A young dancer from Johannesburg, 13 year-old Nico Prinsloo, has beaten contestants from ten other countries to be crowned the prestigious Geung Soo Kim special award during a competition in Cape Town.
The prize of R10 000 recognises the Most Promising Local Dancer.
Another Gautenger, 14 year-old Zeinab Kone also won the Blacks In Ballet Award.
South Africa won eight medals in total. Countries like China, South Korea, Mongolia, Latvia and Nigeria took part via video link, with dancers from Russia, Cuba and South Africa taking to the stage at Artscape in Cape Town.
The the ninth annual South African International Ballet Competition is open to ages from six to 19 years.
SA-born international ballet star to perform in Cape Town
An esteemed young international ballet star from the Western Cape will be making his debut on a South African stage next month after returning from abroad for his first performance on home soil in the Mother City.
Siphesihle November, 23, born in rural Zolani, was accepted into the Canada National Ballet School at the age of 11, leaving his motherland 12 years ago to take up the opportunity.
He is now set to get a hero’s welcome, as he stars as the male lead in Cape Town City Ballet’s production Romeo and Juliet, for one night only on August 25th 2022.
For this historic performance, his Juliet is played by Chanté Daniels.
The first performances of the new production open at Artscape in Cape Town this week.
The South African International Ballet Competition is also currently under way at the Artscape Theater in Cape Town.
It will see participants from Cuba, Eswatini, Mongolia, China, and Russia taking part in the five day event.
The judging panel has seen seven individuals drawn from some of the world’s finest dance training institutions, academia and professional ballet companies.
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