By Tabisa Mntengwana
2 July 2009

THE world-renowned Imperial Russian Ballet will be at the East London Guild Theatre for two nights only as part of its tour of South Africa.

The ballet is the highlight of a full winter season at the theatre. Its programme features the stirring music of Carl Orff, with Carmina Burana, a story about the Benedictine monks who toiled to translate a thousand poems, ballads, songs and tavern tales for posterity.

It includes scenes and extracts from classical masterpieces of international ballets. The principal dancer is Bolshoi prima ballerina Gediminas Taranda.

The Imperial Russian Ballet is on 8 and 9 July, at 7.30pm on both evenings. Tickets for this show cost from R125 to R225 and are available at the theatre's box office.

Next in the season line up is the Just Models Birthday Bash, featuring models from the agency, on Saturday, 11 July.

Just Models is a modelling agency for young women that focuses on magazine and television advertising. Tickets are R70 for adults and R50 for learners at the theatre's box office.

The birthday bash starts at 6pm, and cheese and wine will be served.

Later in the month it is the turn of the East London Youth Music Competition. The competition is a rich cultural event featuring some of the Eastern Cape's best young classical musicians.

Children from schools in East London, King William's Town and Queenstown participate.

Held on 24 and 25 July, tickets for the youth music competition are R40 for adults and R20 for learners at the theatre's box office.

Then, the Heather Cooper School of Ballet presents The Waterbabies from 30 July 30 to August.

The ballet is based on the classic children's tale by Charles Kingsley. With a cast of over 120 dancers, ranging in age from five to 25, the line-up includes performances by guest dancers and also features the Heather Cooper School of Ballet's famous Dancing Dads.

Tickets for the show range from R35 to R60 per person at the theatre's box office.