SHEILA CHISHOLM
Two different programmes are on offer when Cape Town City Ballet (CTCB) presents its Spring Season at Artscape’s Opera House – Don Quixote and Spring Rhapsody.
On 13 and 14 October, Spring Rhapsody, comprises The Blue Danube, Diane and Acteon pas de deux, Spring Waters pas de deux, Glazunov Variations and The Stairway to Paradise. Starting on 20 October until 29 October, for eight performances, Liane Lurie’s new production of Don Quixote is being staged.
A new production
Said Elizabeth Triegaardt – CTCB’s Honorary Executive Director – “In 2003 when CTCB presented Veronica Paeper’s popular Don Quixote ballet, our company numbered 40. Today we’re down to 30. With that number it is not possible to successfully mount her version. So we invited Liane Lurie to give CTCB a new production. She’s basing it after Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky’s choreography – Gorsky being a Petipa contemporary known for his quirky productions of Petipa’s works.”
Asked if Lurie’s composition necessitated altering Allan Stephenson’s arrangement of the Leon Minkus music Paeper used? “Unfortunately yes”, replied Triegaardt. “Although Lurie’s scenario follows Miguel de Cervantes humorous story of Don Quixote’s adventure searching for Dulcinea, Liane’s sequences differ from Veronica’s. Professor Michael-John Sheehan and Graham Scott are undertaking the score’s key changes.”
Lurie, one time dancer with PACT Ballet, New Zealand Ballet, Ballet West and who is presently Head of Dance Department at Crawford College in Johannesburg and National Examiner for Independent Examination Board, chose CTCB’s principals and guided some new costume designs.
Four casts for Basilio and Kitri
Lurie selected four casts for Basilio and Kitri. They are Thomas Thorne – in his last season with CTCB – opposite Laura Bosenberg; Daniel Szybkowski partnering Mariette Opperman; Conrad Nusser is Cleo Ames partner and Xola Putye is matched with Leane Theunissen; Mervyn William is foppish Gamache and Johnny Bovang takes on the title role. There are the expected dagger dances, Dryads, and the historical Kitri/Basilio pas de deux. But “new” are Toreadors as well as various group scenes.
Robin van Wyk, CTCB’s artistic director is responsible for producing Spring Rhapsody.
Said van Wyk “excepting The Blue Danube and Spring Waters, the other pieces were danced at CTCB’s New Year’s Eve celebration. What is often forgotten is even the shortest ballet involves quite a bit of rehearsing, and as we only gave that one performance we thought to repeat the programme.”
Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra
Choreographers include Agrippina Vaganova (Diane and Acteon) Spring Waters (Asaf Messerer) Glazunov Variations (Ashley Killar), Van Wyk (The Blue Danube and The Stairway to Paradise). Van Wyk has drawn dancers mostly from the younger CTCB members. However, Thorne and Bosenberg fans can see them dance in Spring Waters.
Spring Rhapsody is danced to recorded music. Brandon Philips conducts The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. Do check casting.
Who: Cape Town City Ballet (CTCB)
What: Spring Season – Don Quixote and Spring Rhapsody, 2017
Where: Artscape’s Opera House, Foreshore, Cape Town
Book tickets: www.computicket.co.za, Dial-a-Seat 021 421 7695
WS
