.png)
SPOTLIGHT: Cape Ballet Africa’s Jan Kotzè on the lure of ballet
Beverley Brommert
There is nothing conventional about the career of Cape Ballet Africa's Jan Kotzè, who has the rare distinction of being a founding member of this company after having succumbed to the lure of ballet for the first time at the mature age of twenty. Which was not that long ago...
His boyish charm and youthful energy also come as a surprise in the light of this distinction, until one realises that CBA is itself a very new company: As Kotzè acknowledges, he and it have grown together apace in just two years:
"I joined it with three other dancers in 2024, received further training, and grew with the company, which now has more than twenty full-time members!"
He moved from his native Krugersdorp to the Western Cape to complete his schooling at Somerset College, and it was then that the 16-year-old took up modern and contemporary dance; at that point ballet was not yet in the picture.
Post-Matric pressure from his family compelled him to undertake a B.Com degree in economics at Stellenbosch University, "But," he wryly remarks, "I dropped out after two years once I'd become aware of the career potential of ballet, and changed to study at Cape Academy of Performing Arts (CAPA).”
Thereafter his initiation into the world of ballet proceeded steadily. He was trained in all facets of this exacting art —classical, contemporary and neoclassical— as well as having his natural bent for drama honed in the context of dance.
"I've always loved storytelling from childhood, so narrative works in ballet appeal strongly to me; although pure dance and technique are essential, it's portrayal that really resonates with me."
Following his CAPA training, Kotze joined Cape Town City Ballet (CTCB) in 2019, enriching his experience with an array of roles in iconic works such as Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote and Giselle. He identifies the last mentioned as one that stood out for him, bringing his first major role as Hilarion, Giselle's unhappy suitor.
After his stint with CTCB came a period of freelancing during which his innate stamina was further developed by working with Darkroom Contemporary. He recalls the challenge of dancing Ultra, a Darkroom production: “50 minutes of non-stop performance was EXHAUSTING, you felt as the end approached you couldn't do it anymore, but you simply had to push on... The human spirit is invincible, and that is what helps when dancing —for example both Hilarion and Albrecht in Act Two of Giselle".
Since 2024, Kotzè has been a strong presence in CBA, his most recent triumph being the Jester in the company's recent production of Swan Lake, a persona which suits his robust athleticism and sense of humour.
He will soon appear in all four of the diverse works in CBA’s collage titled ELYSIUM, to be staged at The Baxter's Pam Golding Theatre (choreographed by Balanchine, Duato, Tindall and Reid).
Watching Kotzè rehearse with his fellow performers in Duato's Remanso, an energetic piece for three male dancers, one notices both muscular grace and a spirit of willing collaboration in ensemble dance, qualities especially requisite in a work such as this.
Of the four ballets in the programme, two - Balanchine's Allegro Brillante and Remanso - are reprised, while the others, Kenneth Tindall's We Met at the Moon, Briefly, and Michelle Reid's Duende, are newly commissioned for the company.
Kotzè is delighted by them all, especially the new ones with their fresh challenges: "Once the choreography has been mastered, it's a matter of synthesising it with interpretation." This is the stage at which the dancers now find themselves.
He relishes ensemble dancing —"It has a different energy from solos, although I do enjoy them provided you have the confidence they demand"— and fondly recalls Smoke, an earlier work by Reid which involves a sizeable ensemble, as particularly gratifying. He describes her latest piece as similar, but more nuanced.
Cape Town's ballet-lovers can look forward to CBA's staging of Swan Lake in February next year after its highly successful run in Gauteng, with Kotzè once more as the mischievous Jester. Asked what to anticipate in 2027, he says that ballet at Maynardville is in the offing. "I like to dance outdoors, but one has to remember the insect repellent,” he grins.
This is a versatile dancer whose zest for the art he serves is apparent, however great its demands.
ELYSIUM will be presented at The Baxter from 3 to 10 October. SWAN LAKE will be presented at Artscape from 3 to 13 February 2027. Bookings for both productions can be made at Webtickets.