The country’s largest ballet company, the South African Ballet Theatre, (SABT) decided to take Joburg up on its plea for a resident ballet company, and moved to their new, specially built, studios at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre complex in 2004. Dancers are now used to their new home at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre, with an audience peering through the glass walls.

Starting their rigorous eight-hour day at 10am, the dancers are continuously on display as the studios have glass walls on two sides: one overlooks the civic piazza and Simmonds Street in Braamfontein; and the other offers a perfect view to the administration staff.

The principal dancers at the SABT, a young company in both senses of the word (it was only started in 2000, and the dancers range from 17 to mid-30s), have been dancing for more than 10 years, and are still going strong.