• Hyun Kyung Cho
• Chloé  Grové
• Humberto  Montero
• Lauryn  Summerley

 

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Chloé Grové began ballet at the age of four and age eight, enrolled at the Pro Arte Academy and later joined Pro Arte High School for the Performing Arts. At eleven she was awarded first prize in the Satin Slipper Ballet Competition.  She obtained her Intermediate level examinations in both RAD and Cecchetti methods having achieved Honours for all her Cecchetti exams.

During Grade 11, she left Pro Arte to train intensively with Paula Olivier. She also took class at the Pretoria Technikon with Principal dancer Irina Zyrianova.

In 1997, Ms Grové was the youngest semi-finalist in the Sanlam International Competition.  She successfully auditioned for the State Theatre Ballet Company in May 1997, having just turned 17.

She was promoted to Senior Corps de ballet in April 1999.  Her featured roles with STB included Pas de Fianceés (Swan Lake), Pas de Cinq (Papillon), Fairy Winter (Cinderella), 2nd Shadow variation and one of Four Bayadères (La Bayadère), Hermia (The Dream) and Ludmilla (The Merry Widow).

After the closure of the State Theatre in June 2000, she continued with her daily classes and worked with various choreographers for corporate events including the National Aids Benefit. In November and December 2000, she performed in the Malan / Beukes / MacDonald version of The Nutcracker and danced the Arabian Dance in Act 11.

Ms Grové joined The South African Ballet Theatre making her debut in the role of Bathilde and Queen of the Wilis in Giselle whilst on tour with the company in Port Elizabeth in 2001.  Other roles for SABT have included Mercedes in Carmen, Lead Sylph in La Sylphide, Big Swans, Pas de Trois, Grand Valse Lady and Pas de Fiancées in Swan Lake, Five Ladies in Who Cares?, Blue pas de deux in Kopano, Teressina Solo in Napoli Act 3, Cavaleria Rusticana Pas de deux, Pas de Cinq in Papillon, Granny Wanda in Rock-a-Tutu, Pas de Six and Madam Flora in La Traviata, Winter Fairy in Cinderella, Arabian Dance, Lead Mirleton Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker ,Prayer in Coppelia and Lilac Fairy, Woodland Glade Fairy and Fairly of The Golden Vine in The Sleeping Beauty .

In November 2006 she was promoted to Senior Soloist having performed in the company’s seasons of Coppélia, Hamlet and Triple Bill. Earlier that year, Ms Grové was one of two dancers chosen to travel to Sweden to perform with The Royal Swedish Ballet in Natalia Makarova’s production of La Bayadère.

Ms Grové appeared as a Harlot, Juliet’s friend, Lady Capulet and Troubador in Romeo & Juliet in March 2007 In July 2007, Ms Grove made her debut in the Mazurka in Les Sylphides and as a Girlfriend and Lead Dryad in Don Quixote. She performed the Lead Grand Valse Lady, Pas de Trois, Big Swan and The Russian Dance in Swan Lake during the Company’s August / September season 2007. Chloé spent November and December appearing in The SABT’s annual season of The Nutcracker and participated in the inaugural South African International Ballet Competition in Cape Town.

In April 2008, Ms Grové was the recipient of the prestigious Madge Cade Award presented to her in recognition of her commitment to the Company which goes over and above the call of duty. That same year she toured with a mixed bill to Knysna to raise funds along with The SABT for Hospice as well as to The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown for a sold-out season of Don Quixote.

In March 2009 she appeared in SABT’s Cinderella choreographed by Veronica Paeper followed by The Cape Town City Ballet’s version of the same ballet in April 2009.

She performed the roles of Prayer in Coppélia at the Promusica Theatre in July followed by Myrthe in FNB’s Giselle at the Joburg Theatre in September.

Ms Grove appeared in Janice Honeyman’s pantomime Pinocchio on the Mandela stage at the Joburg Theatre which ended in January 2010.

In 2010, she appeared in ‘Swan Lake’ as well as in ‘Carmen-the Ballet’ at the Joburg Theatre. She also toured to George and Knysna to raise funds for Hospice.  The role of the Christmas Tree Fairy was created for Chloé for the year-end season of ‘The Nutcracker’ at the SA State Theatre. 

She re-created the role for a sold-out season at the Sand du Plessis Theatre in Bloemfontein in March 2011 and also appeared in ‘Romeo & Juliet’ (Lady Capulet) and ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ (Lilac Fairy and Crystal Fountain Fairy). 
 

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Humberto was born in Mexico City and began his studies in dancing at the National School of Classic and Contemporary Dance in 1992. His teachers included Elsa Recagno, Francisco Martínez, Laura Casas and Iker Mitchell. In 1997, he received a bronze medal at the Third National Children and Junior competition in Mexico City.

In 1999 he joined to the Compania Nacional de Danza in Mexico where he remained until 2000. Between 2001 and 2002, he performed with the Ballet de Monterrey, where he was promoted to Soloist.

In 2003, he joined to the Ballet de Camara del Estado de Morelos (Chamber Ballet of Morelos State in Mexico) as a Soloist. In 2004 he was invited to dance with the Ballet Theatre Afrikan in South Africa under the direction of Martin Schönberg. In 2006 and 2007, he performed as a guest artist with various companies in Mexico and the USA. He has worked with choreographers such as Alberto Méndez, James Kelly, Nellie Happée and Gustavo Herrera. Herrera created “El Jaiduk" on Humberto.

Humberto has also participated in a number of master classes with world – renowned teachers such as David Howard, Willy Burmann, Fernando Bujones and Suki Schorer among others.

Humberto has also performed flamenco dance in the seasons of “La Viuda Alegre” (The Merry Widow) and “La Verbena de la Paloma” (The Festival of the Dove). He trained for these seasons under Sabás Santos. His classical ballet repertory includes, amongst others, The Prince in "The Nutcracker", The “Flower Festival at Genzano”, "Napoli", Colas and Alain in "La Fille mal gardée", Prince Desiré in "The Sleeping Beauty", Basilio and Espada in "Don Quixote", Hilarion and Pas de Vendages in "Giselle", Franz in "Coppelia", Escamillo in "Carmen" and the "Le Corsaire" and “Black Swan” (Swan Lake) Pas de Deux.

Humberto joined The South African Ballet Theatre in Johannesburg in February 2008 as a Soloist appearing in “The Sleeping Beauty”, “Don Quixote” and “La Traviata”. In March 2009, Humberto made his debut as the Prince in Veronica Paeper’s “Cinderella-the Ballet” at the Joburg Theatre opposite Lauryn Summerley. In June 2009 he once again performed the title role of Franz in “Coppélia” at the Promusica Theatre in Roodepoort. He performed the roles of Albrecht and Hilarion in “FNB’s Giselle” at the Joburg Theatre in September and appeared in Janice Honeyman’s popular annual pantomime “Pinocchio”.

He was promoted to Senior Soloist in May 2010 and in August made his debut as Don Jose in Veronica Paeper’s “Carmen-the Ballet”. He has subsequently performed in “The Nutcracker” both on tour as well as in Johannesburg and “Romeo & Juliet” as both Tybalt and Romeo.

Mr Montero was invited to appear as the Prince in the National Ballet of Zimbabwe’s season “Cinderella” in July 2011 and earlier that year performed lead roles in “The Nutcracker” on tour to Bloemfontein. He was also cast to perform in Knysna for SABT’s annual tour to raise finds for Hospice.

On September 30^th 2011, Mr Montero was awarded the prestigious Madge Cade Award after making his debut as Prince Florimund in “The Sleeping Beauty”. 

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Lauryn Summerley was born in Johannesburg and trained with Lynne Fouché and Gail Myburgh. She was coached by Paula Olivier and Liane Lurie. She trained for two years at the English National Ballet School under the tutelage of Anthony Dowson, Francine Richard and Jean-Paul Pascal.

She studied Spanish dance with Hazel Acosta for 6 years obtaining honours in all her examinations up to and including Curso Quatro. She also obtained honours up to Grade 5 with the Spanish Dance Society.

She studied the Cecchetti method obtaining honours in all her examinations. In 1995 Lauryn won the Mabel Ryan Award and was recipient of the Val Whyte Award in 1996. She won the Natalie Stern Trophy for the Most Artistic Dancer and won both Ballet and Spanish championships at the 1997 Concours de Ballet.

Lauryn joined SABT in 2002 and was promoted to Senior Corps de Ballet in March 2003, Soloist in 2005 and Senior Soloist in January 2009. 

Her roles for SABT include the following: Odile, Pas de Trois, Cygnets and Fiancées in ‘Swan Lake’; The Lilac Fairy, Golden Vine Fairy, Songbird Fairy, Pas de Quatre and Friends in ‘The Sleeping Beauty’; Peasant Pas de Deux, Myrthe Queen of the Willis and Zulma in ‘Giselle’; Louise, Snow Queen, Sugar Plum Fairy, Spanish, Chinese and Arabian in ‘The Nutcracker’; Camille in ‘La Traviata’; Swanhilda, Dawn and Friends in ‘Coppélia’; Ophelia, Lead Lady and Friends in Hamlet; Jumping Lady and Five Ladies in ‘Who Cares’; Princess Rose and Cleo Queen of Denial in ‘Rock-a-Tutu’; the title role as well as Summer and Winter Fairy in ‘Cinderella’; the Spring Pas de Deux in Sean Bovim’s ballet “Ngi Zothi Sala Kahle Kusa”; Pas de Quatre in ‘Kopano’; Pas de Cinq in ‘Papillion’; Friends, Troubadours and Harlots in ‘Romeo and Juliet’; Girlfriends and lead Dryads in Don Quixote and Prelude and the Pas de Deux in ‘Les Sylphides’.

In March 2009 Lauryn made her debut in the title role of ‘Cinderella-the Ballet’ at the Joburg Theatre partnered by Humberto Montero. In June 2009 she re-created the role of Swanhilda in ‘Coppélia’ at the Promusica Theatre in Roodepoort. She completed 81 performances of Janice Honeyman’s pantomime ‘Pinocchio’ in December 2009 and appeared in ‘Swan Lake’ in March 2010 at the Joburg Theatre, making her debut as Odette. 

She made her debut in August 2010 as Carmen in Veronica Paeper’s ballet of the same name and was then part of the cast selected to tour to George and Knysna to raise funds for Hospice. 
On September 30th 2011, Lauryn was one of three recipients of the prestigious Madge Cade Award for her contribution to SABT. She also appeared in ‘Romeo & Juliet’, ‘The Nutcracker’ and made her debut as Princess Aurora in ‘The Sleeping Beauty’
 

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