.png)
Beverley Brommert
July 2024 brought the 16-year-old South African International Ballet Competition to Artscape in the 11th edition of what has evolved from a biennial into an annual celebration of excellence in young dancers, rewarding its participants with scholarships and medals.
Entrants both local and foreign, whose ages range from 9 to 22 years, inspired confidence in the future of this exacting art form with their prowess, youthful vitality and commitment, their talents showcased in contemporary dance as well as classical ballet.
Despite previous days of gruelling competition that whittled down the 88 qualifying dancers to the select number performing on the gala evening as part of the awards ceremony, the latter showed no sign of fatigue as they navigated the choreographic demands of their pieces.
An additional treat for ballet-lovers attending this event was the inclusion of two guest artists, who injected still more cosmopolitan flair into the proceedings: Maia Makhateli of Georgian birth and Prima Ballerina of the Dutch National Ballet, and Brazilian Gustavo Carvalho, Principal Dancer of the Ballett am Rhein Düsseldorf.
Their two impeccably executed pas de deux, the first contemporary and the second classical, opened and closed proceedings like a pair of lustrous parentheses. These not only enchanted the audience; they also served to exemplify the calibre to which the young competitors could profitably aspire.
As for the latter, from Scholars (9-12 years), through Juniors (13-16), culminating in Seniors (17-22), polish and discipline were hallmarks of the evening's performance.
While it is invidious to single out individual achievement amid so much merit, two of the participants who excelled must receive a "mention honorable". These are the diminutive Scholar Moledi Langa, whose African-accented solo was executed with a nimble-footed panache beyond her years, and Junior Crystal Huang of the USA, recipient of the prestigious Grand Prix which is only awarded when it is deemed to be deserved (not necessarily every year).
Huang was equally at ease in a sleek contemporary solo as well as the demanding precision of classical ballet, her feet exquisite and timing faultless.
There is no denying that this proved one of the SAIBC's more memorable exhibitions of up-and-coming artistry in the dancing profession. Few would envy the panel of internationally recruited judges the need to decide the winners, although most would endorse their verdict on the worth of those who left the stage beribboned with one or more medals, and others aglow with the promise of further training overseas through scholarships. Viva, SAIBC!