Roodepoort theatre reopens its doors after nine years
Melanie de Nysschen, chairperson of the board, said the theatre allows up-and-coming voices to have access and to bring their audiences into the space that historically might not have had the opportunity to engage with them.
Photo: Pixabay/indy0333
JOHANNESBURG - The Roodepoort Theatre has reopened its doors after nine years with a special premiere of Joburg Ballet's Dreamscapes.
The theatre opened its doors last month with works by the Joburg Ballet dancers. The shows will run until 6 April 2025.
Joburg Ballet’s Dreamscapes is a showcase of three highly contrasting dance works from Les Sylphides, an early 20th century masterpiece staged by Kim Viera, to two world premieres by choreographers Dane Hurst and Kitty Phetla.
Speaking to EWN, Melanie de Nysschen, chairperson of the board, said the theatre allows up-and-coming voices to have access and to bring their audiences into the space that historically might not have had the opportunity to engage with them.
“What it does is it allows our dancers to showcase the broad technical skills that they do have. It also allows our audiences to gently become more aware of what ballet as an art form entails, and how newer classical work can help engage what is fundamental,” said De Nysschen.
According to Joburg Ballet's Diane Sparks, the show is a programme with cultural and artistic resonance, which represents the interplay between tradition, ancestry and a forward-looking vision celebrating beauty and diversity.
Sparks revealed that each work in the programme offers a unique perspective on their shared humanity.