02 / mzanzi productions tour sa: first visit to Eastern Cape Province

Three cities in the Eastern Cape - East London, Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth - are set to welcome this Johannesburg-based dance company. On this their first visit to the province they will present two shows: Somebody To Love: A Dance Celebration to the Music of Queen and Sproetjies.

This tour also marks a homecoming for Port Elizabeth dancer Craig Arnolds and the opportunity for dance teachers and students to benefit from classes taught by Ana Julia Bermúdez. Ms Bermúdez is a teacher at the National Ballet School of Cuba and her visit to South Africa is part of Mzansi Productions' director Dirk Badenhorst's continuing exchange programme with Cuba.

Both productions have been performed in Gauteng, with Somebody To Love: A Dance Celebration to the Music of Queen returning by popular demand to the Johannesburg stage in 2010 after a first season in 2009.

In both productions the dancers share the stage with singers Kerry Hiles, Shaun V and Anne- Marie Clulow.

SOMEBODY TO LOVE: A DANCE CELEBRATION TO THE MUSIC OF QUEEN
In Somebody To Love: A Dance Celebration to the Music of Queen, choreographers Debbie Rakusin, Timothy Le Roux and Mari-Louise Basson explore facets of relationships in an elegant and sophisticated dance show brimming with atmosphere and ambience. Eighteen of QUEEN's greatest songs have been arranged for the production by Du Preez Strauss.

SPROETJIES
Sproetjies takes the familiar story of Cinderella, places it in a contemporary setting accessible to modern audiences, and uses a selection of well loved Afrikaans songs, among them 'De la Rey', 'Jantjie' and 'Jy Soen My Nie Meer Nie', as the soundtrack for choreography – by Joel Morris and Craig Arnolds – which is light-hearted and full of fun. Sproetjies is perfectly tailored to appeal to the young as well as the young-at-heart.

Included in the tour schedule will be daytime performances for schools.

See the performance schedule for the tour below (subject to change):

EAST LONDON | Guild Theatre: Booking: Theatre Box Office (/5)
SOMEBODY TO LOVE: A DANCE CELEBRATION TO THE MUSIC OF QUEEN
Tues 15 Feb, Wed 16 Feb, Thur 17 Feb at 7pm
SPROETJIES
Wed 16 Feb: Daytime performance (time to be confirmed)

GRAHAMSTOWN | Guy Butler Theatre: Booking through Computicket
SOMEBODY TO LOVE: A DANCE CELEBRATION TO THE MUSIC OF QUEEN
Fri 18 Feb, Sat 19 Feb at 7.30pm; Sun 20 Feb at 2.30pm
SPROETJIES
Sat 19 Feb: Daytime performance (time to be confirmed)

PORT ELIZABETH | Savoy Theatre: Booking through Computicket
SOMEBODY TO LOVE: A DANCE CELEBRATION TO THE MUSIC OF QUEEN
Wed 23 Feb, Thur 24 Feb, Fri 25 Feb, Sat 26 Feb at 7.30pm; Sun 27 Feb at 2.30pm
SPROETJIES
Fri 25 Feb: Daytime performance (time to be confirmed); Sat 26 Feb at 2.30pm

See other national performances below (subject to change):

DURBAN | Izulu Theatre Sibaya Casino:
SOMEBODY TO LOVE: A DANCE CELEBRATION TO THE MUSIC OF QUEEN
14 - 18 June (time to be confirmed)

DURBAN | Sneddon Theatre:
DIVAS
20 - 26 June (time to be confirmed)

DURBAN | Durban Playhouse:
CLASSICAL BALLET
27 September - 9 October (tbc)

CAPE TOWN | Artscape Theatre
SOMEBODY TO LOVE: A DANCE CELEBRATION TO THE MUSIC OF QUEEN
6 - 12 June (time to be confirmed)
SPROETJIES
6 - 12 June (time to be confirmed)

CAPE TOWN | Grand West Casino
INTERNATIONAL BALLET GALA
27 - 30 June (time to be confirmed)

PRETORIA | Pretoria Drama Theatre
SOMEBODY TO LOVE: A DANCE CELEBRATION TO THE MUSIC OF QUEEN
15 - 28 August (time to be confirmed)
SPROETJIES
15 - 28 August (time to be confirmed)

JOHANNESBURG | Venue to be confirmed
INTERNATIONAL BALLET GALA
6 - 11 July (time to be confirmed)

JOHANNESBURG | UJ Artcentre
SPROETJIES
18 - 24 July (time to be confirmed)

JOHANNESBURG | Lyric Theatre
CLASSICAL BALLET
10 - 23 October (tbc)

02 / south african ballet dancer to study in Cuba:

South African ballet dancer Shana Dewey (17) departs South Africa on 18 January to study at the National Ballet School of Cuba in Havana for two months.

Miss Dewey's visit to Cuba is a result of the exchange programme inaugurated in 2009 between Dirk Badenhorst and ballet dancers and institutions in Cuba, including the celebrated National Ballet School of Cuba.

Following her participation in the 2010 Cape Town International Ballet Competition, Miss Dewey attended classes taught in Johannesburg by Cuban teacher, Ms Nor Maria Olaechea.

As Miss Dewey is considering a career in ballet, Dirk Badenhorst asked Ms Olaechea to assess Shana's talent and potential. As a result, Shana has been accepted for two months of intensive training in Havana.
Mr. Angel Villa, Cuban ambassador in South Africa, said in a statement: "Dancers all over the world fight everyday to be technically perfect. The exchanges between the National Ballet School of Cuba and Mzansi Productions of South Africa have been a commendable initiative. The presence of Miss Dewey for training in Havana will expose her to the expertise of the Cuban institution which continues sharing the knowledge accumulated through the years, but the interaction between her and the Cubans will be a mutual gain".

Commenting on Miss Dewey's visit to Cuba, her parents Mark and Glenda Dewey said: "We are delighted that Shana has been granted the opportunity to train in Cuba. Shana has been under the guidance of Vanessa Eborall and Dorothy de Witt for thirteen years. The training she has received and is receiving from them is invaluable. We wish her every success and hope she will enjoy every moment of this wonderful experience."

Miss Dewey's teachers, Vanessa Eborall and Dorothy De Witt added: "We are very proud of what she has achieved and believe she has a great career ahead of her". Laraine Rabin, her contemporary dance teacher added: "It is indeed a great honour for Shana to have been invited to Cuba, where she will gain superb experience and training from such a high calibre of teachers and dancers. I know she will do South Africa proud, and we wish her the very best of luck and success."

Dirk Badenhorst said it had been gratifying to facilitate this opportunity for Shana, adding: "This is part of my ongoing attempts for ballet and dance in South Africa to grow from strength to strength and I wish to thank the National Ballet School of Cuba for allowing Shana to study with them."

National Ballet School of Cuba, with 4,350 students, is the largest ballet school in the world and the most prestigious in Cuba. Dancers from Cuba are exceptionally well-trained, cementing their global reputation as dancers of technique and athleticism who are members of some of the world's major ballet companies.