After a 2025 world premiere and sold-out April performances, The Universe On Stage’s Celestial Bodies comes to Cape Town for the first time. Combining ballet, cinematic projections, scientific storytelling, and live piano, this grand spectacle explores cosmic energy and movement through the art of dance.
Here’s everything ballet fans need to know.
More about Celestial Bodies
Presented by Universe on Stage (headed by physicist Dr Luca Pontiggia and composer-actuary Yasheen Modi) and choreographed by Joburg Ballet’s Naledi Award winner Mario Gaglione, Celestial Bodies grew out of Gaglione’s fascination with a cinematic stage experience about the extraordinary reality of black holes.
“I remember walking up to Luca and Yasheen after watching the Universe on Stage’s production of Hidden Giants and saying that I longed to see their vision manifest through dance; that their world of music, science and art was already moving like choreography waiting to be embodied,” says Gaglione.
The production mixes live narration by Pontiggia (who holds a PhD in theoretical physics), an original live piano score by Modi, and a dynamic, universal performance from Joburg Ballet’s star dancers. The story builds the audience’s curiosity with space, stars, and galaxies, and reflects the connection between our daily lives and the ever-expanding world around us.
The production won praise for its fresh innovation and emotional resonance. Journalist Gillian Anstey found it “awe-inspiring” and “the dance mesmerising,” while Sam Nupen of SamSays noted that “Pontiggia is a compelling storyteller with a confident and engaging stage presence. He intertwines the vast story of the universe with a score by Modi that is at times haunting, at times dramatic and at times distilled to a single, resonant ‘plink’ of a piano key.”
Nupen also heaped praise on many of the dancers, including Chloé Blair, Gabriella Ghiaroni, Savannah Jacobson, and Latoya Mokoena.
All about Universe on Stage
The Universe On Stage is an independent studio founded by two friends of wildly different backgrounds. Yasheen Modi is a guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist, and has played the piano since age 8. Dr Luca Pontiggia holds an undergraduate degree in Nuclear Engineering and, at 27, a PhD in String Theory.
Since launching in 2022 at The Bioscope, they have performed many sell-out shows, becoming the most successful show in cinema’s 15-year history. Pontiggia and Modi believe Celestial Bodies is truly the first of its kind, where narration, science, space, music, visuals, and dance converge seamlessly to tell the story of our shared connection to the cosmos.
“Universe on Stage was founded on a simple philosophy: to give audiences the gift of wonder and curiosity,” says Pontiggia. “What excites us about weaving dance into our work is that it becomes another language for storytelling – a language of rhythm, interaction and connection. As celestial bodies trace patterns through space, dance reveals how energy flows from the vastness of stars to the intimacy of life.”
Learn more about Joburg Ballet
Joburg Ballet is South Africa’s premier ballet company, presenting world-class performances that inspire audiences and showcase the exceptional talent and artistry of its dancers, led by Artistic Director Dane Hurst.
Joburg Ballet’s repertoire includes full-length productions of major classical works, as well as shorter ballets, including original works created for the company by South African and international choreographers. The company presents three major seasons a year at Joburg Theatre and also tours to other regions in South Africa and internationally.
Beyond the stage, Joburg Ballet plays a vital role in developing South Africa’s next generation of dancers through its Ballet School and Aspirant Programme, helping them join the company and perform worldwide.
How to get tickets
The trip to the Mother City doesn’t end there: there is a pre-show talk on Thursday and a ballet barre class from Joburg Ballet’s Artistic Director on Saturday, followed by a workshop with choreographer Mario Gaglione. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Several discounts are available for children under seven, students, young professionals, pensioners, and groups of 10 or more. Celestial Bodies is open to all ages and runs for 105 minutes with an interval.
Cost: R250 – R625 per person. Book now on Webtickets.
When: Thursday – Sunday, 12 – 15 November 2026 | From 7pm (Thu – Sat) | From 2pm (Sat & Sun)
Where: Pam Golding Theatre, Baxter Theatre Centre, Main Rd, Rondebosch, Cape Town
Website: joburgballet.com | theuniverseonstage.com
Email: [email protected] | [email protected]
Tel: 011 877 6898
Facebook: @JoburgBalletCompany | @universeonstage
Instagram: @joburgballet | @theuniverseonstage
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