Anya Carstens is a ballerina (the gender neutral term is “principal dancer”) who started dancing at the age of four, in the dance school owned by her mother, Sandra Carstens. This weekend marks the end of a professional career which has spanned almost two decades when Ms Carstens will dance the role of Gulnare in the ballet, Le Corsaire at both the Saturday and the Sunday matinees at 15:00.
Anya Carstens in her final role as Gulnare in Le Corsaire. Photo by Susanne Holbaek
Over the years Ms Carstens has danced ballet, Spanish and classical Greek dance, and now she performs her swan song in a ballet which is new to the newly formed SA Mzansi Ballet and to South African audiences. She has also given birth to three children, a most unusual feat for a professional ballet dancer. The rigorous physical discipline of dancing, together with good genes, have helped Ms Carstens to retain her girlish figure and her ability to portray even such young characters as Giselle, in which she recently triumphed (I considered her to be the best of all the dancers doint the title role during the run of that ballet earlier this year) despite the maturity the life experience of being a mother gives one.
Anya Carstens in Don Quixote. Photo by Susanne Berg
Dancing is a demanding discipline, requiring 100% of a dancer’s dedication. Ms Carstens now feels that after the birth of her third child, her only daughter, Gia, who required heart surgery as a neonate, that she would like to give her family all her attention. She has accordingly elected to give up dancing while she is at the peak of her career.
Anya Carstens as Giselle. Photo from SABT publicity.
Ms Carstens is a trained RAD teacher and has plans to eventually teach, but at the moment her three young children and husband keep her fully occupied. I am sure that we will see her at the ballet from time to time, just as we see some of the other former ballerinas who have given up the joy of bringing pleasure to the city’s balletomaines for the rich rewards of family life. We will say “I remember Anya Carstens when she was still dancing. She was a fabulous dancer, you know.”
Over the years the ballets which Ms Carstens has most enjoyed are La Traviata, Romeo and Juliet, Carmen and Swan Lake. I have been privileged to see her in all of them.
Farewell, Anya! You will be missed!
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