Joburg Ballet artists prepare for the Rooftop Sunset Sessions taking place on March 27 and 28 at the PlayBraam rooftop in Braamfontein.
Image: Supplied
Joburg Ballet will bring dance to the heart of Johannesburg’s inner city later this month with a unique rooftop performance designed to introduce ballet to new audiences.
The Rooftop Sunset Sessions, staged on the rooftop of the PlayBraam building in Braamfontein, will offer audiences an intimate encounter with the company’s dancers against the backdrop of the Johannesburg skyline at sunset.
Presented by Joburg Ballet in association with PlayBraam and supported by the French Institute of South Africa, the performances aim to reach younger audiences and inner-city residents who may not have experienced ballet before.
Two shows are scheduled for Friday, March 27 at 6.30pm and Saturday, March 28 at 5.30pm.
The programme will feature a selection of works from the company’s repertoire, showcasing both established and emerging choreographers.
According to Joburg Ballet artistic director Dane Hurst, the evening will present a mix of classical ballet, neoclassical and contemporary pieces in short excerpts.
The programme includes extracts from Celestial Bodies and Classics of Spain, pas de deux from Sleeping Beauty and Giselle, Chloé Blair’s Nothing Twice, Camagwini by Tumelo Lekana and an extract from choreographer Jorge Pérez Martínez’s Azul.
“It’s like a seven-course tasting menu of what ballet is today and what ballet can be,” said Hurst.
He said the rooftop setting was intended to make the art form more accessible.
“It’s in a setting that’s not as intimidating as traditional theatres. Ballet belongs in the heart of Johannesburg,” he said.
“In a city built on courage, creativity and constant reinvention, dance is the lifeblood of thousands of artists who give the city its soul. To see ballet performed against the skyline of the City of Gold is not only beautiful – it is a powerful reminder that art continues to rise above any narrative that seeks to diminish it.”
Audiences will also be able to attend a pre-show “Meet the Artists” session with dancers and choreographers, offering insight into the creative process behind the works.
“This will give young audiences an opportunity to engage with the dancers about what it’s like to be a dancer, about the works they’ll be seeing and how stories can be told through music and dance,” Hurst said.
The event, titled Ballet Above Braam – Rooftop Sunset Sessions, is being launched as a pilot project. If successful, organisers hope to make it an annual cultural event in Johannesburg.
The performances will take place on the rooftop of the PlayBraam building at 73 Juta Street in Braamfontein, with unreserved seating for up to 150 people. Tickets range from R150 to R200 and are available through Webtickets.