Ballett Zürich’s Brandon Lawrence partners with Cape Ballet Africa’s
Camille Bracher in Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Concerto pas de deux
South African arts and ballet lovers are in for a special treat following the announcement that Ballett Zürich’s Brandon Lawrence will partner Cape Ballet Africa’s Camille Bracher in Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Concerto adagio pas de deux as part of the Company’s inaugural season next month.
Cape Ballet Africa’s SALT runs at The Pam Golding Theatre at The Baxter from 21 to 28 September, featuring a captivating triple bill of ballets by South African choreographers Kirsten Isenberg, multiple award-winning choreographer Mthuthuzeli November and Michelle Reid in an electric programme of new South African choreographic works.
Mr Lawrence will perform with Ms Bracher in the pas de deux at all performances of the Cape Ballet Africa season.
Bookings can be made at Webtickets.
“It’s an enormous privilege to be invited to dance at Cape Ballet Africa’s inaugural performances this September. The company is packed full of heart and drive which is the recipe for success. I want to sincerely thank Debbie Turner for this invitation and Cathy Marston for her kind permission in making this possible,” says Brandon Lawrence.
“We are honoured to have been entrusted to perform this work, by kind permission of The Kenneth MacMillan Estate,” says Cape Ballet Africa Artistic Director Debbie Turner. “To have this iconic, romantic and dreamlike work as part of the programme for our first season is a proud moment in the company’s short history. We are excited to share this exquisite pas de deux with South African audiences.”
“Brandon is a scintillating, consummate artist and we are delighted to welcome him back to Cape Town to partner our very own Camille Bracher,” says Turner. “It is fitting they are performing together, as both have danced for Royal Ballet companies for ten years – Brandon with Birmingham Royal Ballet and Camille spent ten years at The Royal Ballet.”
“We extend our grateful thanks to Cathy Marston, director and choreographer extraordinaire at Ballett Zürich for making this partnership possible.”
Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Concerto pas de deux is performed by kind permission of The Kenneth MacMillan Estate
Choreography: Sir Kenneth MacMillan
Music: Dmitri Shostakovich
Costume Design: After the original by Jurgen Rose
Lighting Design: After the original by John B. Read
SALT features a dynamic triple bill of Kirsten Isenberg’s Reverie, Mthuthuzeli November’s Chapter Two and Michelle Reid’s Smoke.
Photographer: Oscar O’Ryan
Kirsten Isenberg’s Reverie is a neoclassical work to Rachmaninov’s Concerto No 2 in C Minor; a meditative and reflective study of delirious fanciful musings, evoking a dreamlike state, a state of being, a sense of hope and better things to come…
Mthuthuzeli November’s Chapter Two is set to a purpose-commissioned score written by Peter Johnson, a modern percussive work that is perfectly reflected through the rhythmic body isolations and lightening quick movement vocabulary reminiscent of the precursor of his original Visceral. Chapter Two is a revisit, a place you have been to before, a musing on a previous time. November’s reinterpretation of this score depicts the emergence and underpinning of his unique African classical choreographic voice
Michelle Reid’s Smoke costumed in hot red is a metaphor for glowing heat and intense emotion. Reid is widely known for her quirky creative spirit, unique movement language and interpretive skill. A passion for pure jazz music, Reid creates a new take on the iconic Brubeck Take Five, a reference to the rhythmic tempo of the work in a manner that is smooth, graceful and playful.
Set Design for SALT is by Michael Mitchell, with Lighting Design by Patrick Curtis.
From left to right: Michelle Reid, Mthuthuzeli November, Kirsten Isenberg
Brandon Lawrence is a soloist with Ballett Zürich and has been a Governor at Elmhurst Ballet School since 2021.
Born in England, he trained with Penny Murray and Andie Nydza before attending the Royal Ballet School where he Graduated to join Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2011 to reach the rank of Principal Dancer in 2019.
Mr Lawrence has danced many of the Classics including Swan Lake (Prince Seigfreid), The Nutcracker (Prince), Sleeping Beauty (Prince Florimund), Giselle (Count Albrecht), Romeo and Juliet (Romeo), La Fille Mal Garde (Colas), Beauty and the Beast (Beast) and Don Quixote (Basilio, Espada). He has also danced many notable roles including Southern Cape Zebra from Sir David Bintleys ‘Still Life at the Penguin Cafe’, Friday Night and Bethena Waltz in Macmillan’s ‘Elite Syncopations’, Twyla Tharp’s ‘In the Upper Room’, Lucentio in Cranko’s ’Taming of the Shrew’, Othello in Limón’s ‘The Moors Pavane’ and the 3rd Seminarian in David Bintley’s ‘Carmina Burana’.
While dancing the varied and diverse repertoire at Birmingham Royal Ballet, he created roles in Sir David Bintley’s ‘King Dances’, Alexander Whitley’s ‘Kin’, George Williamson’s ‘Embrace’, Juanjo Arques’s ‘Ignite’, Didy Veldman’s ’Sense of Time’, Miguel Altunaga ‘City of a thousand trades’ and Juliano Nunes ‘Interlinked’ as well as being nominated for two National Dance Awards in the ‘Best Classical Male Performance Category’ for Ruth Brill’s Arcadia(Pan) and Jessica Lang’s (Wink).
Photographer: Karine Grace
As a registered dance teacher and qualified personal trainer Mr Lawrence joined Birmingham Royal Ballet’s LEAP department for various projects.
Camille Bracher was part of the Royal Ballet from 2010-2018. Her repertory includes Entertainer (The Invitation), Arabian dance (The Nutcracker), pas de six (Giselle) and a principal role in Infra. She had a pas de deux created for her by Tamara Rojo and also had roles created on her in Wayne McGregor’s Carbon Life and Woolf Works, Christopher Wheeldon’s Corybantic Games and Crystal Pite’s Flight Pattern (which received an Olivier Award).
Ms Bracher graduated from the Royal Academy of Dance Professional Dancers’ Teaching Course with a distinction in August 2018. She also completed the Guildhall’s course for Core Skills in Executive Coaching and Mentoring in August 2019.
She joined Company Wayne McGregor from January 2019-March 2020. She toured with the company all over the world and performed in pieces such as Infra, Autobiography, Far and Outlier.
The Cape Ballet Africa Company of dancers are: Camille Bracher, Gabriel Ravenscroft, Gemma Trehearn, Jan Kotze, Joshua Williams, Julia O’Keeffe, Kayla Schultze, Kingsley Beukes, Mia Coomber, Nicolas Laubscher, Nina Simpson and Quinton Jacobs.
Cape Ballet Africa is proud to be associated with Food Lover’s Market with their commitment to innovation and their values to….have faith, lead with love, be the miracle”.
Cape Ballet Africa is also grateful for the support of The Fine Fund, tda (Theatre Dance Association), BASA and CDIC. Special thanks to Southern Sun Hotels for hosting.
SALT will be performed from 21 September until 28 September in the Pam Golding Theatre at The Baxter.
Performances will be on:
21 September @ 19h30
25 September @ 19h30
26 September @ 19h30
27 September @ 19h30
28 September @ 15h00 and @ 19h30
Tickets cost from R200 to R350.
Discount of R30 on block bookings of ten or more and pensioners
(bookings at The Baxter with proof of status).
Bookings can be made at Webtickets
For discounted block or schools bookings , charities or fundraisers contact Carmen Kearns on email [email protected] and Mark Dobson on [email protected]
Established by highly respected dance figure Debbie Turner, Cape Ballet Africa will, through performance excellence and ongoing professional development of artists, inspire new generations to appreciate an artform that demands much of the human spirit, gives much back to the human spirit and fosters a broad appreciation and following within the African diaspora. Innovation and collaboration are core focuses within the operation of the Company, with unique voices already a hallmark of its daily functioning, both within the cast and the creative minds.
Education and upskilling of young apprentice professional artists working with more experienced artists will also be a focus for the new company.
Cape Ballet Africa is honoured to include Dr Connie September, Diane Van Schoor and Thoriso Magongwa as the company’s Patrons.
