Friends at Cape Town City Ballet Balletomanes Awards

Balletomanes Award winners for 2009 are from left: Laura Bosenberg (Brian van Rheede and Geoffrey Nieman Award); Thomas Thorne (Best Newcomer); Megan Swart (Best Female Dancer); Jane Fidler (David Poole Award); Robin van Wyk (Best Male Dancer). Front: Manie Irving (Brian van Rheede and Geoffrey Nieman Award).

The David Poole Award, established in memory of the former director of Capab Ballet, went to soloist Jane Fidler and the Best Newcomer Award was won by soloist Thomas Thorne. The Geoffrey Nieman and Brian van Rheede Award, for a particularly outstanding performance by a dancer during the year, was presented to Laura Bosenberg for her performance as Cinderella in the ballet of the same name, and Manie Irving for his performance as the Jester in Swan Lake.

The recent awards evening was filled with nostalgia as many former Balletomanes award winners were in attendance. These included former stars of the ballet: Lynne Domancie, Elma Wege, Marina Nicolaou, Annette Middleton, Nicolette Loxton, Carol Kinsey, Juanita Yazbek, Janet Lindup, Tracy Li, Daniel Rajna and Russell Cummings, in addition to present company members who have received the awards.

Audiences will be able to see this year's winners during Cape Town City Ballet's forthcoming season of Balletscapes and the once-off Happy 75th Birthday Ballet gala in November. For more information, go towww.capetowncityballet.org.za.