CELESTIAL BODIES to Make Cape Town Debut at the Baxter

 

Following its world premiere at Joburg Theatre in October 2025 and sold-out performances at the UJ Arts Centre in April 2026, presented in partnership with UJ Arts & Culture, with support from the Italian Institute of Culture of Pretoria and the Italian Consulate, Joburg Ballet’s critically acclaimed Celestial Bodies - a fusion of ballet, science, live piano and cinematic projections, is coming to Cape Town.

Celestial Bodies, choreographed by Joburg Ballet Associate Choreographer and Naledi Award winner Mario Gaglione and presented in partnership with Universe on Stage, will light up the Pam Golding Theatre at the Baxter with five performances from Thursday 12 November to Sunday 15 November 2026.

This exploration of cosmic themes, energy and movement was born of a meeting between Gaglione and Universe on Stage’s duo, physicist Dr Luca Pontiggia and composer Yasheen Modi.

“I remember walking up to Luca and Yasheen after watching the Universe on Stage’s production of Hidden Giants and saying that I longed to see their vision manifest through dance; that their world of music, science and art was already moving like choreography waiting to be embodied,” says Gaglione.

“Universe on Stage was founded on a simple philosophy: to give audiences the gift of wonder and curiosity,” says Pontiggia. “What excites us about weaving dance into our work is that it becomes another language for storytelling - a language of rhythm, interaction and connection. As celestial bodies trace patterns through space, dance reveals how energy flows from the vastness of stars to the intimacy of life.”

Both Universe on Stage and Gaglione have performed in Cape Town before; Universe on Stage enjoyed sold-old performances of Hidden Giants at the Homecoming Centre in December 2025 and Gaglione presented his own production Maria Callas - Prima Donna at the Baxter in January 2026.

Celestial Bodies is narrated live by Pontiggia, who holds a PhD in theoretical physics, while Modi, an actuary and classically trained pianist, plays his original score live on piano. It traces the journey from the Big Bang and the formation of matter to the emergence of life.

The dancers of Joburg Ballet were Gaglione’s greatest source of inspiration, “each one a spark of magic and stardust”, he says, “and it’s their artistry that brings Yash’s astonishing score and Luca’s profound narrative into motion, carrying us through galaxies and black holes into the delicate structure of atoms and finally to the simple, universal breath of life.”

The production won praise for its fresh innovation and emotional resonance. Journalist Gillian Anstey found it “awe-inspiring" and “the dance mesmerising,” while Sam Nupen of SamSays noted that “Pontiggia is a compelling storyteller with a confident and engaging stage presence. He intertwines the vast story of the universe with a score by Modi that is at times haunting, at times dramatic and at times distilled to a single, resonant ‘plink’ of a piano key.” Nupen also praised the dancers - “Chloé Blair is so beautiful on stage, her strength and versatility immense, Gabriella Ghiaroni carries herself with a regal, almost Parisian elegance and Savannah Jacobson is a star in the making, alongside the equally captivating Latoya Mokoena. Exciting to watch.”