Burnise Silvius and Jonathan Rodrigues- photo by Bill Zurich

Cinderella- 2 Acts

Choreography Iain MacDonald

Music- Johann Strauss (1825-1899)

Design- Andrew Botha

Lighting Design- Simon King

I was really excited to attend the Opening night of Joburg Ballet's season of Cinderella on Friday evening (30 Sept) and I was again blown away by this dedicated, hard-working company that always delivers excellence- despite the challenges that all arts institutions face in this country.

 Prima ballerina Burnise Silvius and Jonathan Rodrigues were a perfect match and danced sublimely, particularly in the very last pas de deux which had some spectacular lifts which were executed flawlessly- the choreography is by artistic director Iain MacDonald). The Fairy Godmother, Claudia Monja, (with the best legs in the business!) was graceful and magical as were the rest of the cast- the costumes are simply fabulous and makeup stunning- Mac, of course.

Claudia Monja- photo Bill Zurich

Most of all, I loved the comedic flair of The Stepmother (Kitty Phetla) and the stepsisters, Chase Bosch and Keke Chele, who entertained the audience with their antics - Kitty in particular, was simply superb.

However, no matter which cast you see, Joburg Ballet will not disappoint- they are a world-class ballet company and they are an asset to our city. Don't miss this season, it's truly special- and who doesn't love a Strauss waltz? I could have danced all night....

Burnise Silvius and Jonathan Rodrigues- photo courtesy of Joburg Ballet

Tuesday 4 Oct at 11:00: Nicole Ferreira-Dill, Owen Thorne*, Sanmarie Kreuzhuber

Wednesday 5 Oct at 11:00: Burnise Silvius, Jonathan Rodrigues, Nicole Ferreira-Dill

Friday 7 Oct at 19:30: Nicole Ferreira-Dill, Owen Thorne*, Sanmarie Kreuzhuber

Saturday 8 Oct at 15:00: Burnise Silvius, Jonathan Rodrigues, Claudia Monja

Saturday 8 Oct at 19:30: Nicole Ferreira-Dill, Owen Thorne*, Kitty Phetla

Sunday 9 Oct at 15:00: Shannon Glover, Jonathan Rodrigues, Nicole Ferreira-Dill

*Owen Thorne, guest artist: Please note, casting is subject to change.

Booking is open via Joburg Theatre - 0861 670 670 & online at www.webtickets.co.za.

Follow the company on social media platforms; Facebook.com/joburgballet, Instagram.com/joburgballet, @JoburgBallet or online at www.joburgballet.com