SOMETIMES THE POWER of the telling of a tale is so great that you don’t need the specifics to become mesmerised and seduced beyond the limits of your own ego. The Bacchae, choreographed by Mthuthuzeli November to music composed by Neo Muyanga with the UJ Choir and the Johannesburg Philharmonic behind and before the dancers, is an experience which reaches to an understanding of dance from before words had meaning. Or it feels like it. It will move you to the bottom of your soul. It performs at the Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein as part of Joburg Ballet’s 25th anniversary celebrations until 12 July 2026.

More than a simple dance piece, this work bills itself as a choral ballet. The melding and mixing of voice with dance is a head-spinner that evokes the trance dance of the ancient San people where movements have voices and sounds have colour. Your eyes and heart will be everywhere all at the same time, and you’re left feeling like a dervish has worked her magic on your inner core. And she has. In the role of Dionysus, guest performer for the ballet, Kitty Phetla, in this role, holds the stage, like a goddess. In fact, forget the simile. The work is based on a tale by Eurypides about excess and its price. Phetla as Dionysus, the goddess of the Bacchae takes on the whole stage and the theatre space and wins, with her magnificent skill and her admonishing presence.

It’s not just the work of extremely skilled dancers, though. It is the collaboration of clever writing which folds an understanding of gender fluidity into combat; the unexpectedly fresh into old stories. The costume design does things like mask dancers’ faces with veils, in a way that renders their identity anonymous and mysterious. It takes into account the use of the dancers’ long hair loose as an essential and dance-able part of the body. It acknowledges and celebrates the flow of gravity and of fabric and the use of the fingers and the face in the material. And with all the sturm and drang of excesses and morals, values and torment, the dancers are deliciously light on their feet.

But then, there’s the choir. Blending voice and word, sound and musical perimeters in tandem with the script and the score, this collaboration will offer you something that arguably no production in this country yet has. Or certainly not for the last three decades within this critic’s eyeshot. It’s like Benjamin Britten’s opera Noye’s Fludde taken into an African context and given dramatic local ownership. The soloists will give you goosebumps. There is a moment before the interval where the choir speaks in a sequence which feels wonderfully like water flowing downstairs.

And toss the idea of tired African stereotypes to the wind, when you are thinking of the Africanness of this work. There’s a whisking together of all stereotypes and none. Of Oriental ideas and of a freshness that comes with easy authority that makes this work stand its own on this stage – and hopefully again on many other stages.

But don’t forget the magic of the set and lighting. They are part of the collaborative energy in this work in a way which makes all the different elements sing together: There is a beautiful understanding of verticality in this wide horizontal theatre space. It’s simple, but rich. Poetic and unforced, and as set change comes into play it’s like the pieces of a great puzzle fitting together. Or a haiku which teases the simplicity from the complex, seemingly effortlessly.

The story doesn’t matter anymore. The core of the work, the fire of Phetla’s energy, opposite Revil Yon in the role of Pentheus, or Bruno Miranda as Cadmus, the everything stays with you.

When you were a very small child and a story of great wisdom and complexity was told to you, you might not have understood the words and the sequences of things exactly. But you did hear the core and you experienced the fire and the light and the contrasts and the poetry, and it was this kind of witness to story that has made you who you are today. The Bacchae does this on every level: it’s the kind of work that will inject you with new life and new hope for the arts in this country in ways that you might have not yet been brave enough to vocalise.

• The Bacchae: An African Choral Ballet is directed by Jay Pather, written and composed by Neo Muyanga and choreographed by Mthuthuzeli November assisted by Sayaka Ichikawa.

Performed by Joburg Ballet (Guest Artists: Somer February; and Kitty Phetla. Principals: Monike Cristina; Ivan Domiciano; Tammy Higgins; Ryoko Yagyu; and Revil Yon. Senior Soloists: Mario Gaglione; Bruno Miranda; Chloé Blair; Miles Carrott, Gabriella Ghiaroni; Darragh Hourrides; and Tumelo Lekana. Coryphées: Miguel Franco-Green; Gabrielle Fairhead; Savannah Jacobson; Latoya Mokoena; and Thabani Ntuli. Corps de Ballet: Daria D’Orazio, Isabella Godinho; David Maluleka; Thando Mgobhozi; Rhulani Moloi; Botlhale Phalane; and Kayleigh Smith. Apprentices: Faakhir Bestman; Maxine Cooke; Owethu Jonas; Mabel Mamabolo; Creagan Martin; Mthobisi Molopa; Carina Vasconcellos; and Jonathan Victor);

the UJ Choir (Soloists: Philasande Malevu (tenor); Tebogo Makwe (tenor); Thabo Masemene (tenor); Vhahangwele Moopo (alto); Merna Nicholls (soprano); and Christopher Vale (baritone). Sopranos: Thando Fani; Vongai Fundah; Ruth Furber; Nkanyezi Kunene; Amogelang Lebotse; Mbali Mabaso; Sibusisiwe Mabena; Lita Manata; Buhle Mashinini; Alizwa Mhlungu; Nontsikelelo Mngenela; Abby Moolman; Anani Rathando; Lopang Sebitloane; Leila Stark; and Philippa Van Den Berg. Altos: Nontsikelelo April; Mathembandile Dlamini; Yamkela Duba; Dambisa Dube; Carmel Kalala; Sihle Klaas; Malebo Ledwaba; Bontle Loving; Sindisiwe Lushaba; Olwethu Manyoni; Mintirho Mashaba; Neliswa Mgabhi; Sandile Mkhwanazi;  Kgaugelo Morele; Ayabulele Mzozoyana; Akhanyile Ngqiyaza;  Lakhe Nxitywa; Abulele Nyembezi; Buhle Shabalala, Xolile Wutu; Zinhle Zondi; and Hloniphile Zungu. Tenors: Ofentse Diale; Kwanele Dlamini; Kraus Diyoka Kalombo; Samuel Kimpinde; Musawenkosi Hadebe; Kamohelo Lebakeng; Motheo Makofane; Lesego Mathige; Lithitha Mduba; Wam Molosi; Kevin Monga;  Keketso Nkonke; and Claypaul Shibalabala. Basses: Mzwandile Buthelezi; Blessing Chogugudza; Mbali Dlova; Thapelo Kalekale; Sechaba Lebona; Nyasha Makoni; Anashe Makota; Thato Makuse; Bonginkosi Mlambo; Lindokuhle Mlonyeni; Luyolo Mpiti; Jonathan Ngoy; Tumelo Matube; Gareth Moyo; Manelisi Shongwe; Franck Tamala; Musa Tshehla; and Celumusa Zwane);

and the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Eddie Clayton (First Violin: Miro Chakaryan; Tesmarie Kachelhoffer; Malale Mantu; Jonathan Mayer. Second Violin: Daline Wilson; Bonolo Kgaile; Serge Cucu; Mlungisi Zulu. Viola: Ester Spies; Juretha Swanepoel; Kgaugelo Mpyane. Cello/Double Bass: Susan Mouton; Peta-Ann Holdcroft; Jurgens De Lange. Flute: Malané Hofmeyr-Burger. Oboe: Peter Jaspan. Cor Anglais: Lesley Stansell. Clarinet: Chrisna Smith. Bassoon: Penelope Fraser. French Horn: Jerome Daniels. Trumpet: Richard Kingon. Trombone: Etienne Mecloen. Tuba: Danel Mecloen. Timpani: Magdalena de Vries. Percussion: Matthew Downey; Mpho Chuene. Electric Guitar: Keenan Ahrends), it features creative input by Jade Bowers and students of the UJ Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (set and costumes); Oliver Hauser (lighting and AV); Noa Hall (AV Video); Sizwe Mondlane (choirmaster) it is produced and stage managed by Vanessa Nicolau and performs at the Nelson Mandela Theatre, Joburg Theatre complex in Braamfontein until 12 July 2026.