TWO years ago Cape Town City Ballet celebrated its 80th anniversary at the institution that made history with the establishment of the first dance department in the world by Dulcie Howes in 1934. In three months’ time, the company is required to relocate from its University of Cape Town base to a new 500-square-metre premises yet to be found.
Maintaining a positive attitude, knowing that the only thing constant in life is change, Cape Town City Ballet continues with stoic discipline to produce performances of The Vortex, on at Artscape Theatre until July 23, and to rehearse for the upcoming productions of Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan and New Year’s Eve productions that fill their calendar for the remainder of the year.
The Vortex is a triple bill showcasing the work of South African choreographers Robin van Wyk, Kirsten Isenberg and Marc Goldberg, which in turn highlights the diversity of the ballet company in its presentation of work that could appeal as much to loyal supporters as to new audiences unaccustomed to the traditionally classical genre often typified by “cumbersome mime gestures”, and ornate sets as elaborate as their costumes.
Goldberg’s adaptation of Noel Coward’s play, The Vortex, uses dance to explore themes of drug addiction in 1920’s high society, adultery, ageing and dysfunctional family dynamics.
John Kenrick’s article, titled Noel Coward: A Brief Biography – Part II, published on musicals101.com explains the controversy behind The Vortex, which was the work that took the English playwright to Broadway. Purposely controversial to attract public interest, Coward wrote, directed and starred in the 1924 play. “When most producers refused to consider such a lurid project, the small Everyman Theatre in suburban London agreed to take it on. But resources were limited, and it was up to Noel to raise the money and produce the show himself. When the female star dropped out just days before the premiere, veteran actress Lillian Braithwaite stepped in and learned the part with amazing speed,” writes Kenrick.
“On opening night, the audience was both shocked and fascinated by The Vortex. Coward got so carried away during a confrontation scene that he gashed his hand on stage. Without breaking character, he wrapped the bleeding wound in a prop handkerchief and played on. At the end, Coward and Braithwaite received a wild, sustained ovation. The combination of fiery acting and scandalous subject matter made The Vortex the talk of London. Other plays had depicted drug abuse, but not among the rich. Demand was such that the production soon moved to a larger West End theatre for an extended run, making the long-suffering Coward a sensation.”
The action unfolds at the country home of David and Florence Lancaster, on opening night featuring Laura Bosenberg, Thomas Thorne, Sarah-Lee Chapman, Elizabeth Nienaber, Ivan Boonzaaier, Xola Putye, Caitlin Smith and Thomas Dobronyi.
Nienaber shines in her characterisation of the spirit of the time, as does Thorne who captivates the audience during the opening I Went to a Marvellous Party scene. The accompanying voiceover, clearly enunciated, frightfully clever and highly amusing, could have been a useful device in continuing the narrative of the piece.
Boonzaaier and Thorne are a pleasure to watch in their effortless partnering skills as well as the ease with which they perform together.
One of the highlights of The Vortex was a duet by Boonzaaier and Chapman, with the latter in particular displaying an intensely real connection with her partner that many professional dancers can only aspire to.
It was a pleasant surprise to discover two more contemporary pieces on the programme. Isenberg’s ballet, Of Gods and Men, was created in 2014.
Set to the atmospheric music of Armand Amor and Philip Rombi, Isenberg themes it around the thinking that “gods can rule only as the eternal life force, whereas man is defined by his ability to feel – his humanness – a power beyond the immortality of gods”. Her style suits the company well and the musical score exquisite.
Van Wyk’s Funeral Blues provides a pleasing conclusion to the end of the first act. Written in 2010 for the company’s production of Poetry in Motion, the piece demands a degree of acting ability from the leads.
The opening night pairing of Rosamund Ford and Conrad Nusser did well to convey the required level of emotional despair, supported by dancers from the company, post-graduate and graduate programmes.
The stirring theme from Schindler’s List provided a strong background to a piece that had a good mix of drama and ballet, challenging the leads in particular to immerse themselves in roles outside the traditional typecast.
l Vortex runs at Artscape on July 22 and 23 at 8pm and July 23 at 2.30pm, 021 421 7695, www.capetowncityballet.org.za