Beautiful ballet on SA soil
THE sound diplomatic relationship Cuba and South Africa forged during the Nelson Mandela and Fidel Castro years remains firmly in place despite changes in both country’s presidents.
There were, and still are, regular exchanges between students, doctors, engineers and classical ballet dancers. Therefore it’s a mystery that, while our ruling party highly regards Cubans, they have utterly failed to follow Fidel Castro’s wisdom regarding education.
Fidel Castro’s ascendency to power – first as prime minister in 1959 then, as president in 1976 – sent the West into a tailspin – few won’t remember the dramatic events leading to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and US President John F Kenney’s handling of the situation.
But what our government totally ignores is Castro’s conviction that “the only way to lead Cubans from poverty is through decent academic education as well as training and practical knowledge of what goes into the arts”.
To this end not only did Castro build good schools, he employed topgrade educators to teach the three R’s. As for the arts, over and above all that goes into making arts “live”. Castro desired every child should study classical ballet – the basis for all dance disciplines.
However, because ballet is a “moving” art, largish rooms, sprung floors, mirrors, barres, changing rooms, special clothing and shoes are imperative for tuition. All these Castro’s government provided.
About 11 or 12 general auditions took place. If found, physically, musically and technically suitable for a ballet career, those children were placed in arts schools where their academic and arts education continued – at state expense.
This method has proven so successful that not only are Cubans an educated population, wherever a ballet/ dance company exists, Cuban dancers will be found heading soloist lists.
This applies to Joburg Ballet Company and, thanks to Dirk Badenhorst, CEO and founder of the biennial South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC), we have seen many of these skilled dancers in Cape Town.
Starting in 2008, when Badenhorst first visited Cuba and saw the high academic/artistic standards this “poverty-stricken” country was producing, he was determined to help lift our sagging ballet standards by:
1 Showcasing Cuban dancers in his first International Ballet Competition held in Cape Town in 2008.
2 Inviting Cuban teachers to teach in Outreach Programmes – he’s started in areas in Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
3 Holding biennial International Ballet Competitions.
4 Inviting Cuban-born/trained ballerina Lissi Baez and Cuban trained Jonhal Fernandez to join 10 international dancers when Badenhorst presents his International Ballet Gala (IBG) for three performances at Artscape on September 2 and 3; at Mountain Cambridge School in Hartbeespoort on September 5; Mosaiek Teatro in Fairland on September 7 and Ballet in the Bush at Legend Golf and Safari Resort in Limpopo on September 9.
Baez and Fernandez, principal dancers at Mexico’s Ballet de Monterrey, began their studies at the National Ballet School of La Habana, Cuba. Based on the Russian Vaganova method, the Cubans lay strong emphasis on “core” strength. “This,” said Badenhorst, “is the secret why Cuban dancers are superb. Core strength gives balance, ability to jump to the heavens, and turn like tops. Certainly without balance a dancer can achieve very little. I’m referring to the basic technique that makes highly complicated choreography look beautifully easy.”
Baez, partnered by Fernandez in the Black Swan pas de deux, joins stellar dancers from Russia, Spain, Mongolia, Armenia, the US, Belarus, Egypt and Mexico, and our own Andile Ndlovu and Angela Malan. They will be seen in solos and pas de deux from Giselle, Swan Lake (Black Swan and White Swan), and the rarely seen pas de trois from Le Corsaire.
Another South African contributing to IBG is choreographer, Adele Blank. Blank is writing a new piece especially for the gala built around parents with a child who wants to dance.
Supported by SA Tourism, Badenhorst’s International Ballet Gala brings splendid dancers from countries not usually associated with classical ballet. Don’t miss the chance to see these marvellous dancers.
Booking for Artscape and Mosaiek Theatres through Computicket. For Hartbeespoort call Dirk Badenhorst on 083 324 0940; Ballet in the Bush e-mail reservations@legendlodges.co.za or call 012 443 6700.