Virtuoso male dancers dazzle in offbeat 'Cinderella' set to Abba

Cathy Specific, Brendan van Rhyn's alter ego, is an unforgettable fairy godmother

26 January 2023 - 14:01
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Joshua Williams, the first male dancer to be cast as Cinderella in South Africa in an earlier production of the show, and Brendan van Rhyn, aka Cathy Specific, transfix the audience with their versatility and talent.
Joshua Williams, the first male dancer to be cast as Cinderella in South Africa in an earlier production of the show, and Brendan van Rhyn, aka Cathy Specific, transfix the audience with their versatility and talent.
Image: John Botha

When Cinderella’s fairy godmother, nearly eight-foot tall in high heels and a top knot, struts across the stage while her Prince Charming soars in graceful arcs nearby — to the beat of Abba — the effect is mesmerising. Like fireworks, their explosive magic catches the eye.

Inevitably the biggest and loudest star is the peach-draped Brendan van Rhyn who plays the Fairy Godmother in Mzansi Ballet’s hit production of  The Abba Show: A Cinderella Story, and acts as MC of an audience dance contest. This is no ordinary “ballet”.

Van Rhyn as his alter ego Cathy Specific may be the lodestar of this show, but he is not the lone star in this contemporary take on an ancient fairytale which breaks gender barriers.

Shining most brightly are the virtuoso male dancers, in particularly Cuban principal dancer Javier Monier Junior as the stepfather and Joshua Williams as the prince’s confidant and “court jester”.  I’m not a ballet aficionado, but excellence is a universal language which transcends arcane knowledge.

Cinderella's transformation is a magical moment in the show.
Cinderella's transformation is a magical moment in the show.
Image: John Botha

Prince Charming (Marlon Frometa Ballester) and Angela Revie as Cinderella, who is also the choreographer with Michael Revie, were poised and flowed across the stage together. The ugly stepsisters delighted with their theatrics and dance steps, and fashion designer David Hutt designed the set and flamboyant costumes used to exhibit their personalities.

The Abba hits underscoring the show were well synced to support the plot and entertaining for its fans. The powerful voice of Van Rhyn, who came to fame as the magnetic Frank ‘n Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, added another dimension to the performance. If you’re not an Abba fan, however, this contemporary ballet/concert  may not appeal.

An audience member (clearly versed in the art of ballet) was overheard critiquing the choreography as too repetitive and static and not allowing the dancers the opportunity to demonstrate their prowess.

The South African International Ballet Competition attracts dancers of the highest calibre from across the globe
Dirk Badenhorst, Mzansi Ballet director

The format was surprising, with a great feature allowing the less experienced dancers from the company to show off their skills, as well as the pop-up dance competition. Van Rhyn selected men, women and girls from the audience for this competition, which interrupted the show. Fun and participative, I nevertheless found it dragged on too long.

But Mzansi Ballet, directed by Dirk Badenhorst, deserves accolades for taking dance and ballet to all South Africans and involving them. They surpassed 20,000 audience members in six provinces on the opening night in Cape Town on Wednesday at the Baxter Theatre.

In another bid to open ballet to everyone in South Africa and attract global interest, on Thursday Badenhorst announced the 10th South African International Ballet Competition to be held from July 23 to 26 at Artscape in Cape Town.

Founder of the competition, he says: “Today it is recognised as Africa’s finest and most established ballet event of its kind that attracts dancers of the highest calibre from across the globe.” 

At least six international luminaries have confirmed they will adjudicate:

  • Ted Brandsen, director of The Dutch National Ballet; 
  • Madane Feng Ying, director of Beijing Ballet, China; 
  • Hyo Jung Jun, director Incheon City Ballet, South Korea (winner of the gold medal at the inaugural South African International Ballet Competition in 2008); 
  • Carol Kinsey, former principal ballerina with Capab Ballet and Cape Town City Ballet; 
  • Christoph Boehm from the Berlin State Ballet School; and 
  • Javier Monier Junior from Cuba, now a member of Mzansi Ballet and flaunting his talent in Abba Cinderella.

South Africa has given rise to a galaxy of ballet stars who dance at home and abroad — including Sipho November of the National Ballet of Canada and his brother Mthuthuzeli November of the Northern Ballet Company — and competitions such as the South African International Ballet Competition provide a platform to discover new Cinderellas.

• 'The Abba Show: A Cinderella Story' is on January 24-28 at the Baxter Theatre, Cape Town

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