CELEBRATING heritage month, Artscape Theatre is presenting a festival of productions which commemorate and reflect
on our history and heritage.
La Bayadère
CAST: Joburg Ballet
VENUE: The Mandela at Joburg Theatre
UNTIL: September 28
RATING: ****
JOBURG Ballet’s production of La Bayadère is a triumph on various levels. Against all odds, this company has again persisted through the paucity of financial aid.
Thanks to the generous funding by the City of Johannesburg, Dirk Badenhorst and Iain MacDonald were able to stage a formidable production that proudly shows off the new company.
The success and excellence of La Bayadère also reassures the dance fraternity and ballet lovers that there is a light in the tunnel, shining brightly on the future of dance in South Africa.
Badenhorst and MacDonald make it clear that Joburg Ballet is an African world-class company that aims to make ballet accessible to all South Africans to elevate our spirits and cultivate new talent.
This production also marks a victory in the mere magnificence of the production. Not only is it evident that their collaboration with Cuban ballet is bearing superlative fruit; it also showcases the phenomenal talent of local artists. The Andrew Botha-Simon King legacy lives on in their mesmerising creation of La Bayadère’s scenery. Botha’s set, using a modern print medium, illuminated by King’s lighting design, creates an enthralling ambience that effectively embodies mystic India. Trien Wessel’s costumes excellently augment the rich sense of opulence.
Ramiro Salmón (as Solor) gives a jaw-dropping performance with virtuosity that is staggering. He effortlessly executes jumps (to date unnamed) that literally remain suspended in the air. His flawless pirouettes add to his astounding athletic prowess. Luis David Valle Pons (as the Bronze Idol, pictured) equally impresses with a solo that demonstrates brilliant technique. Burnise Silvius (as Nikiya) dazzles with an immaculate performance. Her impeccable technique and outstanding expressive artistry culminate in a performance that is powerfully sensitive.
La Bayadère is a spectacular ballet, performed by a troupe of equally spectacular artists. Do not miss this rare experience.