Cape Town: The Community, Arts and Culture Development Department of the city, created an opportunity for a group of young people to experience the art of ballet last week when they attended the final dress rehearsal of Cape Town City Ballet for the performance of Winter Dance.
The performance forms a part of the Ballet’s 90th Anniversary Gala. It is a great opportunity to interact with the artists and experience performing art in the workspace, which was created for young people across Cape Town considering Delft, Phillipi, Gugulethu, Mitchells’ Plain, Manenberg, Hanover Park, Elsies River, Parow and Athlone.
As per the sources, the programme included several activities such as Pre-talk session which was hosted by Cape Town City Ballet, and provided context for the production and the development of a storyline.
Another activity conducted was the post production questions and answers with the artistic staff and dancers. Followed by the final dress rehearsal performance which included the experience of how a production ‘operates’ on real time both technically and artistically.
By hosting the event, the Community, Arts and Culture Development Department hoped to contribute towards growing new and diverse audiences in the performing arts sector and raising awareness for the various processes and opportunities in the creative performing arts environment.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Services and Health – Councillor Patricia Van der Ross said that there are many young people who are interested in performing art and especially ballet, who don’t often get the opportunity to see the final planning in the production stages before the opening night.
Ballet is a wonderful catalyst for experiencing the diverse cultures, learning about perseverance, hard work and dedication and how to communicate through dance. The participants also had the opportunity to engage with the professionals in the sector through learning and sharing.
The programme provided a valuable learning experience, by creating a better understanding of ballet as a performing art. Ross expressed, “We hope that those who attended learned new life skills, people skills and identified opportunities through career exposure.”