Joburg Ballet kicks off 21st Anniversary year with Evolve

Joburg Ballet kicks off the company’s 21st Anniversary year with Evolve, a celebration of dance to be presented for eight performances at the Joburg Theatre from 25 March to 3 April.

Evolve, the first of Joburg Ballet’s three main celebratory seasons this year, offers a scintillating blend of the new and the classical, bringing together four ballets, three of them world premieres, as well as a glittering showpiece from the classical repertoire. Evolve was to have been presented in 2021 but due to an escalation in Covid-19 cases was postponed to 2022.

The new works are The Afterlife: Souls, an introspective piece by principal dancer Shannon Glover in which she explores the concept of death as the great equalizer; The Game by Mario Gaglione in which the game of kings has inspired the choreographer to draw parallels between the game of chess and the game of life; and Legae, an evocative dance piece by Tumelo Lekana about which the choreographer simply says “the leaves pray for the roots to heal”.

The programme’s classic, the Grand Pas from Paquita, is ballet at its most majestic, providing a showcase for ballerina, partner, soloists and corps de ballet to shine in a series of superb classical showpieces. Choreographed in the 19th century by Marius Petipa, creator of legendary ballet classics such as The Sleeping Beauty, Paquita is being produced for Joburg Ballet by company soloist Ivan Domiciano.

Commenting on Evolve, Joburg Ballet artistic director Iain MacDonald says: “We are proud that as Joburg Ballet celebrates its 21st Anniversary, the company continues to consolidate its standing as a creative force in South African dance. In 2021 we presented thirteen new works and we are set to continue this trend in 2022. This aligns with our vision to offer opportunities for new choreographic voices to be heard, to offer works that reflect our world and provide new experiences for our audiences while at the same time continuing to honour the classical ballet foundations on which Joburg Ballet is based.”