet is not as popular but much appreciated.

Accompanying the group is a sports scientist, Jana de Wet, who is undertaking a study of dancers and their physical needs and inputs for her master’s degree. She will give her report to CTCB to assist them in their training of current and future dancers.

Speaking at the briefing, van Wyk said he was in the country in May to train participating young dancers.

“We worked with 82 children aged between six and seventeen years recruited from different dance schools in Harare. I came here in May to work with the children,” he said.

Van Vyk has used the same format where he trains locals who will then work with seasoned dancers from Cape Town City Ballet. He has previously used the format in Port Elizabeth and Pietermaritzburg.

Next year he will head to Windoek, Namibia.

“I go and teach the ballet, and two months later I come back again with dancers from Cape Town,” said van Wyk.

Meanwhile, on Sunday after their last show, the dancers will mingle with local fans and ballet lovers at Meikles Hotel.

Reps Theatre marketing and publicity chair Stan Higgins said proceeds from the dinner will go towards charity work.

“We will be hosting a dinner titled Dance with the Stars here at Meikles Hotel.

“Proceeds from the event will go towards the Meikles Foundation, to benefit the foundation’s charities,” said Higgins.

“Ballet Beautiful” runs until Sunday August 5, with performances at 7pm each night and afternoon performances at 2.30pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Tomorrow evening’s performance is a gala event, with snacks and drinks beforehand.

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