PE Dance Festival moves on to ballet and national sections
THE annual Port Elizabeth Dance Festival is well under way, having started last Thursday with the modern and hip-hop sections, and is now about to kick off the ballet and National Dance component.
Lovers of dance will be able to view these entries at the Savoy Theatre from today until Tuesday, with quality dancing also taking place on both days of the weekend.
“Acclaimed adjudicator Janet Lindup arrived in Port Elizabeth yesterday in time for the PE Dance Festival’s ballet and National Dance section,” organiser Monica Hewitson said.
Lindup is a former Capab principal dancer who during her illustrious career performed and won awards internationally.
She retired from Cape Town City Ballet after 17 years in 1998, and went on to study personal training, the New York City Ballet Workout and Pilates, which she teaches from her home studio in Tokai.
She is an examiner and adjudicator for many dance organisations and ballet schools across South Africa.
Lindup has also taught classical ballet, repertoire and dance conditioning, and is currently teaching a specifically designed pre-pointe programme, as well as the Progressing Ballet Technique Programme.
The modern section of the festival, danced last week, was adjudicated by Nigel Lucas.
Today’s dancing will take place from 12pm, with daily afternoon and evening sessions until Tuesday.
The Dance Festival was founded in 1983 by the late Hermione Ballinger and Jennifer Abraham, local ballet teachers at that time.
From humble beginnings, with the first festival attracting 183 students, it has grown into a popular and well-supported annual showcase.
“This year’s festival has attracted almost 900 dancers, not only from the Bay, but from as far afield as George, Knysna and Grahamstown,” Hewitson said.
The feast of dance entertainment will include classical and “character” solos, duets, trios, groups and more.
Today’s afternoon and evening sessions will see a record number of ballet groups on stage in numbers such as Baby Ballerinas, Candy Man, Georgie Porgie, Birds of Paradise, The Clown and the Ballerina, Cabaret and many others.
The evening sessions tomorrow and Sunday will showcase the highly contested junior and senior ballet championship events respectively.
Tickets are at Computicket and at the Savoy Theatre door.