Arts writer
THE 2nd Prague Competition, a contest for top pre-professional South African ballet dancers to compete for a prize to attend the 14th Prague International Ballet Masterclasses in August 2016, has been formalised. The announcement was made by Keith Mackintosh, the Artistic Executive and Director of Outreach and Development of the Cape Town City Ballet (CTCB).
Mackintosh is also the founder of the Keith Mackintosh Scholarship Fund, which will facilitate the prize for the winner of the competition. The event, which marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the fund, takes place at the Artscape Opera House on October 4 at 6pm, following the final performance of CTCB’s upcoming season of the ballet Giselle.
Said Mackintosh, “The aim of the fund is to support existing and emerging talent in the local ballet scene. Over the last 10 years, it has contributed on an ongoing basis, various amounts, to assist those in pursuit of their dreams, especially those from less privileged backgrounds.” He added, “through the arts I have enjoyed a happy and successful career. It is my wish to be able to put something back by investing in the future of young artists.”
The Prague International Ballet Masterclasses were established 13 years ago by acclaimed Czech ballerina, Daria Klimentova. She was the leading ballerina of London's English National Ballet for many years and South African audiences will remember her outstanding performances as guest artist in CTCB productions of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Giselle.
The 2nd Prague Competition is open to the public and will start with a class presented on the stage of the Artscape Opera House by Nicolette Loxton, former principal dancer at Capab Ballet and now a respected teacher. After the class, the selected competitors will be required to perform a classical variation for the audience and adjudicators. The winner will be announced following a short ‘surprise performance’.
At the first Prague Competition in 2011, Thomas Thorne, now a senior principal dancer at CTCB, was the winner in the professional category, and the pre-professional winner was Olivia Parfitt from Johannesburg. Mlindi Kulashe, currently a dancer with Northern Ballet in England, was the first recipient of a Scholarship Award in 2008.
At the time it helped him with his studies in South Africa before he went to the English National Ballet School in London.
l Tickets: R80, unreserved. Book: Artscape Dial-a-Seat, 021 421 7695, or Computicket 0861 915 8000.