The upcoming season of the Museo Universidad de Navarra will feature a performance by the Joburg Ballet, the Johannesburg ballet company. The show is entitled "Masterpieces of the universal repertoire" and will be performed on October 3, offering spectators a journey through the history of dance and a review of the great choreographic works and pas de deux of classical ballet, such as Swan Lake and The Bayadère.

Since its founding in 2012, Joburg Ballet has become South Africa's largest and most prestigious professional ballet company. It continuously collaborates in programs of social integration, multiracial, development and dissemination of dance. For this reason, it provides fundamental support to the South African Cuban Ballet School project. Its clear social involvement and the values it promotes -especially the spirit of youth, self-improvement, effort and integration- have also been reasons why the Museum has chosen to work with this first-class artistic group.

 "Masterpieces of the Universal Repertory" will feature a varied repertoire that takes an itinerary through the universal works of classical ballet, starting with "Diana and Actaeon", by Agrippina Vaganova; "The Death of the Swan", by Mikhail Fokine; "The Bayadère", by Marius Petipa; "Swan Lake", by Lev Ivanov; "Carmina Burana", by Kitty Phetla and "The Flame of Paris", by Vassily Vainonen, among others. This selection facilitates the introduction to the world of dance to all audiences with a clear didactic and informative vocation, which connects again with the educational mission of a museum that is anchored in a university campus, as is the Museo Universidad de Navarra.

Repertoire

                                                                 

Part I	Part II
Diana and Acteon (Two-step) Choreography: Agrippina Vaganova Music: Riccardo Drigo	The Flame of Paris (Paso a dos) Choreography: Vassily Vainonen Music: Boris Asafiev
The Death of the Swan Choreography: Mikhail Fokine Music: Camille Saint-Saëns	Spring waters Choreography: Asaf Messerer Music: Sergei Rachmaninoff
La Bayadera (Variations of Act II) Choreography: Marius Petipa Music: Ludwig Minkus	Kopano (Gauteng) / (Two-step) / (Second Movement) Choreography: Kaloyan Boyadjiev Music: Original African drumming
Swan Lake (Swan Dance) Choreography: Lev Ivanov Music: P.I. Tchaikovsky	Chopin Choreography: Yarisha Singh and Michael Revie Music Frédéric Chopin
Swan Lake (Four Swans Dance) Choreography: Lev Ivanov Music: P.I. Tchaikovsky	Feeling Good Choreography: Aaron Smyth and Dianne Talbot Music: Nina Simone
Swan Lake (passage to two from The Black Swan) Choreography: Marius Petipa Music: P.I. Tchaikovsky	Sproetjies: Jantjie Choreography: Joel Morris Music: Sonja Herholdt / Anton Goosen
La Bayadera (Variations of Act II) Choreography: Marius Petipa Music: Ludwig Minkus	Don Quixote (Grand pas) Choreography: Marius Petipa Music: Ludwig Minkus
Carmina Burana (Fragments) Choreography: Kitty Phetla Music: Carl Orff

 

The company's track record

The Johannesburg Ballet is made up of internationally acclaimed permanent dancers, both in classical and contemporary dance. Some of the world's most renowned figures are invited to participate in its various seasons, from major companies in Australia, Cuba, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and the United States, among others.

In the spirit of the South African leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nelson MandelaJoburg Ballet collaborates in many social integration, multiracial, dance development and dissemination programs. The grant provided by Johannesburg has resulted in improved funding for the arts in Southern Africa, as well as increased capacity of the Joburg Ballet to meet its objectives of making dance a art capable of reaching the whole of South African society, and improving training, job creation and international projection..

The company has a long history in Johannesburg, but the origins date back to the creation of The South African Ballet Theatre in 2001. That year, six dancers came together after the closure of State Theatre Pretoria and the dissolution of their companies, including The State Theatre Ballet. Backed by a support board but with no public funding, they created a company with their choreographic projection, taking the State Theatre Pretoria as a starting point. Thus began a long road to becoming a professional and active part of the country's cultural fabric.

An important milestone was the company's relocation to new studios at the Joburg Theatre, then known as The Johannesburg Civic Theatre, with its own headquarters in Johannesburg. This allowed the company to gain a foothold and establish its business close to the cultural and economic heart of South Africa. In 2006, CEO and founder Dirk Badenhorst left the company to explore new projects. These included the creation of The South African International Ballet Competition, an international competition and a unique event of its kind in Africa that saw the start of a close collaboration with Ballet de Cuba, the first International Ballet Gala and the founding of Mzansi Productions, a small versatile dance company. In June 2013, the City of Johannesburg announced funding for the company.

The rest of the fall program

Other shows scheduled for next fall at the theater of Museo Universidad de Navarra are Cervantes ' "La Gitanilla" by the Carmen Cortés Flamenco Dance Company, whose premiere is scheduled for July 3 at the Almagro Classical Theater Festival, prior to the performance at the Museum. Other novelties will be the launching of an interpretation workshop in musicals aimed at young people, by Jana Producciones. Some of the participants will be able to perform in the musical that will later be offered at the Museum's theater, entitled "Adam and Eve on Broadway".

These performances are already available and on sale at the box office or online at the Museum's website. It should be noted that "La Gitanilla" and "Masterpieces" of Joburg Ballet have a promotion and can be purchased at a reduced price until August 20.