Joburg Ballet’s Dreamscapes is a Triple Bill of Forward-Thinking Works

Joburg Ballet kicks off a fresh season of dance production with the opening of Dreamscapes, a fresh new triple bill running from 28 March to 6 April at Roodepoort Theatre. This body of transformative works gives audiences an intro into the company’s celebration of heritage, artistry, and innovation. Read on to find out more.

What is Dreamscapes about?

Dreamscapes is a programme with cultural and artistic resonance that represents the interplay between tradition, ancestry and a forward-looking vision celebrating beauty and diversity. Each work in the programme offers a unique perspective on our shared humanity. Together, these works form a rich tapestry of tradition, identity, and creative exploration, offering audiences an unforgettable dance experience that transcends the realms of reality.

Resonance

Resonance is the first new work by Dane Hurst since his recent appointment as Joburg Ballet’s interim artistic director Dane Hurst. The production delves into themes of resonant landscapes, diverse cultural connections and transformation.

Guests can look forward to a soundscape of acclaimed South African composer Kyle Shepherd’s evocative album, South African History !X, Resonance set to the choreography. The music takes inspiration from the energy, exuberance and community spirit cultivated within underground jazz clubs of historic melting-pot communities like South End, District Six and Sophiatown. This work is all about the enduring power of music and dance to unite, heal and inspire freedom of expression.

Les Sylphides

Classical ballet lovers will appreciate a staging of Les Sylphides, a beautifully framed dance work to veers deep into a magical world with choreography steeped in Romanticism. Here, dance is set to the emotive classical composition of Frédéric Chopin’s Les Sylphides.

Joburg Ballet’s ballet mistress Kim Vieira took charge of the choreography to curate a timeless meditation on grace and harmony. Its inclusion in DreamScapes roots the programme in the rich tradition of ballet, providing a foundation for the contemporary works that follow.

The Underworld & Elsewhere

Joburgers are in luck to see a work by one of the country’s most impressive ballet talent. Kitty Phetla’s The Underworld & Elsewhere showcases the metaphysical ties between past, present and future. The production presents the enduring presence of ancestral spirits and energies that live with and through us; this work invites audiences to journey into the unseen realms of existence.

Phetla’s choreography resonates deeply with South Africa’s cultural and spiritual heritage, offering a poignant meditation on the interconnectedness of life across generations.