Joburg Ballet Return to Stage After Pandemic with Production of Cinderella

Photo Credit: Lauge Sorensen

For the first time since March 2020, the Joburg Ballet is performing for a full capacity theatre with a production of Cinderella – coming this Spring!

Johannesburg, South Africa (18 August 2022) – The arts suffered greatly during the pandemic as many theatres, and ballet companies relied on audiences to fill seats and purchase tickets. Today, the Joburg Ballet celebrates the first post-pandemic production with a full theatre by bringing Cinderella to the stage.

Choreographed by Joburg Ballet’s artistic director Iain MacDonald and given its world premiere in 2013, Cinderella waltzes across the stage with Johann Strauss’s immortal melodies providing the perfect musical setting for this ultimate rags-to-riches tale. Designer Andrew Botha’s breathtaking designs frame the action while Joburg Ballet’s stars will set the stage alight with dancing in the grandly classical tradition.

Dancers bringing their artistry to the two leading roles in this ultimate rags-to-riches fairy-tale will be Shannon Glover, Nicole Ferreira-Dill, Monike Cristina and Tammy Higgins as Cinderella and Revil Yon, Armando Barros, Ruan Galdino and Ivan Domiciano as the Prince.

Nicole Ferreira-Dill and Armando Barros on Friday 30 September at 18h30 and Saturday 8 October at 15h00
Monike Cristina and Ruan Galdino on Saturday 1 October at 15h00 and Wednesday 5 October at 11h00
Shannon Glover and Revil Yon on Sunday 2 October at 15h00, Friday 7 October at 18h30 and Sunday 9 October at 15h00
Tammy Higgins and Ivan Domiciano on Saturday 8 October at 18h30

In other casting, audiences can look forward to seeing guest artists Christopher Montague and Nigel Hannah in the character roles of Cinderella’s Stepsisters and Alison Sischy as her Stepmother. Christopher and Nigel both had notable careers with PACT Ballet in the 1980s and 1990s, and in last season’s La Traviata – The Ballet Christopher made a powerful impact as M Germont.

The Jester will be danced by Tumelo Lekana, Ivan Domiciano, Mario Gaglione and Luhle Mtati, and the Fairy Godmother by Savannah Ireland, Nicole Ferreira-Dill and Darragh Hourrides.

Commenting on the return of Cinderella, artistic director Iain MacDonald said: “Cinderella has always been one of the company’s most popular ballets, both in our original version well as our current production which was last staged at the Joburg Theatre in 2016 and at the Teatro at Montecasino in 2018. Johann Strauss composed some of the most enchanting and memorable classical music ever written, and the music to which Cinderella is danced is no exception.”

“Cinderella will be our first production since the start of the Covid pandemic where, from the outset, we can sell 100% of the Joburg Theatre’s seats. With our last season, La Traviata-The Ballet, the lifting of the 50% capacity to 100% came too late in the booking period for us to benefit from this increase,” added Joburg Ballet’s CEO, Esther Nasser.

“Hopefully, Cinderella will see audiences returning to the ballet in droves! And certainly, there can be no more perfect ballet to welcome in summer than Cinderella.”