Sue Woodward, Muizenberg
The residents of Muizenberg were delighted by the spring appearance of members of the Zeekoevlei Ballet Company recently.
The dancers performed daily to a small but enthusiastic audience in the outdoor Zandvlei Estuary venue.
The choreography consisted of long slow meditative movements interspersed with occasional pas de deux and allongé. Accompaniment was by Egyptian and local groups, most notably Muizenberg’s very own band, the “Hadedas”.
The dancers’ magnificent costumes were simple feathered tutus, ranging in colour from shades of white to soft corals and pinks and flashes of deep magenta.
The lighting and the mountain backdrop were natural, the light changing subtly as the performance progressed from sunrise to sunset.
Highlights were the daily arrival and departure of the performers, sadly missed by many spectators who arrived too late or left too early.
Regular spectator Sue, fashionably dressed in beanie and Wellingtons, remarked, “This is a world-class performance”. An elderly gentleman, whose family came originally from Labrador, was heard to grumble that the show was incidental to the venue. It is not sure if and when the company will be returning to shabby but loveable Muizenberg.
* This is a piece I wrote for fun a couple of years ago. It is relevant as the flamingos still come to forage in the estuary.
