THE four ballets, by four choreographers, that comprise this new programme by Cape Ballet Africa, at The Baxter until 10 October 2026, are purely for the joy of dance.
No plots, no stories or programme notes to follow. Just beauty, with skill and strength complemented by lighting, costumes, and music, all flowing together in elegance. For example, the choice to have legs nude means they are lit to accentuate every muscle, reminding us that while the dancers look ethereal, fragile even, they are powerful and robust. The costumes for each piece are perfectly in tune with the choreography and movement of the dancers.
The first ballet is Allegro Brilliante, a Neo-clsssical work by George Balanchine, which premiered in New York in 1956. It’s not an overstatement to call Balanchine legendary; not for nothing is he regarded as the father of American ballet. The music is Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Balanchine famously said the ballet “contains everything I knew about classical ballet – in 13 minutes.” He also wrote, “I had no narrative idea for the work, only wishing to have the dancers complement the music as best I could.” Seventy years later it’s obvious to say he achieved his goal.
Up next is We Met At The Moon, Briefly, choreographed by Kenneth Tindall, danced to a complex and sometimes surprising medley of music by Bryce Dessner, Gustave Rudman, Max Richter, and Young Fathers. Crafted around a central pas de deux and the dynamic between dancers Lené Theunissen and Gabriel Ravenscroft, this is the world premiere of a work commissioned specifically for CBA.
Also having its world premiere is the final dance, Duende by award-winning Michelle Reid, her second work for CBA. It’s dedicated in spirit and style to Sir Geoffrey Neiman, who died this June, his name having been synonymous with Spanish dance for decades. A celebration of his life, Sobremsa, will take place at Artscpe Opera House on 27 October 2026. Duende is a word that means “unspoken allure, charisma, or magic that draws people in”. The choreography is energetic and striking, and the fringed pants and stark white shirts again come to the party to create the whole as the sum of its parts. CBA’s artistic director Debbie Turner is the creative force for this, and the equally androgynous costumes for We Met At The Moon, Briefly.
The fourth ballet, which opens the second half of the programme is Remanso, and if you absolutely insisted I choose a favourite and I’m aware no one did, this would be it. The choreographer (and set and lighting designer) is the acclaimed Nacho Duato. It features three male dancers, and is set to Enrique Granados’s Valses Poéticos, inspired by the poem by Federico Garcia Lorca:
The remanso of air under the branch of echo.
The remanso of water under a frond of stars.
The remanso of your mouth under a thicket of kisses.
(A remanso is a still pool in a running stream)
With male ballet dancers so often serving to lift, support, and guide their female partners, it’s always refreshing to see them as the main focus as you revel in the powerful technicality of their movements. More than dancers, they are elite athletes.
For balletomanes this is a must-see ahead 0f the busy upcoming theatre season.
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