Gen Z dancer Chloé Blair

MASTERPIECE: FIRED UP FOR JOBURG BALLET

- Hein Kaiser

Ballet is like a watercolour painting, sometimes like an abstract. But it's always a masterpiece. It's movement, shape and purpose. It's grace. But it's seen as old school sometimes, despite the fact that it's timeless.

But Naledi Award-winning choreographer and dancer, 26-year-old Chloé Blair believes in the art.

She's a Gen Z and has grace absolutely waxed.

At this year's Spring Season of Dance with Joburg Ballet, she debuted Nothing Twice, her brand-new work. It's part of a show themed Celestial Bodies and comprises a collaboration between choreographer Mario Gaglione and physicist Luca Pontiggia along with composer Yasheen Modi.

The show ran from 3 to 12 October at the Joburg Theatre and the season ended with First Light, a programme of new works created from within the company.

You debuted 'Nothing Twice'. How did this piece come to life and what do you want the audience to feel when they watch it?

I was inspired by a friend's personal story. She had a very deep but fleeting relationship with someone.

All the years I've known her she has been searching for this same connection, but of course, you cannot have the exact same relationship with a different person as each one is unique. This got me questioning ... will she be searching forever to replicate that exact same connection, or is it only possible once?

The piece is set to Ezio Bosso's Concerto No 1. It came about when one day I was listening to orchestral music and my boyfriend said, you are such an old soul.