"It came as a total surprise when my teacher, Madam Slou Akimguereeva, Ballet Mistress at the Russian Ballet Academy of SA, informed me that Gediminas Taranda, director of the Imperial Russian Ballet Company, had invited me to join them for their winter season tour of Spain” said Chantalle de Jager.

Gediminas Taranda, former principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet and co-founder of the Imperial Russian Ballet Company was in South Africa for the launch of the Imperial Youth Ballet Company (IYBC) over the weekend of 24 November. The IYBC is a joint venture between the Russian Ballet Academy of SA and the Imperial Russian Ballet Company. The purpose of the company is to develop young dancers that would like to peruse a career in ballet to the level where they can be incorporated into professional dance companies.

Auditions were held in the weeks running up to the weekend of 24 November when Taranda adjudicated the final round of auditions. Taranda was very impressed with our dancers and commented that “South African ballerinas have got the same body types as the Russian dancers but they dance with passion, with the spirit of Africans”.

The first cast of the IYBC was introduced at a Gala Event held at the Breytenbach Theatre in PTA on Saturday, 24 November.

The first group of dancers, of which De Jager is part, will be joining the Imperial Russian Ballet Company as well as the Russian State Ballet (Stars of the Russian State Ballet) on tour during their visit to SA for the 2013 season.

“It still feels totally unreal. I would be lying if I said that I am not nervous and even a bit scared, but having met Taranda and some of the other cast members during their 2012 visit to SA, I know I will fit in well. By me taking the first step I hope that this will open the door to many South African dancers to come. Dancers in this country have amazing talent we just tend to think to small and believe too little.”

De Jager left for Spain on Saturday, 8 December and joined up with the cast in Madrid as they arrived from Moscow. She will be dancing in Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker and Swan Lake and will be on tour with until Friday, 25 January, end of the Spanish winter season.

We wish you all the best and are really proud of yet another South African taking up their place amongst the best in the world.