Ballet season opens next month

Cape Town City Ballet in the Prologue of a previous production of Sleeping Beauty.

Bookings are now open for Cape Town City Ballet’s (CTCB’s) autumn and winter season at the Artscape Opera House.

The line-up of modern classics and historical popular favourites includes Amaranth from Wednesday June 22 to Friday July 7 and Sleeping Beauty from Saturday August 17 to Saturday August 31.

For Sleeping Beauty, CTCB will welcome international guest artists Vadim Muntagirov and Sarah Lamb (The Royal Ballet), Precious Adams (English National Ballet), Andile Ndlovu (Washington Ballet) and Siphe November (National Ballet of Canada).

The triple bill of Amaranth is a programme of neo-classical and contemporary classical masterpieces with George Balanchine’s Serenade, Frank Staff’s Transfigured Night and Christopher L Huggins’ Enemy Behind the Gates. The set and costume design for Transfigured Night will be modernised by Peter Cazalet, and lighting design for the production is by Wilhelm Disbergen.

Set to a sweeping score by Schoenberg, Transfigured Night, based on a true story, tells of a brother and sister dominated by an older sister.

Obsessed with keeping the family together, and unhappy with the arrival of a suiter for the younger sister, she senses that the solidarity of the family is threatened.

Following significant popularity, American choreographer Christopher L Huggins returns with Enemy Behind the Gates, a look into the minds of incendiaries – how they live quietly and patiently in the shadows before they strike.

Warming up winter is popular favourite Sleeping Beauty staged by South African ballet legend, Denise Schultze Godfrey. Performed to Tchaikovsky’s delightful music, this timeless story follows Princess Aurora’s 100-year sleep and magical awakening, as well as encounters with fairies and fairytale characters such as Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots and the Bluebird and Princess
Florine.

“The 2019 autumn/ winter programme is a captivating celebration of classical ballet and modern classics,” says Debbie Turner, CTCB CEO.

“The line-up is a marriage of work by international icons and South African legends, who are leading lights in the global dance arena. We are honoured to be welcoming our international guest artists, some of whom are returning home for the season, as well as working alongside ballet masters who have been a pivotal part of CTCB’s journey.”

Amaranth will be performed at the Artscape Opera House from Wednesday June 22 to Friday July 7.

Tickets cost from R150 to R495 with concessions for pensioners, pupils and block bookings of 10 or more.

Sleeping Beauty will be performed at the Artscape Opera House from Saturday August 17 to Saturday August 31.

Tickets cost from R180 to R695 with concessions for pensioners, pupils and block bookings of 10 or more. Book through Computicket.

CTCB will be accompanied by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra at selected performances. For more information, visit www.capetowncityballet.org.za