Jozi Youth Ballet Bridges the Gap

Johannesburg Youth Ballet is the oldest non-professional Dance company in existence in Gauteng, if not
country-wide. The Company is in its 32^nd year
of existence – a record to be proud of. It is remarkable that this has been
achieved without the benefit of a long term sponsor to ensure its continuity.
This continuity has been achieved by the occasional one-off sponsorship, fund
raising exercises, ticket sales and hard work by the voluntary teachers, committee
and parents of the dancers.

In 1976,
Audrey King (who passed away towards the end of 2003), one of Johannesburg’s
leading classical ballet teachers at that time, was invited to take a dance
group to participate in the International Festival of Youth and Performing Arts
held annually in Aberdeen, Scotland. The group chosen was one of the first
fully integrated youth groups to represent South Africa overseas.

This was the
beginning of JYB, and further
international tours were undertaken to Italy,
Israel and Taiwan under
Audrey’s directorship. Since then the company has performed in centres around
the country, including the Grahamstown Festival, in the Eastern and Western Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal and in centres throughout Gauteng.

The goal of
the Johannesburg Youth Ballet is to give young dancers of all races
and socio-economic backgrounds an opportunity to develop their art and skills,
and to work and perform in a professionally run company. It is as strong as ever and still determined to continue offering young
dancers from all backgrounds the opportunity to experience and perform the
beautiful art of dance.

JYB has proved to be an important stepping-stone in the careers
of many of South Africa’s
finest classical and contemporary dancers, bridging the gap between the
classroom training and the demands of professional performance. We are proud to
have had dancers of the calibre of Melody Putu, Iain MacDonald, Moya Michael, Shannel
Winlock and Shanon Glover, to name but a few, as past members, all of whom
readily acknowledge the important part the JYB played in their development.

This
together with the fact that we have always given opportunity to those less
privileged, we regard as highlights in the past, present and hopefully future
of JYB.

The Johannesburg Youth Ballet operates as a non-profit Dance
Company. Its members are charged a modest yearly fee to belong to the Company,
which is to cover hire charges of rehearsal studios and fabric for costumes – all
production, training and touring costs are raised by the members, their parents
and the committee.

It should be
noted that the Artistic Director, Ballet mistress/repetiteur, teachers,
administrative committee, costume makers and set builders all give of their
services and time freely, without remuneration of any kind.

The company is
currently about forty strong with ages of the dancers ranging from 11 to early twenties and, as was the case in
2007, among the members of JYB this year are several dancers from Kasi Ballet
Theatre which is directed by Penelope Thloloe, based in Alexandra. JYB sponsors
the dancers from Kasi and several other dancers from under privileged areas, absorbing their fees and
endeavouring to raise sponsorship for their weekly transport costs to and from
classes and rehearsals and for their dance ‘gear’.

Should you be in a position to willingly assist the JYB with any donations, sponsorship or assistance – ranging from
prizes for the fund raising raffle, gift vouchers or hampers, paint and
hardware for the sets, dance attire – it will be most welcome. Contact numbers
appear at the end of the article.

A long-standing
member of the company, Kate Retief, moved into the position of Artistic Director after
the 2007 season last year, taking over from Jean Beckley who had been director
since 1987 and who has now taken on the position of chairman.

We at JYB believe passionately that what we
provide is of significant value to the survival of Classical Ballet and, indeed Dance
in this country, to the development of a dancer in bridging the gap between
studio training and the professional company and to the fostering of an
artistic appreciation of theatre and its allied crafts. Our greatest challenge
is to continue to do this well into the future.

The Johannesburg Youth Ballet presents
its annual production, DANCE 2008,
at The Wits Theatre, Braamfontein from Wednesday 11 June to Saturday 14 June
2008.

All evening
performances are at 8pm and there is a matinee on Saturday 14 June at 3pm.
Bookings at Computicket. Call Sherryl Rodin on 082 459 1995/ 011 784 9570
(office hours) for ticket information. Tickets are R60.00 and discounted block
bookings (10 or more for the same performance) are available at R50.00 a
ticket.

Enquiries for JOHANNESBURG YOUTH BALLET:

Kate Retief –
074 130 9278

Jean Beckley –
011-803-1534 or 083 268 9531

Charmaine Styles
(Secretary) – 083 232 3538 or 011-880-6695 (w)

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