IF ballet was poetry in motion, and its rendition is what touches heartstrings, it was admittedly a sheer joy to watch the Youth Russian Ballet Company (YRBC) rise to the occasion to deliver a breathtaking classical beauty to the Roodepoort Theatre, presenting Le Jardin Animé and highlights from the Romantic epic Le Corsaire, including the passionate Pas de Deux of Medora and Conrad.

Some ballets are seen. This one is felt.

Yours truly was there as a witness to this moving, spectacular wonder that graced the Roodepoort theatre, delivered with two days of captivating flair on May 16-17 this year, 2026.

The impactful performances trace their roots from the Russian Republic and yet have branched into Johannesburg, South Africa, to stamp their presence with uncompromised originality footing using ballet methods familiar with Bolshoi in Moscow and the Mariinsky in St. Petersburg. Anyone watching the show from St. Pietersburg or Johannesburg would not tell the difference. The quality is unmistakably consistently high.

Set to the melodic brilliance of Léo Delibes, the production was as much a declaration of artistic maturity as a celebration of tradition, as dancers of all ages transformed the stage into a living, breathing garden.

A Company Built on Passion and Russian Tradition

The young people of the South, harbouring dreams of stardom in this artistic direction, need not worry of the distance between them and Moscow to receive authentic Vaganova method training.

The Youth Russian Ballet Company (YRBC) is within reach nearer home. Established in Johannesburg in 2009, the YRBC has quietly built one of South Africa’s most impressive classical dance legacies.

Under founder and artistic director Yana Auger, the company trains dancers from age 06 through to pre-professional level in the rigorous Vaganova method, staging three full-length classical ballets every year to sold-out audiences at the Roodepoort and Lyric theatres.

Their repertoire ranges from The Nutcracker and Coppélia to an original production of The Golden Key. The 2026 staging of Le Jardin Animé was the most ambitious yet, pushing its young dancers to the outer edges of their ability.

Ballet and the BRICS Moment: Culture as Diplomacy

As South Africa’s role within BRICS deepens, pride of place, culture, and the performing arts have emerged as quiet pillars of the alliance’s soft power.

Grounded in the Vaganova method, a heritage forged at the Imperial Ballet School of St. Petersburg, the YRBC embodies this cultural bridge in a living, tangible way. Every performance on the Roodepoort stage is, in its own right, an act of diplomacy.

The Visionary Behind the Curtain

Yana Auger serves as both Director of the Russian School of Ballet and Artistic Director of the YRBC, a dual role demanding extraordinary artistic vision and institutional leadership in equal measure.

In September 2025, she was honoured with a permanent star at the Roodepoort Theatre during the venue’s 45th Anniversary Gala, recognised as one of “South Africa’s Brightest Stars” – a tribute to her role in shaping the future of classical ballet in Johannesburg.

In the post-show interview, Auger was nowhere near exhaustion to tell more about the YRBC.

The YRBC consists of dancers aged 06 to up to 20-something years old. It produces regular ballets that performed their premiere on the day. The performance’s name is Le Jardin Animé, which translates to Animated Garden, a lively garden. This is a highlight of Le Concert Ballet. Basically, it’s one part of Le Concert Ballet and a couple of pas de deux from the same ballet.

The viewers may not have fully appreciated the intensity that goes into preparation of what they saw that night. What attendees saw is the original choreography staged by professional ballet dancers who already have completed their 8-10 year studies equivalent to performing in professional companies.

About the performance on that night, Auger did not withhold the compliments: ”But today, a lot of pieces, if not all, have been pretty much original choreography, which is very difficult, but I think our kids did a pretty good job.”

Auger has good counsel and options for young people or older adults considering careers in this field and what it would take: ”So, to take part in the company, dancers need to go through an audition. The audition needs to show us their level of the ballet technique to be able to take part. The next audition in this regard is the 8th of August this year which falls on Saturday in the morning. The upcoming auditions will take place at our RSV Studios in Parkhurst.”

Anyone making the grade from these auditions would be ready for selection in the next ballet performance, which is going to be Nutcracker Ballet scheduled in December 2026 at the same Rodeport Theatre. “And for this ballet,” Auger said “we need more dancers, new dancers. And everyone is welcome to join.”

As for body type, height and personality make-up Auger said two main criteria apply. These include physical ability and flexibility “And 95% of success derives from the regular training, regular technique classes, not just company rehearsals,” Auger pointed out.

As to why parents and young people choose ballet, Auger said the benefits reside in the development of mental strength of the child, as well as physical strength and flexibility, all of which is going to be very useful in life.

She was not doubtful of the attributes that children who have gone to their ballet school would have: “I believe in the kids who are going to our school and to our company for their future. I don’t worry about them. Whatever profession I think they’re going to do in the future, I’m not concerned because I’m pretty sure they’re going to succeed. Because they’re going to be those yes-men and women, who’re ready for everything, who’s ready for every challenge, and who’s going to persevere until they get the results.”

The Garden Lives On

The YRBC’s production of Le Jardin Animé was, by any measure, a triumph. But it was also something more than a single night’s success. In the hands of Yana Auger and her dancers, from the youngest Mini to the principal performers taking their final bow, it was proof that world-class classical ballet is not only alive in South Africa, but growing, deepening, and reaching new audiences with every season.

The garden, it seems, has no intention of going to sleep.