|
13 - 22 May 2008
Artscape Theatre
The Cape Town City Ballet Youth Project, incorporating Dance for All and the Cape Junior Ballet, presents a limited season of Coppélia at the Artscape Opera House from 13- 22 May 2008.
Affectionately known as the 'toy-shop ballet', this entertaining three-act production tells the story of a toy maker called Dr. Coppélius. He mischievously creates a beautiful life-like doll, Coppélia, who is mistaken for a real girl by the villagers. A young man called Franz, also confused by Coppélia's life-like appearance, falls in love with her and determines to meet her in the toyshop, where all sorts of adventures unfold.
Coppélia is performed by South Africa's premier ballet company, the Cape Town City Ballet (CTCB), together with the Dance for All Youth Company, headed by Philip Boyd, and the Cape Junior Ballet, under the direction of Dianne Cheesman. The ballet is produced and choreographed by CTCB's Robin van Wyk after the late David Poole. The story is based on the tale written by E.T.A. Hoffman and incorporates romance, intrigue, magic and deception, all culminating in a happy ending.
|
|
|
| Principal guest artist Andile Ndlovu, formerly of the South African Ballet Theatre, will appear as 'Franz' opposite Cape Town City Ballet soloist, Laura Bosenberg as Coppélia. Ndlovu recently tied in first place in the contemporary division of the inaugural South African International Ballet Competition. |
 
  |
|
Other principal casts include Reika Sato with Manfred Hain, Melanie Seeger with Warren May, and Andrea Payne with Tiran Willemse.
This production forms part of CTCB's ongoing youth project that reaches out to young dancers from the broader community and from a variety of training backgrounds. The initiative is guided by CTCB's Professor Elizabeth Triegaardt, who says, "Placing these youngsters in a professional theatre milieu enables them to develop their skills alongside experienced artists and exposes them to the discipline of an established company production". |
|
