Review: SALT celebrates South African choreographers

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Last year, CAPE Ballet Africa announced their presence in the entertainment industry and the world of dance in South Africa with its inaugural season, where SALT debuted. I wasn't lucky enough to see it in 2024, so I'm glad they brought it back for another season this year. It's incredibly exciting to see new ballets, especially ones that have been created by local artists.

It's important to know going in that this is three separate pieces that are linked together through the themes of memory, emotion and thoughts. Each one is an exploration of the music as opposed to the more traditional storytelling of a classical ballet. What you're getting as an audience member is raw athleticism and performance from the dancers as the music moves them.

I don't think I could pick a favourite of the three. They all gave me something different to capture my attention. We start with REVERIE, which is choreographed by Kirsten Isenberg. It's the softest of the three, danced to Rachmaninov’s Concerto No 2 in C Minor. The piece is about being lost in your thoughts, and the journey you can take through your own mind. It's quite dreamy and very beautiful to watch.

The second piece - CHAPTER TWO - is bold and percussive - very modern and rhythmic. It's choreographed by the award-winning Mthuthuzeli November to music that was commissioned for the piece, created by Peter Johnson. The story of the piece is all about revisiting a place you've been before through reminiscing. I loved the power on display in this piece.

The final numer is SMOKE. It's a jazzier piece featuring quirky and creative choreography from Michelle Reid  This piece is very smooth, but also has a lot of fun in it - something you can clearly see coming through in the dancers.

I have been, since the age of 8 when I saw my very first ballet, a huge fan of the artform - both classical and contemporary. It's a real treat to see South African work on stage and know that this trend will be continuing. However, I do have to say that I felt slightly let down by this production. The cohesion of the corps de ballet performance wasn't there. It felt too individual, without enough focus on precision as an ensemble - and this is so important in ballet. There is absolutely no denying the immense talent and athleticism that was on display on that stage. The dancers are exceptional and so to is the choreography, but the performance needed them to be moving as a single unit.

That being said, I still think SALT is well worth a watch. If you love a pure celebration of emotion, power and talent through dance - then get your tickets. SALT is on at Theatre on the Bay until 27 September, and tickets are available through Webtickets.