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Just call him Mr Rock Ballet
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June 16, 2009
 By Adrienne Sichel
'Excuse me dearest? Are you the choreographer?" asks the starry-eyed Durban housewife of Sean Bovim, who is being interviewed in the glitzy Playhouse foyer.
"Thank you for an outstanding show," she gushes. "Are you local?"
Third-generation South African of Norwegian heritage, from PE, is the polite reply. His new fan recognised the ash blonde bombshell from the curtain call in which the director-choreographer joins his Tango Nights company.
"I go on stage every night to put my face with the brand, because I feel this is my company. I'm not going on an ego trip so we can be known
'I'm actually quite a deep thinker' |
."
In a few months Bovim Ballet, which ends its current five-city national tour at Gold Reef City this week, has certainly proved a point. After premiering at Artscape in January and having had a sold-out season at Oude Libertas in Stellenbosch, South Africa's newest classically-based dance company has not only been surviving on box office, but making a neat profit.
The planned four projects turned into seven seasons and BB has already been invited back to Artscape and Oude Libertas with new projects.
"People have a misconception of me because I come across as confident and flamboyant. I'm actually quite a deep thinker. So although we are working hard, and quickly, I am stressed to the max, but I am happy. That is a good place to be and to see dancers in a similar place is what is going to keep dance alive - not just ballet."
There's so much competition in the Cape that he lost key dancers from his original cast. He attributes this dance revival and birth of new audiences to television - So You Think You Can Dance, Strictly Come Dancing and Dans! Dans! Dans!
Okay, but why start a ballet company?
"I think ballet has a place in the whole evolution of architecture, art, society, where it is moving forward. It can be hip," says the brain behind Queen at the Ballet and SwingTime.
In Durban the audience thought all the dancers (who this time were all white) were "from overseas" because they had such exceptional technique and finesse. "To me it's skill, not race. I don't see colour. I don't believe in it. I believe in entertainment."
And pointe shoes.
"Trust me, there's a place for the classics. I'm just being me. I am trying to fuse a lot of the body work on pointe. Pointe shoes scare a lot of people."
Especially in tango mode. This ex-Rhodes drama/physical theatre enthusiast and UCT Ballet School graduate, who ended up dancing and choreographing in major ballet and dance companies, took tango lessons with Mark Hoeben.
"For me the tango doesn't come naturally. And I am a bit of a control freak. I needed to learn the girl's part first so I can put her on pointe instead of high heels. For the first three lessons I sweated bullets and on the fourth the magic, that something intrinsic about tango, just slotted in."
The seed money for Bovim Ballet came from "independent people who have been following my career".
His next project is a reworking of SwingTime - including tap dancers - and his trademark edgy classicism. "With contemporary dance, ballet technique has to be there." Yet there is amazing individuality within his tight neo-classical ensemble work. "Diaghilev is dead as far as I am concerned. Pushing dancers with a stick and saying, you're terrible and bad, that doesn't get anyone anywhere. One of my boys (Devon Marshbank) is a pure hip hop dancer. He did contemporary but he never did a ballet class till January 12. He came in with this cap. I showed him the retiré position and he did a perfect triple (pirouette).
"I always said if I started a company it would be the biggest learning curve. I wasn't wrong. It is so humbling that it has got as big as it has. But I have stayed true to myself. There's a little of Johnny Vegas in me - I can't deny it. I was asked the other day: is this art? First, it takes six months to choose the music. Because if you've ever had to listen to a tango CD for an hour you would bite your wrists off. You have to get pieces that are up-tempo and modern, but you also have to pay homage to Astor Piazzola. You have to have balance, so people don't get tired with their ears, never mind their eyes. For me that is art.
"After the company launch, walking backstage I was overcome. One of my friends said: 'Listen, Miss South Africa, this is your moment. Stop the tears and take a bow.' In a way I am an entrepreneur because I believe in inviting creativity in. Once the company's established I want to groom choreographers.
"Some people are saying Tango Nights is not raunchy enough. You know what, do you want to see a sex show or something sophisticated, intellectually thought about?"
Olé! Bovim from eBhayi.
See Tango Nights at the Lyric Theatre from tomorrow until Saturday at 8.30pm; Sunday at 3pm. Book at Computicket.
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