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2003 Media Archive »
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2008 In the Media »
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Beverley Brommert, Cape Times, 11 May 2008
When the curtain rose on the premičre of Cape Town City Ballet's latest production of The Merry Widow yesterday, the audience had the pleasure of seeing a stellar partnership filling the leads. [Elza Leimane and Raimond Martinov]
Both visitors are impressed by the calibre of CTCB's dancers, "especially the women", says Martinov. "Megan is a very light dancer, and she can jump like a man."
Beverley Brommert, Cape Times, May 2008
This production of the well-loved ballet Coppélia has all the freshness and vitality of youth.
The show-stealer is, without a doubt, Laura Bosenberg as Swanilda. She is secure in her dance technique and convincing in her dramatic interpretation of her role.
Her partnership with the elegantly-limbed Andale Ndlovu as Franz succeeds, as the pair are well-matched in both age and physique. Moreover, they give the impression of enjoying every moment of their time on stage.
Beverley Brommert, Cape Times, 22 January 2008
The sentimental plot and warmth with which it is presented, as well as the sylvan charm of Maynardville's stage, makes this ballet appealing to both heart and eye.
For al fresco entertainment on a summer's evening, this offering from CTCB is pretty hard to beat.
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Beverley Brommert, Cape Times, December 2007
Ballet at its bounciest is what Cape Town City Ballet has chosen to celebrate this festive season.
Veronica Paeper's Orpheus in the Underworld is firmly tongue-in-cheek, at times outrageous, and offering plenty of spectacle with large-scale sets, imaginative '30s costumes, and sizeable ensembles.
Well served by their musical accompaniment, the members of CTCB surrender to enjoyment of their performance, which makes this a particularly jolly show for Christmas entertainment.
Derek Wilson, Cape Times, 4 December 2007
Cape Town City Ballet's Robin van Wyk has come up with a new ballet using 15 themes from the James Bond movies.
The idea for the new ballet came to Van Wyk after the Port Elizabeth dance personality Monica Hewitson told him it was time for a 'different' youth ballet.
Sheila Chisholm, Cape Times, 9 October 2007
From start to finish it was go, go, go for this thoroughly agreeable visual and aural spectacle.
The performance offered an opportunity to see how sensitively Grant Swift continues to develop his role as Master Time - the constant reminder of Mercury's mortality.
And to watch how stunningly Megan Swart (as Barbara, Mercury's wild love) tackles every part she dances - fully justifying her recent promotion from senior soloist to principal dancer.
A pleasing newcomer was Reika Sato. She, together with Stanislav Tchalov, Xola Putye and Megan du Plessis danced brightly in the fun piece I Want to Ride my Bicycle.
Add Tay Dall's inventive sets, Shamiel Abrahams innovative lighting and funky costumes by Gavin Rajah, Craig Port, Malcolm Klük and Christiaan Gabriel du Toit to all the action and Queen at the Ballet becomes great entertainment.
Beverley Brommert, Cape Times, August 2007
Veronica Paeper's sensitive adaptation of La Traviata to ballet form in Camille is heart-rending under normal circumstances, but when - as in the case of this production - the work signals an adieu to two dancers whose partnership has delighted Cape Town audiences for many a year; there is an extra measure of poignancy.
Leads Tracy Li and Daniel Rajna went through their final opening night with aplomb, and with more than usual intensity, which suited the character of this narrative ballet. Li's first entry on stage was arresting, the power of her personality out-weighing her petite physique; and when she was joined in one pas de deux after another by Rajna, the chemistry generated between them was manifest.
Technique honed by years of experience allow the couple to sail through the choreographic demands with equanimity, and their performance more than meets the high expectations which ballet-lovers have of them. Li's feet have lost none of their quicksilver quality, while Rajna's body language retains the eloquence of passionate youth.
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A small stage and chattering audience were not the best conditions for Megan Swart’s debut as Odette in Swan Lake’s second act. But despite these drawbacks, within seconds of her appearance, Swart’s warm personality, lustrous brown eyes and physical delicacy established her as an engaging Odette.
Combining these qualities with beautifully articulate feet, a lyricism tempered by a steely technique, fluid port de bras (arm movements), she successfully modified her normal sweeping movement breadth to match the stage’s size without ever appearing cramped or hampered, thereby rendering her Odette debut a splendid one.
As Prince Siegfried, Johnny Bovang contributed substantially to Swart’s success.
In this act Siegfried’s function is totally supportive. Dancing not a single step, it takes considerable humility – from the male dancer to stand aside to ensure Odette has centre stage and is shown off to advantage. Bovang performed this role superbly. And if the pair didn’t generate magic sparks this could (partly) be attributed to the closeness between stage and audience detracting from the illusionary effect distance in larger theatres creates. Space and limited backstage facilities meant adapting entrances, exits and pattering for principals as well as 16 corps de ballet swans.
Good marks to producer Elizabeth Triegaardt that these minor changes didn’t detract either from traditional expectations nor leave the company appearing uncomfortably confined.
A Bonbon waltz selection from six popular ballets, introduced lightness, variety and solo opportunities for several newer members. Celeste George’s charm attracted attention as did a much improved Devan Joseph and Lee Fennell among the men. At Maynardville, the production incorporated parts of Peter Cazalet’s Much Ado About Nothing décor (the Shakespeare play showing there week nights) providing a classic frame for Swan Lake, and the larger stage furnished the space necessary.
Tracy Li as Odette with Daniel Rajna as Prince Siegfried provided a confident and assured performance built on their long standing partnership and musical harmony. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said about the recordings.
Contributing gracious moments were the four Princesses in the Swan Lake Waltz: Christy Johnson (in eye-catching blue/grey chiffon and long white gloves) and Lara Turk partnered by Bovang in Veronica Paeper’s elegant Emperor Waltz.
CTCB’s annual Maynardville season has become an important artistic out-door summer happening. With upgraded recordings this lightweight programme should draw good houses.
SHIELA CHISHOLM
 Three of the Cape Town City Ballet's (CTCB) youngest male dancers have been chosen by CTCB ballet master Keith Mackintosh to attend the Prague International Master Classes summer course this August in the Czech Republic. The boys, all aged 19 to 20, are Bathembu Myira and Lee Fennell, both full-time members of the company, and Emmerich Schmollgruber, who is a student at the UCT School of Dance and a cadet member of the company.
"All three boys will benefit enormously from the experience of studying with such prestigious teachers while at the same time measuring themselves against fellow dancers attending the course from all over the world," says Mackintosh. "I expect them to come back enriched and inspired to continue their work with the CTCB."
The three dancers will be attending the Prague summer course on scholarships offered to Mackintosh by Czech-born English National Ballet (ENB) prima ballerina Daria Klimentová. The two met up while Mackintosh was guest-teaching at the ENB recently.
Klimentová’s links to South Africa go back to the early 90s, when she won the Sanlam International Ballet Competition in Pretoria. Following this win, she was invited to join CAPAB Ballet (now CTCB), where she performed before returning to Europe and the UK, where she danced as a principal with Scottish Ballet and then with ENB in London.
For the 2005 Prague International Master Classes, Daria heads a faculty of teachers that includes ballerinas Viviana Durante and Monica Zamora, Laurent Novis of the Paris Opera Ballet, Ivan Cavallari of the Stuttgart Ballet and ballet master Vaclav Janecek, together with the choreographers Christopher Hampson and Mark Baldwin.
It was Klimentová’s wish to support the development of young male talent in the CTCB that led to her offering these scholarships. "Looking around at summer schools on offer, we decided to fill a gap in what was available, and give people a chance to learn from the stars they may have seen on stages around the world," she says. ‘It is rare to have an opportunity to attend master classes from artists who are still performing, and we wanted to change this."
The scholarships offered by Klimentová cover tuition only for the two-week course. Sponsorship has been secured for the dancers’ accommodation and the ever supportive Balletomanes have made a generous donation but funding is still required for the return air fares of R8,000 each for the boys.
If you’d like to help one of these talented young men get to Prague to learn from the stars, please contact Keith Mackintosh at the Cape Town City Ballet on 021 650 2400 or 082 744 7789.
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