Meet The Team
Home / Meet The Team
Dianne Cheesman
Founder
Dianne was trained under Majorie Sturman and graduated from the Johannesburg Art, Music, Ballet and Drama school. She danced with PACT Ballet Company from the age of 17. Dianne continued dancing professionally with CAPAB, touring and performing with them until the end of 1973, thereafter taking on her illustrious career as a ballet teacher.
In 2002 she graduated from Durham University in London with a B.Phil. (Hons) degree in Ballet and Contextual Studies of Dance. She has been the South African representative of the Executive Committee of the Royal Academy of Dance for whom she is an International examiner since 1983, travelling in this capacity extensively both nationally and internationally. Dianne was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Dance in 2023. She was a senior lecturer at the University of Dance for 26 years and also a tutor for the Royal Academy of Dance. Dianne has now retired and lives in Onrus with her husband, James.
Kim Day
Managing Director
Kim was born and educated in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and graduated from the University of Cape Town Ballet School as Class Medallist in 1985. She began her teaching career in Stellenbosch with Marike Hendricks after which she taught in London. Kim returned to Cape Town at the end of 1989 to take up a post at the University of Cape Town. Her teaching interests have been dominated by classical ballet, especially RAD syllabus and open classes, repertoire, pointe work, creative movement and teaching methodology.
Kim left UCT in 2000 and briefly freelanced before joining the staff at Reddam House, Constantia. From 2000 to 2019 Kim conducted morning creative movement classes at Reddam for Senior Primary Dance during which time she wrote the Dance class lesson plans for Reddam Schools from ELS to Grade 7.
Kim remains working at Reddam Constantia, her focus now being on her ballet school, taking RAD ballet lessons in the afternoon co-curricular Dance programme.
Kim has been a Tutor for the RAD since 2005. This appointment has seen her training student teachers on the CBTS programme as well as delivering new syllabus courses for the RAD to teachers. She has delivered Pre Primary to Advanced 2 new syllabi and CPD courses for the RAD both nationally and internationally to Malaysia, China, Thailand, Japan and Israel. In 2022 Kim trained at the RAD headquarters in London to become an RAD examiner. She was officially welcomed onto the RAD Examining Board in December 2022.
Kirsten Isenberg
Director
Kirsten was trained by Joanna Wright in the Eastern Cape and then went on to study at the University of Cape Town. During her four years of study she apprenticed with Cape Town City Ballet and after completing her degree in 2006, she joined the Company full-time. During her dance career with the CTCB, Kirsten started choreographing for the company as well as Cape Junior Ballet Company under the Directorship of Dianne Cheesman and became a member of their faculty.
Kirsten was appointed as the first South African commissioned choreographer for the Royal Academy of Dance’s Genée International Ballet Competition. She continued her relationship with the RAD as adjudicator for events such as the Genée Silver Trophy and Bursary Award. In 2009, she joined Bovim Ballet as a soloist and repetiteur and from 2011-2013 Kirsten performed with the international touring company for Phantom of the Opera. She has created various works for Cape Town City Ballet, some of which include ‘Small Transfigurations’, ‘Of Gods and Men’ and ‘Largo Variation’. She has also created work for Cape Dance Company and has recently been appointed resident choreographer for Cape Ballet Africa.
John Day
B. PROC. PG DIP TAX [UCT.] DIP BUS M.
John is one of the founding Directors, who provides administrative support to the organisation.
Professor Elizabeth Triegaardt
CJB Permanent Staff
Elizabeth matriculated at Hyde Park High School in Johannesburg and graduated from the University of Cape Town, with a Bachelor of Science degree in pure mathematics in 1966. That same year she was awarded the Solo Seal from the Royal Academy of Dance.
In 1967, she joined CAPAB Ballet Company as a Principal Dancer and in 1971 she also became their Ballet Mistress. She danced most of the leading roles in the company’s repertoire, considering her best roles to have been the Elder Sister in Frank Staff’s Transfigured Night, the Sphinx in Paeper’s Drie Diere, the Fairy Godmother in Paeper’s Cinderella and the Black Swan in Swan Lake.
She retired as a dancer in 1990, aged 44.
In 1986, Elizabeth was appointed Director of the UCT Ballet School. In 1997 she succeeded in getting the first dance degree recognised in South Africa, with majors in classical ballet, contemporary and African dance. In 2007 she retired from her post as Head of the UCT Dance Department and in 2011 retired from UCT as an Emeritus Associate-Professor.
From 1997 to 2018, as the Honorary Executive Director of Cape Town City Ballet, she produced all the recognised classics on multiple occasions, and acted as ballet mistress for other ballets by Veronica Paeper, Viktor Vynonen, Hans Brenaa, Andre Prokovsky, Rudi van Dantzig, Ashley Killar, Liane Lurie and Marc Goldberg.
Awards include the Nederburg Prize (1975), a Vocational Service Award from the Rotary Clubof Cape Town (2001), a Khula Arts Award – Dance (2004) and three awards from the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (2003, 2009, 2017) for her outstanding contribution to the performing arts and dance in particular. She was awarded a Fellowship by the Royal Academy of Dance.
Elizabeth plays an integral role with Cape Junior Ballet and she teaches the company every week.
Nicolette Loxton
CJB Permanent Staff
Born in Bulawayo, Nicolette was trained with the Cecchetti method in ballet. In addition to she studied tap, modern and highland dance.
Subsequently Nicolette studied at UCT Ballet School and graduated with distinction whereafter she was accepted into CAPAB Company in 1976 where she ultimately was principal Dancer at CAPAB for 16 years.
Nicolette’s portrayal of “Carmen” won her the 1987 Nederburg Award. Nicolette’s last performance was in 1994 then being appointed ballet mistress for CAPAB from 1994-1995. Nicolette then resumed her Cecchetti studies, attaining the Associate status and teaching diploma and opening her own dance studio where she taught for a number of years. Nicolette guest teaches for Cape Town City Ballet and she has been an integral part of CJB since 2005, both teaching and sharing her creative choreographic skills.
Robin van Wyk
CJB Permanent Staff
Born in Pietermaritzburg, Robin trained under Brenda Maclachlan and then Dudley Tomlinson at the University of Cape Town School of Dance. He joined NAPAC in 1990, moving to PACT ballet in 1991. He moved to CTCB in 1997, where he performed as Principal dancer. Robin was part of the international touring cast of the musical ‘Cats”. Robin is the recipient of Cape Town’s FNB Vita’s award.
In 1999 Robin choreographed his first one act ballet, Geisha, for CTCB. Robin has choreographed many successful children’s ballets for youth groups around South Africa. He was appointed Artistic Director to CTCB from 2008-2019.
Robin is trained as both a Cecchetti and RAD teacher, and in 2023 he was appointed as an examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance.
Robin has been a valuable part of the CJB teaching faculty and has choreographed many ballets since it was founded in 2005
Michael John Sheehan
Pianist
Professional Personnel
Guest Teachers and Choreographers
Kirsten Isenberg
Neo Classical
Michelle Reid
Fusion
Megan Black
Contemporary
Lee van der Merwe
Contemporary
Louise Coetzer
Contemporary
Darion Adams
Contemporary
Ashley Searle
Musical Theatre
Anna Donkin
Pilates and PBT
Robyn Dawson
Stretch
Vincent Hantam
Ballet (Scotland)
Daniela di Lorenzo
Gyrotonics (Italy)
Our CJB Supporters
Western Cape Teachers
Cape Junior Ballet is a collaboration between itself and teachers of the Western Cape who support this training programme. Their students auditioned with their permission and were accepted as members of Cape Junior Ballet.
Sincere thanks to the following studio teachers –
Amy Dean [ former CJB student] , Bianca Baxter, Caroline Kotze, Charlene King, Celeste Strauss , Chivaun Weideman [ former CJB student] , Dominique Hodges, Donna Baird, Evelyne Aregger, Jeremy Hodges, Joy Cargill, Kate Mc Cullum, Kim Day , Megan Turner [ former CJB student] , Natalie Lissack, Nicole de Klerk, Penelope Bertoni, Sarah Daniell, Sylvie Stander, Tanya Ruster , Timo Liston, Juanita Yazbek
Audition Information
Discover your Potential
Dive into a world of premier dance training and performance.