'The Bacchae: An African Choral Ballet' sees Joburg Ballet, UJ Choir and leading South African creatives unite in a reinterpretation of Euripides’ classic
Joburg Ballet and the University of Johannesburg have joined forces to present a new work that reinterprets Euripides’ tragedy The Bacchae through a South African lens, blending ballet, choral music and live orchestration in a world-first production.
The Bacchae: An African Choral Ballet forms part of Joburg Ballet’s 25th anniversary season and runs from 3 to 12 July at the Joburg Theatre.
The production brings together director Jay Pather, choreographer Mthuthuzeli November, composer Neo Muyanga, the UJ Choir and a live chamber orchestra in a multidisciplinary staging that explores themes of power, excess and spirituality.
“The Bacchae is a tussle between passion, excess, the irrational and allowing the irrational to run free, as opposed to order, moderation and restraint,” said Pather. “That dynamic sets itself very well at this time in our history, where societies across the world are feeling that tension and that pull.”
