Treasure chest of ballet

It's been a full-circle experience, says artist.

- Hein Kaiser

The festive season gifts a feast of ballet with two back-to-back productions ribboned up by the Mzansi Ballet company. There's the classic opera Carmen, shape shifted into the beauty of movement along with a brand new, funked-up ballet contemporary interpretation of Abba's music.

Carmen, which opened for a limited run yesterday and the Abba Show, which opens close to Christmas and runs through into January, will be staged at the Pieter Toerien Theatre at Montecasino.

It's opposite ends of the genre and Mahlatse Sachane dances lead through both, beautifully. He's of a new generation of performers whose talent, love and passion for his craft is quickly positioning him on centre stage. And bringing in a growing audience.

Sachane's love for ballet began at the age of nine, at the Ikage Primary School in Alexandra township. It was as much an irresistible calling as it has been a lifelong love affair with his craft.

"After primary school I joined an amateur ballet company and later the Johannesburg Youth Ballet," he said.