I don’t know that much about ballet.

I did go to a touring Russian ballet with my Mom and Gran when I was a little tike. And although I don’t remember much, it did leave an impression on me. Maybe it was pre-puberty tiny sparks of hormones yet to come that kept me still in my seat glaring at those girls. But I’d prefer to think that it captivated me because it was art, it was imagination, it was beauty.

And as unusual as you might think that is for a boy, that’s nothing compared to my brother. Him being the eldest, I didn’t witness it, but I’ve heard family members recount the grinning story many times. If ever there was any ballet on TV, you were very likely to witness my brother dancing around, oblivious to the world in improvised bare-bottomed pirouettes. When my parents asked him why he had no clothes on, he would point at the TV and tell them that thats the way its done. Obviously all three year old boys think that beige tights codpieces are what they will grow into, so to speak. I don’t want to name my brother here because he might be embarrassed.

So although a silly embarrassing story is more than enough reason for a blog post in my book, the main reason for this post is to point your attention to an imminent death. The Cape Town City Ballet Company will bow to its last encore shortly if there isn’t a miracle. After more than 75 years on operation, without more funding it simply cant go on.

Since this is so close to the heart of The Forge we have launched a campaign to try our utmost to help keep this art form going for future generations. It going to need a miracle, but it can be done. And you could win an Apple 16GB iPad just by spreading the word. Visit the Campaign site now and make a difference for a worthy cause.