Giselle will be presented from 18 March until 9 April 2022 in the Artscape Opera House.
Ksenia Ovsyanick, Principal Ballerina with Staatsballett Berlin, will dance the role of Giselle opposite Vadim Muntagirov (principal of The Royal Ballet) as Albrecht at the performances on 19, 21, 23 and 25 March.
She replaces Tatiana Melnik, who was originally scheduled to perform as part of the programme.
Suzette Raymond, chairperson of both Cape Town City Ballet and Friends of Cape Town City Ballet, says, “Cape Town City Ballet notes with concern the current crisis in Ukraine. The CTCB empathises with artists from the warring countries who are caught in the cross-fire. The CTCB hopes that rationality will prevail and that the arts will be able to bring healing, comfort and understanding between nations.”
“The CTCB empathises with Tatiana Melnik about her fear to travel to South Africa under the current crisis and the CTCB accepts her request to withdraw from the production. Vadim Muntagirov is contracted to the CTCB on his British citizenship.”
Principal ballerina with Staatsballett Berlin, Ksenia Ovsyanick started her training in Belorussian State Ballet College, followed by winning a scholarship at Prix de Lausanne to come to English National Ballet School. Her career started with English National Ballet and over the years she performed on stages around the world including: Opera National de Paris Palais Garner, Royal Opera House Muscat, Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Royal Albert Hall London and Buckingham Palace. She participated in gala performances in China, Singapore, India, Russia, Chile Greece, Sweden, Spain, Italy, France, Denmark, Latvia, Belarus, among others, as well as participating in the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in London.
