JOBURG BALLET’S critically acclaimed Celestial Bodies premiered at Joburg Theatre and sold out at the UJ Arts Centre. It now comes to the Pam Golding Theatre at the Baxter for five performances from 12 to 15 November 2026.
The production is choreographed by Naledi Award-winner Mario Gaglione and presented with Universe on Stage. It fuses ballet, science, live piano and cinematic projections to trace the story of the universe, from the Big Bang to the emergence of life.
The idea took shape when Gaglione saw Universe on Stage’s Hidden Giants and approached its creators, physicist Dr Luca Pontiggia and composer Yasheen Modi. “Their world of music, science and art was already moving like choreography waiting to be embodied,” he says.
On stage, Pontiggia narrates live while Modi, an actuary and classically trained pianist, performs his original score. “As celestial bodies trace patterns through space, dance reveals how energy flows from the vastness of stars to the intimacy of life,” says Pontiggia.
Journalist Gillian Anstey called the show “awe-inspiring”. Sam Nupen of SamSays described Modi’s score as “at times haunting, at times dramatic” and singled out dancers Chloé Blair, Gabriella Ghiaroni, Savannah Jacobson and Latoya Mokoena.
“We are all part of an ever-expanding universe; reflections of the very stars we gaze upon,” says Gaglione.
PHOTO CREDIT: Lauge Sorensen
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