Cape Town City Ballet – Pas de Deux: Review

A Pas de Deux, as its French name suggests, is a dance between two people. The Cape Town City Ballet is currently hosting a performance of various pas de deux at Artscape, showcasing many fine dancers. The programme includes selections from Anna Karenina, Romeo and Juliet, Spartacus and Don Quixote. A few ensemble pieces, such as Johann Strauss’s Emperor Waltz, are performed as well. Pairing up proficient dancers, the performers take you on a breathless journey across the world, from Russia and Greece to Spain and Italy, often matching the wild passion in some of literature’s grandest romances with celebrated pieces from classical music.

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World Rhino Day

World Rhino Day takes place on 22 September. Despite the title, the crisis is largely confined to South Africa, as home to the majority of the planet’s rhinos. However, supply, demand and transit is linked to various nations and, on the opposing side, conservationists, governments and citizens all over the world have taken up arms in the battle to save the rhino. This has turned the animal’s plight into a global cause, justifying the term. It is ironic that the day falls only two days before 24 September, which is the day South Africa celebrates Heritage Day. The rhino signifies an important part of the nation’s heritage and culture, which is why the fight is close to the hearts of so many South Africans.

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Going to the Mattresses and Taking over the Airwaves: An Interview with Gangs of Ballet

On the scene since 2011, Gangs of Ballet are starting to make their presence felt around the country, most recently with the launch of their debut album yes/no/grey. In a cruel twist of fate I was unable to attend the launch, which upset me very much because I’m extremely excited about this band.

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The Creative Scientist: An Interview with Anthony Silverston

It is always a pleasure meeting a fellow Tim Burton fan and I came to this interview knowing that Anthony Silverston, director of the upcoming animation feature Khumba, was one such person. “He’s such a pain,” Anthony tells me when I bring up the subject. “I wish all his films were hits, because he does have some misses. Nightmare was so groundbreaking. It made me think it was possible to do animation as a feature film.” On a trip to Los Angeles, he was able to attend a retrospective on Burton’s work, “What impressed me is, he really is an artist. He’s a stronger artist than a filmmaker. Each drawing really told a story and I responded to that.”

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When to Go on Safari

The best safaris are typically found in the southern and eastern regions of Africa and you have a wide range of options to choose from. Should you have the luxury of being able to visit more than one country, you can plan your trip around the best time of year to go, or the season that you would prefer. If your time or funds are limited, choosing the climate or wildlife you prefer will help you decide on a destination.

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It’s a Kind of Magic: An Interview with ISO

In a never-ending battle to either fit in or go against the grain people often forget to just be themselves. Their ability to do the latter is precisely what makes ISO so refreshing. They do what they love and give it all they’ve got with a sincerity that distinguishes them as a band. I could carry on, but for the sake of brevity I’ll list three things which encapsulate them and their work: passion, performance and professionalism. Formed in 2006, Marko Benini (drums and backing vocals), Richard Brokensha (lead vocals and guitar), Alex Parker (keyboards and backing vocals) and Franco Schoeman (bass and backing vocals) have taken a journey together which has included touring across South Africa, performing all over Germany with Marius Müller-Westernhagen, releasing four albums and adjusting their name. So far.

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Friday the 13th

“I think we consider too much the good luck of the early bird and not the bad luck of the early worm.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Today is the first of only two Friday the 13ths this year. The date is thought to be an unlucky day. This association stems from the belief that 13 is an unlucky number. As a result, many buildings do not have a 13th floor, dinner parties do not consist of 13 guests and some people will not get married on this date. We decided to celebrate this day by connecting it to some of the animals from Inverdoorn and their link with luck.

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