Audition for the Cuban Ballet School
BRAAMFONTEIN - It is that time of the year again, when Joburg Ballet spreads their wings and their reach and call for children in disadvantaged areas to attend their auditions for the Cuban Ballet School, which runs within Joburg Ballet at the Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein.
The school has seen enormous numbers of children attempting to be a part of it and it is for that reason that they have been forced to screen entrants before accepting them into the school’s programme.
“We have seen so many kids come to the school that we don’t have enough space for them all, so we have to hold auditions for places in the school,” said member of the Joburg Ballet and programmes co-ordinator for the Cuban Ballet School, Keketso Chele.
A common misconception is that the children who grow up in townships aren’t exposed to ballet culture, but Chele has seen things in a different light during his time with the school.
“We get a huge response from the townships because these are young kids who don’t even know if they have a talent for dance or the ability to do this kind of dance yet,” he explained.
Joburg Ballet aims to educate the children in rural schools about ballet, and so they began a programme called 40 Schools in 2015, where the teachers and members of the company visit various schools to educate them and show them what ballet is and how it can improve them.
Last year, the auditions were scheduled for two hours at each venue, but with the number of children that arrived, they were still doing auditions four hours later, or even until the next day.
The judges allot 15 minutes for each student to audition for their programmes at each school, with particulary gifted children being pushed forward in the accelerated programmes which take place at the Joburg Ballet studios.
Area: Soweto
Venue: Uncle Tom’s, Maseko Street, Orlando West (next to Hector Pieterson Museum)
Date: 19 October
Time: 3.45pm for six- to nine-year-olds
Time: 4.45pm for 10- to 14-year-olds
Area: Alexandra
Venue: San Kopano, 12th Avenue between Rev Sam Buti and Alfred Nzo Streets
Date: 20 October
Time: 3pm for six- to nine-year-olds
Time: 4pm for 10- to 14-year-olds
Area: Braamfontein:
Venue: National School of the Arts, Hoofd Street, Braamfontein
Date: 22 October
Time: 3pm for six- to nine-year-olds
Time: 4pm for 10- to 14-year-olds
Special ballet preparation classes for four- and five-year-old girls and boys:
Area: Soweto
Venue: Uncle Tom’s, Maseko Street, Orlando West (Next to Hector Pieterson Museum)
Date: 19 October
Time: 3 pm
Don’t miss the auditions in these areas.
Details: www.joburgballet.com
