SWAN LAKE Comes to Cape Town and Joburg

For the first time in almost 30 years, South Africa’s leading ballet companies - Cape Town City Ballet (CTCB) and Joburg Ballet - will be joining forces to present one of the most iconic and beloved works in the classical ballet repertoire, Swan Lake. The collaborative season begins 4 July 2025 at the Joburg Theatre in Johannesburg before opening at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), a venue that has never before been used for a full-length ballet production marking another dynamic milestone in the Mother City.  

South African choreographer Veronica Paeper will oversee the re-staging of this glorious version of Swan Lake that was originally staged in Cape Town in 1971 by French dancer Attilio Labis. Close on 150 years after its first performance in Moscow in 1877, this saga of love and betrayal remains at the pinnacle of classical ballet, performed by ballet companies around the world with its leading role danced by great ballerinas of every generation.

The two companies have a stunning line-up of established stars and exciting newcomers waiting in the wings to dance the leading roles.  Alternating with their Joburg Ballet counterparts in both cities as Odette/Odile and Prince Siegfried will be CTCB principals Kirstél Paterson and Hannah Ward, partnered by Leusson Muniz and guest artist Jerome Barnes who was recently seen opposite Ward in CTCB’s sell-out season of Giselle at Artscape. The role of the evil Von Rothbart will be shared by CTCB’s Axton Green and Joburg Ballet’s Gabriel Fernandes and David Maluleka.

There will be ten performances at the Joburg Theatre, running through to Sunday 13 July, 2025. The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Eddie Clayton will play Tchaikovsky’s majestic Swan Lake score for the Johannesburg season, while maestro Brandon Phillips will conduct a specially assembled orchestra for the four performances at the CTICC season that will take place from 25 to 27 July 2025.

For the closing performance of the Johannesburg season on Sunday 13 July at 14h00, CTCB is delighted to share that Sasha Barnes and Isabella Redman will be sharing the role of Odette/Odile opposite Leusson Muniz as the Prince.

Tracy Li, CTCB's Artistic Manager, said: “Swan Lake is a breathtakingly beautiful full-length classic and this meaningful collaboration is a celebration of unity within this unique and powerful artform.” Joburg Ballet CEO Elroy Fillis-Bell added: “Joburg Ballet is thrilled to be partnering with Cape Town City Ballet to present a production of one of the great classical ballets on a scale appropriate to the classical tradition.”  

Performances take place at the Cape Town international Convention Centre (CTICC) on Friday 25 July at 19h00 (CTCB’s Kirstel Paterson, Leusson Muniz, Axton Green) and Saturday 26 July 2025 at 19h00 (CTCB’s Hannah Ward, Jerome Barnes, Axton Green), with two matinées on Saturday 26 July at 14h00 (Joburg Ballet’s Tammy Higgins, Revil Yon, Gabriel Fernandes) and Sunday 27 July at 14h00 (Joburg Ballet’s Ryoko Yagyu, Ivan Domiciano, David Maluleka).