South African-born dancer Daniella Venter is returning home as a guest artist in WGRUV Dance Company’s Highlights: Tracing the Line.
The production runs at the UJ Arts Centre in Johannesburg from 20 to 23 August 2026.
It then moves to Cape Town’s Homecoming Centre from 26 to 29 August.
From South Africa to the Berlin ballet stage
Venter began ballet in South Africa at the age of four.
From 15, she continued her pre-professional training with Karen Beukes.
She moved to Berlin at 18 to study professional dance at the Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin. She graduated in 2023 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Stage Dance.
Venter joined the Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich shortly afterwards and has performed as a member of its corps de ballet since September 2023.
Daniella Venter’s ballet repertoire
Venter’s classical and contemporary repertoire includes:
- John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet and Onegin
- John Neumeier’s The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Lady of the Camellias
- Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
- Sharon Eyal’s Autodance
- Johan Inger’s Impasse
- Alexander Ekman’s Cacti
“I am excited to perform again in my home country, especially with the wonderful dancers and people of WGRUV,” says Venter.
Highlights explores movement and meaning
Highlights: Tracing the Line made its debut at Johannesburg’s Roodepoort Theatre in July.
The production features works by Jessica Lang, Lauren Lovette, Jesse Obremski and Robyn Mineko Williams.
WGRUV’s Holly and Lex Gruver have also contributed choreography.
The programme uses line, colour, weight and meaning to examine how the body communicates gesture, emotion and story.
WGRUV welcomes Venter home
Artistic Director Holly Gruver said: “We are thrilled to welcome Daniella Venter back to South Africa and to the WGRUV Dance Company family.
“Daniella’s addition further strengthens the show’s central message: each work traces something – a gesture, a story, an emotion – and together, these pieces form a line from the stage to the heart.”
Gruver founded WGRUV as a Johannesburg contemporary ballet company connecting South African and international dance artists.
Student dress rehearsal at UJ Arts Centre
WGRUV will hold a dress rehearsal for students and school groups at 15:00 on Thursday, 20 August.
The rehearsal will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the dancers.
Student tickets cost R50.
Bookings should be sent to tanya@wgruvdance.com.
Highlights ticket and venue details
Johannesburg dates: 20 to 23 August 2026
Johannesburg venue: UJ Arts Centre
Cape Town dates: 26 to 29 August 2026
Cape Town venue: Homecoming Centre
Ticket prices: R220 to R300
Group discounts: Available
Bookings: Webtickets
Performance times: Not supplied
WGRUV’s 2026 season continues
WGRUV will present Angels In Africa at the UJ Arts Centre from 12 to 15 November.
The production then moves to Roodepoort Theatre from 15 to 20 December.
Performances at the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex are provisionally planned for 2 to 7 November.
“In these three new works that we have created – JUXTAPOSE, Highlights and Angels In Africa – we have a beautiful programme for 2026 that can be defined by saying: ‘One Line. Three Visions. Infinite Humanity,’” says Gruver.
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