I always enjoy supporting the Joburg Youth Ballet, the performances are lively and although the occasional wobble or misplaced foot is to be expected – many of these young artists will eventually join the Joburg Ballet when they are older – and how will they get better at performing if they don’t have an audience to perform for?

Go and support the JYB as they present The Selfish Giant from 24 to 26 August 2018 at The Fringe, Joburg Theatre.

Oscar Wilde’s charming morality tale of the Selfish Giant, who finds redemption through the kindness and love of a little boy, is under the artistic direction of Mark Hawkins with choreography by Mary-Ann Mottram, Mark Hawkins and Jan Venter, who also makes a guest appearance as the Giant.

Along with his former colleagues, Mary-Ann Mottram (De Wet) and Mark Hawkins, Jan Venter enjoyed a successful career as a professional ballet dancer. He danced locally with CAPAB, PACT and NAPAC, and internationally with the Dutch National Ballet and the London City Ballet. Like his colleagues, he too takes pleasure in working with young dancers and sharing his wealth of knowledge with the next generation of dancers.

The bittersweet tale of transformation written with great sensitivity by Irish writer Oscar Wilde for his young sons will be narrated by acclaimed local actor David Butler.

Wilhelm Disbergen has designed an enchanting scenic world for the ballet, which will be lit by Nic Michaletos.

Consumed by selfishness the giant builds a wall around his beautiful garden to keep the children out; once the wall is up it is perpetually winter in the garden – no other season dares venture into a place where no children are allowed to play, but one morning a very special child brings spring back into the garden … and love into the giant’s cold heart.

The story offers wonderful opportunities for interpretation and expressive narrative dance for the young members of the JYB in a setting where birds, peach trees, flowers, butterflies and the elements, with the evocative names of Madame Snow, Frost, North Wind and Hail, are key to the story.

The Johannesburg Youth Ballet extends warm thanks and acknowledgement to the National Arts Council Company for funding.

Performance times:
Friday 24 August – 19:30
Saturday 25 August – 11:00, 15:00 and 18:30
Sunday 26 August – 11:00 and 15:00

The Selfish Giant runs at under an hour, and tickets are affordably priced at R75 and can be secured through Joburg Theatre and Web Tickets – call 0861 670 670 or visit www.joburgtheatre.com

For further information please visit www.jyb.co.za