En Pointe School of Ballet

What an honour!! 🥳‍🩰 Smile Girls you are on the front page.

Maxine Smith Antoinette Alexander Joanne Jackson En Pointe School of Ballet .

Backstage Shenanigans!

Time to Shine🌟‍🩰

This past week has been an adventure. Thank you Joanne Jackson for inviting the En Pointe School of Ballet to participate in A Night with the Stars.🥳🥳

To Joanne Jackson, well done!!! Your show was spectacular. It was fun and vibrant. Your dancers shone on the stage. Thank you for including us.❤️

To my amazing Ballerinas who participated, you were spectacular. You really showcased the talent lying in our studio. I am so proud of you.🩰❤️

To the amazing Momagers who helped backstage, you are the backbone of our studio. This would not have been possible without your dedication to your Ballerinas.🩰🌸

To my amazing support team, Antoinette Alexander, Maxine Smith, Tyrone Whelan and my dad John Bruce - Alexander. I would not be where I am without you. I am truly blessed to have you in my life. Thank you for everything you do for me.❤️

Good news for South African ballet (and for South Africa).

Candice Desilets has made history as the first South African ever to graduate from the prestigious Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, one of the most respected ballet schools in the world.

Candice began her training at the Russian School of Ballet in Parkhurst before moving overseas to pursue her dream. Her graduation is even more remarkable because she completed her final exam with two fractures in her leg!!!!

The Vaganova Academy has produced ballet legends including Anna Pavlova, Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov, with only a handful of students making it through to graduation each year.

Candice’s incredible achievement is an incredible personal milestone but it's also an inspiring moment for South African dancers everywhere. ❤️🇿🇦

Her full story, written by one of our goodies, Savanna Douglas, is on Good Things Guy and was my chosen story for my 947 Monday feature today.

You can get the full story here: https://www.goodthingsguy.com/sa-ballerina-makes-history-vaganova-ballet-academy/

𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆'𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱: 𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒗é 🩰
Relevé (pronounced: ruh-luh-VAY) is a French ballet term meaning "to rise."

In ballet, a relevé is the action of rising onto the balls of the feet or onto pointe while maintaining strength, balance and control.

Although it may seem like a simple movement, relevés are fundamental to a dancer's training and help develop:
• Strong feet and ankles
• Better balance and stability
• Improved posture and alignment
• Control for turns, jumps and pointe work

Small rise, big difference.

🦢 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀: 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 🩰
Widely regarded as one of the most beloved and iconic ballets of all time, Swan Lake has captivated audiences for generations with its breathtaking choreography, beautiful music and timeless story.

Set to the unforgettable music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake tells the tale of Princess Odette, who is placed under a spell that transforms her into a swan by day. Only true love can break the enchantment, but a dark twist threatens her chance at happiness.

Famous for its graceful 𝘴𝘸𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘴 𝘥𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘵, the contrasting roles of the White Swan and Black Swan, and its powerful storytelling, Swan Lake remains a masterpiece of classical ballet. For many dancers, performing in Swan Lake is a dream and a milestone in their ballet journey.

𝘈 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦.