Cape Town City Ballet Spring & Fall preparations reach fever pitch

The married couple will feature in all five performances of CTCB's 80th-birthday season, which includes two matinees, alongside the artistes of CTCB. This week Neumeier himself will assess the company's progress under the instruction of former ballet master Victor Hughes and staff teacher Ann Drower and have the final word in their provisional castings. The Johannesburg-born Hughes is a former UCT Ballet Company and CAPAB Ballet dancer who joined Neumeier's company in Frankfurt in 1970.

Audiences can expect a few surprise pairings and lead-role castings - I think it's safe to say that Spring & Fall is going to reveal a few more stars from within the CTCB corps. As a whole, the dancers have benefited tremendously through the enormous challenge of learning three very difficult works by Neumeier, a prolific choreographer of over 150 ballets.

Complicated musical scores

CTCB's landmark season features Le Sacre, Vaslav, and Spring and Fall. The complicated musical scores for Igor Stravinsky's 'Le Sacre du Printemps' ('The Rite of Spring') and Antonin Dvorák's 'Serenade for Strings in E major' for Spring and Fall will be played by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Tim Murray, while pianist Pieter Rooi will play Johann Sebastian Bach's music for Vaslav. "They're so different; you can't like or dislike one," says Azzoni. "Vaslav is more intense while Dvorák's piece inspires very light dancing."

This will be the first time that Riabko and Azzoni perform the full-length version of Spring and Fall while Vaslav serves as a premiere for Azzoni. They describe Spring and Fall as more of a celebration, a freedom of movement, an expression of dance in every aspect. Vaslav, on the other hand, explores the "inner world" of the legendary Russian dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinksy.

Alexander (Sascha) Riabko

Neumeier is famous not only for his accomplishments in developing the study and performance of ballet in Hamburg but also for his archive of dance memorabilia, including a substantial collection from the Ballets Russes and the largest grouping of Vaslav Nijinsky's sketches and drawings in the world. He was the inspiration behind Neumeier's Vaslav as well as his full-length ballet, Nijinsky. Over the years, Riabko's performance in this piece as well his uncanny resemblance to his countryman has contributed to making it one of his signature roles. "I joined the Hamburg Ballet School from Kiev Ballet School in 1996, and had the opportunity to dance in Vaslav at the end of that year. Three years later, John started choreographing the main ballet. He gave me the chance to perform in it from the beginning, and I learnt many roles. With time it became part of me," says Riabko.

Fourteen years later, he says he performs the piece as though it were the first time. "Every time it's new, different and exciting. I'm excited to do Vaslav here in Cape Town and to feel how the audience experiences it. It's a very demanding ballet, technically and emotionally."

Power couple

The couple has danced most of the big roles together - La Bayadère, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, La Sylphide, The Lady of the Camellias and Cinderella. "We don't really have favourites," says Riabko. "We see every role as a challenge, and fun to do." Azzoni adds, "Of course we enjoy anything; we always try our best."

She has made her mark in Neumeier's interpretation of The Little Mermaid. Created first for The Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen in 2005, Azzoni was part of the original cast that premiered the work for Hamburg Ballet in 2007.

Silvia Azzoni

"I'm Italian, so I've always loved the sun and the sea but it never occurred to me that portraying something that takes place under the water would be the role of my life," she says. "The choreography does not involve ballet steps - I had to try to find a way of moving that looks smooth, boneless and effortless. After that first rehearsal shock, I found my language right away. I found freedom in it."

Azzoni had to learn how to deal with extra fabric around her, around her partner, and in the lifts... moving constantly, wearing a metre-long "tail". Physically tiring and emotionally draining, the role requires Azzoni to demonstrate fragility and strength. "The emotional peak is having to forgive the prince for choosing somebody else and letting him go. It's a rollercoaster until the end."

The third piece in the season is the "modern and wild" Le Sacre, which is performed barefoot. "John imagined it very earthy, danced into the floor, so it has to be barefoot. Life comes from the earth and goes back to it," says Riabko. Azzoni adds, "Most of our ballets are performed on pointes but some are better suited to bare feet. Often I've done roles where I've had to be barefoot and on pointes - such as Cinderella - you show vulnerability when you are barefoot. It's simple, natural; you bare your soul. The moment you put shoes on you feel as if you are on another social level; it's a different state of emotion."

With age and experience on their side, the couple appreciates the luxury of being able to lose themselves in their roles. The more they do them, the better they get.

As extrovert as the other is introvert, the couple finds balance in each other. Riabko's Piscean calm, caution and listening ability counteracts Azzoni's Scorpio spontaneity and energy, and vice versa. "We have our difficult moments when we rehearse. We get very direct with each other," says Azzoni. "If you dance with another partner you can be very diplomatic but because we know one another inside and out we don't waste words. If we disagree, we leave it in the studio though. We can't bring it home as it would destroy the relationship. Once we go on stage we don't even remember it. People always say we are so harmonious together."

Spring & Fall is on at Artscape Theatre on Friday 26 September, Saturday 27 September and Tuesday 30 September at 7.30pm with matinees on the Saturday at 2pm and Sunday 28 September at 3pm. Tickets are R100 - R280. Book at Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-Seat on 021 421 7695.