All the train's a stage

Gautrain passengers were caught off guard yesterday morning when dancers from the Joburg Ballet staged an impromptu performance inside the carriages.

Commuters travelling between the Sandton and Hatfield stations were treated to pliés and pirouettes by ballerinas.

The dancers were promoting their upcoming performance of The Nutcracker at the South African State Theatre in Pretoria from November 22 to December 1.

The company has put on a number of free shows at a variety of venues - including the Pretoria Zoo, schools in Soweto and Sedibeng, and Hyde Park Corner - to spark public interest.

One of the company's lead ballerinas, Kitty Phetla, said: "The most wonderful thing we do as Joburg Ballet is to bring ballet to the people.

"Once or twice a month we go to underprivileged schools because sometimes it's not enough to simply bus children into theatres."

Joburg Ballet publicist Lindsay McDonald said: "We are doing these shows because it is important for South Africans to see that we have a sophisticated, beautiful, precise and diverse ballet."

"We are [also] trying to break the stigma and show that ballet is for everybody, ballet is for black people as well," said Phetla.

The Joburg Ballet dancers will also put on a performance at the OR Tambo International and Lanseria airports in Gauteng and at Durban's King Shaka International Airport and Cape Town International Airport on Friday morning.

Ticket prices for The Nutcracker range from R40 to R340 and are available at Computicket.