ABOUT US

Cape Ballet Africa began in the mind of highly respected dance leader Debbie Turner. With decades of experience and a passion for classical ballet behind her, the vision to reimagine ballet on the African continent became a reality in March 2024. The company found a home at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, with a custom-made studio made possible by the investment of Food Lover’s Market.

Following her tenure as CEO and Artistic Director of Cape Town City Ballet, Turner founded the company to fuse the pristine technique of classical ballet with the rich interplay of African identity, culture, and diverse artistry. From its triumphant inaugural season, Salt, and the subsequent triple bill, Breathwords, Cape Ballet Africa quickly established itself as a bold, innovative force for ballet in South Africa.

The company performed its first full-length ballet, Giselle, in November 2025 and has since expanded its repertoire of classics to include The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. Although only in action for a couple years, the company has already performed on numerous stages such as Artscape’s Opera House, Baxter’s Pam Golding Theatre, and the outdoor stage of Maynardville in Cape Town; Montecasino’s Teatro stage in Johannesburg, and the Adam Small Theatre in Stellenbosch.

Cape Ballet Africa seeks to reimagine how ballet can look in Africa, with an identity strongly aligned with the global dance landscape. Cape Ballet Africa produces performances that are bold and strongly rooted in the classical ballet technique. Innovation and collaboration are core focuses within the operation of the Company, with unique voices already a hallmark of its daily functioning, and creative choreographic minds regularly invited to create new works.

A mostly South Africa company, the doors are open to those whose skills complement the company direction. Cape Ballet Africa has a strong interest in the education of talented young dancers and created BalletFutures© to provide classes with expert teachers and to offer occasional performance opportunities with the company. The hope is that, over time, the high standard of pedagogy and dedication of the programme will feed back into the strength of the Cape Ballet Africa company.