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PRESS: Historic moment for SA ballet at the prestigious Benois de la Danse Awards
- Theatre Scene Cape Town
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Christine Skinner
South African artists Mthuthuzeli November and Joshua Williams have been recognised at the prestigious Benois de la Danse Awards for November’s work Chapter 2, which was performed as part of Cape Ballet Africa’s inaugural triple bill, SALT.
The award ceremony was held last night (17 June) at the world-renowned Bolshoi Theatre. Posting on their social media platforms, the organisers announced the Benois de la Danse Laureates 2025.
Mthuthuzeli November was awarded the Prize for Best Choreography for his Chapter 2 for Cape Ballet Africa, which was first presented in Cape Town in September 2024. Chapter 2 is a dynamic modern percussive work that is set to an original score by composer Peter Johnson. Maggie Foyer writing in Dance Europe described Chapter Two as ‘a winner’.
Joshua Williams, artist with the Cape Ballet Africa company, shared the Prize for Best Male Dancer, being celebrated for his performance in Chapter 2. Williams, who additionally performed at the awards ceremony, shared the award with Dmitry Smilevskiy, Principal Dancer at the Bolshoi Theatre.
Camille Bracher was also nominated for Best Female Dancer for her performance in Chapter 2.
“The Benois de la Danse Awards are considered to be the ‘Oscars’ of the ballet world,” says Debbie Turner, artistic director and founder of Cape Ballet Africa.
“For a young, South African ballet company to be considered and win among such globally esteemed company, is testament to the extraordinary level of talent, skill, dedication and artistry of our country’s dancers such as Mthuthuzeli and Joshua. We are humbled and proud to celebrate their win as a win for all South African creatives.”
“This is a profound moment for us, illustrating South African artists can compete as equals alongside our international colleagues. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Benois de la Danse for their recognition of these artists. I have had the pleasure of working with Mthuthuzeli since he was a teenager, and Joshua joined our small fledgling company with a big vision, shortly after its inception, and was a formidable part of our first season at The Baxter last year. Mthuthuzeli and Joshua, Bravo, we celebrate you,” says Turner.
Mthuthuzeli November is an award-winning choreographer born in Cape Town, South Africa. He started dancing at the age of 15 with Fiona Sutton of Dance For All and graduated in 2014 with Distinction from Debbie Turner’s Cape Academy of Performing Arts. November was awarded a gold medal at the South African International Ballet Competition in 2012 and 2014 in the Best Contemporary Male solo category. He created his debut work in 2014 on the Cape Dance Company, moving to join Ballet Black in London in September 2015.
His illustrious and breathtaking career has since seen him creating multiple award-winning/nominated works for Ballet Black for stage and film, including the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production for Ingoma, as well as for numerous companies across the globe.
These include the creation of works for English National Ballet’s Emerging Dancer competition, British Grime artist, Stormzy, at Glastonbury Festival in 2019; Cape Ballet Africa, The Washington Ballet (USA), Royal Ballet (UK), Northern Ballet (UK), Tanz Luzerner Theatre (Switzerland), Ballett Zurich (Switzerland), Charlotte Ballet (USA) and most recently the Paris Opera Ballet Company.
Fall For Dance North commissioned a work My Mother’s Son which was performed by him and his brother Siphe November in 2023.
November created a work commissioned by Cape Town Opera and Cape Town City Ballet for a film production of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. He was also commissioned by The Grange Festival to create a work on the production of Precipice (2020).
His many accolades include being nominated for Best Soloist in a Production (Black British Theatre Award) in 2022, Best Classical Choreography by the Critics Circle National Dance Awards, for his work The Waiting Game, South Africa’s Emerging Artist Prize at Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees for his solo work and Best Choreography for his work Nina: By Whatever Means at the Black British Theatre Awards 2023.
Joshua Williams is a South African dancer whose talent was noticed by dance teacher Tamsin Williams in a post office when he was six years old. He trained with her for seven years, before being awarded a scholarship to train at Tanz Akademi in Zurich, Switzerland.
Williams has since performed with companies such as Mzansi Ballet and trained with Delattre Dance Company in Germany. He joined Cape Ballet Africa in 2024.
Cape Ballet Africa is proud to be associated with Food Lover’s Market with their commitment to innovation and their values to… have faith, lead with love, be the miracle. Cape Ballet Africa is grateful for the philanthropic investment of Food Lover’s Market, the Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA), the Embassy of Spain in Pretoria and the Spanish Consulate in Cape Town, The Fine Legacy, Theatre Dance Association, BASA, Artscape, Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, CDIC (Cape Dance Injury Centre) and Ballet World.
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