With the Soccer World Cup drawing to a close and millions of people start trying to get back into a regular routine again, I think it is important to have a few exciting events to look forward to, to make sure that the transition back to ‘normal’ life is as smooth as possible. Luckily there are more than enough hidden gems to look forward to in the Western Cape during the next few months.

Next week, from July 13th to the 16th is the annual Cape Town International Ballet Competition. Local talent as well as some international entries from as far afield as Cuba, USA, the Republic of Korea, England, Italy, Canada and Australia will compete against each other in the hope of winning the prize money which is the largest for a competition of this nature.

Contestants range in ages from 15 to 28 years old with Junior (15 – 18 years) and Senior (19 – 28 years) category divisions. A contemporary division is also available for competitors although the prize money is considerably less for the winners of this category. The panel of judges for this event includes national as well as international dance stars and professionals in the field. The format of the competition consists of elimination rounds on July 13th, 14th and 15th and then the final round which will be held on July 16th.

The organizers of this event have also set up workshops to be held in disadvantaged communities where young, aspiring dancers have the opportunity to interact with professionals from all over the world. To be honest I’m not a huge fan of ballet, although I did do it myself for about 10 years, but I think this might be a great change to the frantic excitement which has been the soccer – so I’m going to give it a try. You can book tickets through Computicket.

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