| What: Cape Ballet Africa’s Elysium Where: The Pam Golding Theatre at The Baxter When: October 3-10, 2026 Tickets: R200 – R495 Bookings: Webtickets online or at Pick n Pay stores Elysium features: George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante Nacho Duato’s Remanso Kenneth Tindall’s We Met At The Moon, Briefly Michelle Reid’s Duende |
Cape Ballet Africa’s Elysium is a blissful programme of dance theatre. The programme features four ballets which range from the lyrical precision of George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, the wistful We Met At The Moon, Briefly by Kenneth Tindall, Nacho Duato’s Remanso – an edgy, athletic, jittery and yet playful and charming romantic ballet (watch out for the rose) and Michelle Reid’s awe-inspiring, mesmerising Duende.
Three of the ballets are new to Cape Town audiences. Nacho Duato’s Remanso was performed in 2025 as part of CBA’s SALT – three ballets. Audiences went into raptures and the company is reviving the piece which is danced by three male dancers, framed by a square, which becomes a space for physical and emotional connection. As I mentioned – watch out for the rose – and the clowning and mime. Remanso is Spanish and Portuguese noun that implies a peaceful still, quiet body of water, a pool which is safe space and this beautifully emanated by the dancers. I am not going to name dancers as the lineup changes across performances. They all exceptional/
Circling back to the Elysium programme – CBA’s production of George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante was first performed at National Arts Festival 2025 and here it is for the first time in Cape Town. Kenneth Tindall was commissioned by CBA and his We Met At The Moon, Briefly is premiering on the Elysium bill. The closing piece of Elysium is Michelle Reid’s Duende which is dedicated to the late Sir Geoffrey Neiman, who was legend in his own time of Spanish Dance, dancing under the stage name, Enrique Segovia. It is the World Premiere of Duende. So that adds up to three ballets which are new to Cape Town and the world premiere of a freshly hatched ballet, originated in Cape Town, with Tindall
The company is in stunning form, with its sheer range – from ballet-ballet to athleticism cirque to Spanish Dance. Gorgeous costumes are a foil to the stripped down neo-classical ballet presentation, with articulated lighting by Kobus Rossouw.
CBA’s artistic director, Debbie Turner has designed the extraordinary costumes for two of the ballets – Met At The Moon, Briefly and Duende. I hope that the costume design for Duende is eligible for nomination for The Cape Town Theatre Award (opera is). The costumes are bodies in their own right – an extension of bodies moving through space – particularly in Duende.
In the programme, it is explained that Duende means “to describe someone who possesses a magnetic inexplicable charm or allure”. Sir Geoffrey embodied charisma, charm, positivity, grace and style. Duende embodies all of that – through the skill of the dancers – their charismatic presence on stage and the stunning costumes which riff off the style and poise of Sir Geoffrey. The costumes, heighten the playfulness of Spanish inspired dance and become sculptural extensions of the bodies of the spirited dancers and Michelle Reid’s magnetic and mesmerising choreography I want the pants (unisex) – satin pleated – and the white tops of the women (frills at front, buttons at back). See the featured image on this page. As the pants swish in space, they become graphic lines, delineating bodies and shapes in space. I
Elysium may be translated as “a state of happiness” (see programme). Contemporary usage veers into using the term to conjure up “bliss”. It is a fitting title for Cape Ballet Africa which is in a happy place – creatively and professionally. It was recently announced that its acclaimed production of Swan Lake will be touring Australia in 2027, after its debut season in Cape Town in February 2027. There was a rapturous response to the ballet in Johannesburg, earlier this year. Performances sold out. Elysium provides an opportunity to savour the array of ballet approaches that the company has embraced, under the artistic direction of Debbie Turner. The company is at home doing epic scale classical ballet productions, like Swan Lake, with a full set and orchestra. In tandem with that, they perform modern neo-classics, by Balanchine (who was a revolutionary in ballet) and edgy contemporary work by the likes of Tindall and Duato. From the get go of CBA’s inception, Turner has commissioned South African choreographers and choreographers from abroad.
Elysium is a blissful programme. The dancer’s contentment and enjoyment shines through. They are utterly present – not only connecting as bodies in movement but also making eye contact with each other – cueing each other in to dance – and making eye contact with us. Although, the programme is technically challenging, they look like they are having fun, with their bodies transcending the stage, through dance. Bravo to Cape Ballet Africa.
✳ Featured image: Nicolas Laubscher and the Cape Ballet Africa Company in Duende by Michelle Reid Photo: Helena Fagan.
