Ballet from Russia with love

In the small esoteric world of ballet in Johannesburg, the Russian School of Ballet (RSB) with its attendant Russian Ballet Company and its annual productions of well loved classics, has been flying under the radar for several years.

Ballet lovers will, of course, know well Joburg Ballet and Mzansi Ballet with their regular productions and, to the cognoscenti at least, the names of their principal dancers.

ALSO READ: Tammy Higgins: Ballerina defying gravity in the world of dance

The company has enjoyed no visibility – until recently. Its regular productions – between two and three a year – with high values and the superb quality of its dancers, is ensuring it has slowly, but undeniably, becoming a visible part of Joburg’s cultural attractions.

The RSB was founded in 2009, by Russian émigré Yana Auger. Based in Parkhurst, its studios are the focus of activities.

And it was there we chatted to Auger. Born in Russia and educated at the Novosibirsk Ballet Academy in Siberia, Auger started dancing at the age of five and teaching and dancing professionally until she left Russia in the early ’90s.

The start of something grand

She was just 20 and faced with a life of exile and uncertainty. How did she end up in South Africa? “That is too long a story,” she says, and it is clear that’s a story too harrowing to dwell on.

“But briefly, once I left Russia, I travelled all over the world looking for work. I had no money whatsoever. Somehow or other I ended up in Zaire (now DR Congo), having accepted a job offer.

“And in Zaire I met an Englishman working there. He later became my husband. A few years later, he accepted a three-year contract to work in South Africa, and we came together. When that contract ended, we decided to stay on.”

With that out of the way, they moved on to the RSB itself. What exactly does the RSB offer, as opposed to other Western schools such as in France or the UK? Are the techniques different?

“No, its simply the approach,” she says.

“We teach a systemised physical style which is holistic. In other words, we develop the total student. Body and mind are attuned to the same objective. Variations of positions are pushed to the student’s particular limit.

“It’s easy to see what I mean when observing our top dancers executing their moves. It is very important that this identity is fostered and maintained, and worked on constantly.”

And, indeed, even as she talks, Auger’s arms and hands move expressively, and her upper body and head sinuously engage to emphasise the points she’s making.

Auger has a small dedicated team of teachers and choreographers, who are similarly imbued with her Russian philosophy and approach. And she believes the RSB has created a unique and recognisable dance language.

“We must be doing something right as one of our girls has been in Moscow for five years, learning choreography and teaching.

“Another of our girls is currently in St Petersburg, at the world famous Vaganova Academy, and is one of their very top students.”

In pics: Joburg ballet welcomes spring with classic Cinderella

Her pride is palpable. Her regret is that too few of her students are male.

“Maybe one percent of our students are male. We take students from the age of five and our boys are mostly at that age or a few years older. However, we do have male students even older – 11, 14, 15, 20 – and even a few adults.

“But ballet is not a popular activity for boys in South Africa. It is not regarded as physically challenging, only as something girls do.

“In reality, Russian ballet training is extremely physical, and not many sports can compare with its demands as a cardio or muscular challenge. I can say with certainty that it requires extreme coordination, plus artistry and musicality.

“It’s a pity that SA parents don’t realise it and that many boys who’d be inclined to train in ballet are not encouraged.”

WATCH: SA’s amputee dancer stuns Britain’s Got Talent

As a result, when mounting their productions, male dancers often have to be recruited from outside.

“For example, our next production is Coppelia, which is due to open in June, and for which we are in rehearsals already, is in need of top-class male dancers.

“We have a superb corps de ballet, plus brilliant female principals. But, unfortunately, we cannot cast the male parts from within our company and have to recruit from outside. And that is not always easy or feasible.

“I am in negotiation with Joburg Ballet to loan us one of their dancers and I am hopeful that we will do a deal.” Auger says it’s vital her students get to dance regularly for the public.

“In the recent past we’ve done Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. Now we’re busy with Coppelia and will follow up in July with a Gala Concert. And, of course, we will do The Nutcracker again in December.

“These productions give our girls focus and something to aim for. That is very important for their development, both as dancers and as human beings.”