In 2020 Cape Town dance lovers will have the experience of a lifetime when Royal Ballet stars Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov join the full Joburg Ballet company for one unmissable performance at the Artscape Opera House on 24 March at 7.30pm.
Presented by the South African National Dance Trust (SANDT) and Joburg Ballet, with support from the National Lotteries Commission, the Grand Gala will see The Royal Ballet principal dancers in a number of dazzling classical ballet highlights, including the show-stopping virtuoso pas de deux from Don Quixote.
Both Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov are at the peak of their careers and securing this exceptional duo for the once-off performance at Artscape next year is a major coup for the South African National Dance Trust that has also planned several educational and outreach activities that will offer local ballet teachers and dance students the opportunity to observe both guest artists and Joburg Ballet up close in class and rehearsal.
About Marianela Nuñez
Argentine dancer Marianela Nuñez is a Principal of The Royal Ballet. She joined The Royal Ballet Upper School in 1997 and joined the Company in 1998, promoted to First Soloist in 2000 and to Principal in 2002 aged 20. She has performed all the leading roles in the classical, dramatic and contemporary repertory, including in works by Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, John Cranko, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Kenneth MacMillan, Wayne McGregor, Ashley Page, Jerome Robbins, Liam Scarlett, Glen Tetley, Will Tuckett, Antony Tudor and Christopher Wheeldon. Many of her roles have been captured on DVD. Nuñez was born in Buenos Aires and began dancing at the age of three. When she was six she began training at the Teatro Colón Ballet School, joining the Teatro Colón company aged 14. She took on corps and soloist roles and toured internationally, both with the company and as a guest artist with Maximiliano Guerra. She received the 2013 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance, in recognition of her performances in Viscera and in roles created on her in Aeternum and ‘Diana and Actaeon’ (Metamorphosis: Titian 2012).
About Vadim Muntagirov
Russian dancer Vadim Muntagirov is a Principal of The Royal Ballet. He trained at The Royal Ballet Upper School and joined the Company from English National Ballet as a Principal in March 2014. His roles with the Company include Basilio (Don Quixote), Albrecht (Giselle), Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake), Prince Florimund (The Sleeping Beauty), Prince (The Nutcracker), Colas (La Fille mal gardée), the Girl’s Cousin (The Invitation), Young Man (Two Pigeons), Lensky (Onegin), Romeo, Des Grieux (Manon), Jack/Knave of Hearts (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), Florizel (The Winter’s Tale), Don José (Carmen) and in The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, ‘Diamonds’ (Jewels), The Human Seasons, Symphonic Variations, The Four Temperaments, Afternoon of a Faun, Tchaikovsky Pas de deux and Within the Golden Hour. Muntagirov was born in Chelyabinsk, the son of two dancers. He trained at Perm Ballet School before moving to The Royal Ballet Upper School. He graduated into English National Ballet in 2009, promoted to first soloist in 2010, principal in 2011 and lead principal in 2012. Muntagirov’s awards include the 2011 Outstanding Male Performance (Classical) and 2015 Best Male Dancer at the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards and the 2013 Benois de la danse.
What: Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov live
Where and when: Artscape on 24 March 2020
Tickets: Computicket
Extra: Exclusive VIP tickets at R650 per person are available directly from the SANDT for both the gala and access to the post-performance party attended by Marianela Nuñez, Vadim Muntagirov and members of Joburg Ballet. Email events@sandt.co.za for more information.
Image credits of Marianela Nuñez: Andrej Uspenski | Johan Persson | @ROH
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