Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the death of Freddie Mercury. This, therefore, seems like a good time to remount Queen at the Ballet, Sean Bovim says of his popular balletic tribute to the legendary rocker.

This production will be held at the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre.

A first of its kind for this venue, Bovim will defy the traditional stage setting for this outdoor experience.

While the accessibility to fly bars and gymnastic rings may be obstacles the company will face, choreographer and director Bovim assures it will not take anything away from his show.

“The venue is so beautiful that the ballet can be done anywhere. It is the best ballet to dance to with all the rock influence.”

Set to more than 20 of Queen’s greatest hits (Bohemian Rapsody and Another One Bites the Dust, among others), audiences will be taken on a journey through the fascinating life of the great entertainer. One of the highlights they can expect to see is the tender pas de deux danced to Who Wants to Live Forever?

Bovim said the preparation process for this show had been exciting, but very difficult, “rehearsing eight hours a day with this heat wave we have been experiencing”.

He is armed with a cast of strong dancers, including Henk Opperman (pictured) who will interpret the role of Mercury.

“It’s a tough role and I needed a really strong dancer. I wanted to highlight the love for Freddie as well as the wild life and the icon he is. With Freddie being bisexual, I was able to interpret his relationships into ballet. He is the male version of what the female goes through in Swan Lake.”

Lending vocals on stage will be one of SA’s favourite rock stars, Cito from Wonderboom, who will re-interpret some of Queen’s best-loved classics.

“I chose Cito because of his vocal gymnastics and abilities. Having his voice to match the extreme dancing role of Freddie’s character will be the cherry on top,” said Bovim.

Capetonians last saw Bovim Ballet do Romeo’s Kiss in 2010, but they’ve been busy. Bovim explained it was the beauty pageants of Miss South Africa and Miss Namibia that had been keeping them on their toes: “We’ve also been involved in a lot of music videos and one of our singers has been signed to Universal.”

A zealous perfecter of his art, Bovim said: “I want dancers to be respected the same as musicians; to push the status of a dancer. Dancers work so hard with very little recognition.

“This show is also for the opportunity to dance in South Africa, so we don’t lose the talent here. So often dancers go overseas and we need to realise the dancers we have over here. I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve to make use of the outdoor venue,” he promised.

• Queen at the Ballet, tomorrow to February 11. 8.15pm, Oude Libertas Amphitheatre. Tickets: R120 to R150 at Computicket.

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