Outstanding ballet will once again grace South African stages when the much anticipated SAIBC International Ballet Gala (IBG) takes place from 2 to 9 September 2017 in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

‘SAIBC International Ballet Gala’

Presented by Dirk Badenhorst, the CEO and Founder of the biennial South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC), in association with Artscape and supported by South African Tourism, the highly anticipated SAIBC Galas in Cape Town and Johannesburg and once-off Ballet in the Bush performance in Limpopo will showcase thrilling ballet variations, pas de deux and neo classical works, performed by a stellar company of top professional dancers from South Africa, Russia, Spain, Mongolia, Armenia, the USA, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt and Mexico.

Stars performing include ballerina Maria Rudenko partnered by Artemiy Pyzhov, Monier Javier Jouve,  Anujin Otgontugs, Hassan Eltabie, Mariam Karapetyan, Jonhal Fernandez, Lissi Baez, Dzianis Klimuk, and South Africa’s Angela Malan and Andile Ndlovu.

Pas de deux and solos

Audiences can look forward to spectacular pas de deux and solos from Giselle, Swan Lake (Black Swan and White Swan pas de deux), Paquita and Le Corsaire. Renowned South African choreographer Adele Blank will also create a new piece that will enjoy its world premiere at Artscape on 2 September 2017.

Says Dirk Badenhorst: “I’ve always believed in the role of arts and in particular ballet can play in bringing South Africans and the world together, and started calling it Ballet Diplomacy, but in this exciting partnership with SA Tourism we are taking it one step further and now it also becomes Ballet Tourism, with outstanding dancers from around the world becoming ambassadors for this beautiful country.”

What: The ‘SAIBC International Ballet Gala’

Where and when: Artscape Theatre in Cape Town on 2 September at 8pm and 3 September at 2pm and 6pm /  Mountain Cambridge School in Hartebeespoort on 5 September at 7pm,  in Johannesburg at the Mosaiek Teatro in Fairland on 7 September at 8pm, and at the Legend Golf and Safari Resort in Limpopo on 9 September at 7pm .

Book: Computicket. For tickets in Hartebeespoort call Dirk Badenhorst on 083 324 0940, and for ‘Ballet in the Bush’ at Legends email reservations@legendlodges.co.za or call 012 443 6700

WS