Masilo's Carmen at the Baxter

The Cape Town premiere of her production comes nearly a year after her version of Romeo and Juliet. There are only seven performances in the short season, which start at 8pm nightly and the matinee on Sunday, 10 October, is at 2.30pm.

Already the award-winning 25-year-old has made a name for herself both as a dancer and as a choreographer who is creating and exploring a fresh vocabulary in the genre.

Distinctive speed

As a dancer she has distinctive speed, darting about on stage while imbuing her roles with a precocious theatricality. As a choreographer she has tackled the "big" stories to make them her own by fusing dance techniques and musically mixing original scores with 20th-century composers and performers.

Although she was trained in contemporary dance in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Brussels, her deep-rooted love for the classics has ranged from Shakespeare to Tchaikovsky and from ballet to flamenco. She is conscious of, and influenced by, popular culture and by the real time and place in which she lives. Furthermore, Masilo also becomes personally involved with all aspects of the production - from costume to lighting design.

Age restriction

Masilo is the artist-in-residence at The Dance Factory in Joburg where she runs the Youth Training Programme, which offers dance tuition, free of charge, to youngsters between the ages of five to 16 who have been selected through an audition process.

Carmen carries an age restriction and is not recommended for under-16s. The production previews at the Baxter Theatre on 5 October opens on the 6th and runs for one week only until 10 October. Book through Computicket on +27 (0)83 915 8000, online at www.computicket.co.za or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet countrywide. For discounted block, schools or corporate bookings, charities and fundraisers, contact Carmen on +27 (0)21 680 3991, Sharon on +27 (0)21 680 39 during office hours.