Cinderella for Christmas

AN ACCLAIMED youth dance company from Gauteng will be bringing the magic of the ballet Cinderella to East London next week.

Ballet Theatre Afrikan, which won the FNB Vita Dance Umbrella Special Award last year, is touring the country with this enchanting ballet.

This production will also contain a spice of something different as it incorporates the classical Cinderella with some ethnic South African dances.

The lead role of Cinderella will be performed by Yolandi Olckers, a 16-year-old who has just been awarded an international prize in Paris, performing at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees before Madame Jacques Chirac.

Ballet Theatre Afrikan's work is the result of training by its artistic director Martin Schonberg who saw the need for professional multi-disciplined dancers when he returned from Europe.

This has resulted in a company of dedicated indivuduals with ages ranging from 12 to 17. They are trained as total dancers with a sold foundation of ballet and classes in contemporary, jazz, Spanish, African, funk and national dance.

The company is a wonderful vehicle for the talents of many leading South African choreographers including Adele Blank, Susan Abrahams, Russel Cummings, Martin Schonberg and former Dance Theatre Harlem member Mpambo Wina.

Cinderella can be seen at the Guild Theatre on Thursday, December 17, at 19h00, and Friday, December 18, at 15h00 and 19h00.