There is something quite surreal about hearing the words “ballet” and “Michael Jackson” in the same sentence and immediately thinking… yes, that actually makes sense. That is exactly where Heal the World lands. It is not trying to be clever for the sake of it. It just quietly works.
Mzansi Ballet is bringing Heal the World, a full stage production set to the music of Michael Jackson, and it feels like one of those shows that might catch people off guard in the best way. You walk in expecting familiar songs and polished dancing, and you leave thinking a little more about people, stories, and the strange way art connects everything.
At the centre of it is Angela Revie, a South African Prima Ballerina who clearly understands that dance is not just about technique. It is about lived experience. She teams up with Jorge Wade, bringing in an international layer that adds texture rather than noise.
What makes this production land is that it is not just dancers performing choreography. It is dancers bringing their own stories into it. Their histories, their struggles, their identity. All of it feeds into what you see on stage. And somehow, through music that most of us grew up with, it becomes something a bit more personal.
You will hear the classics. Ben. Thriller. Heal the World. Black or White. Songs that already carry emotional weight, now translated through movement instead of lyrics. It shifts how you experience them. You are not just listening anymore. You are watching emotion take shape.
It also leans into a simple but important idea. Dance does not care where you are from, what language you speak, or how different you think you are. It just communicates. Directly. No filter. And in a country like ours, that idea hits a bit differently.
If you are expecting a stiff, traditional ballet, this is not that. If anything, it feels more human. More grounded. A little raw in places, but intentionally so.
It is one of those shows where you do not need to “understand ballet” to get it. You just need to show up.
Show Details
Venue: Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre
Dates: 13 May to 7 June
Performance Times:
Wednesday at 7:30pm
Thursday at 3pm
Friday at 7:30pm
Saturday at 3pm and 7:30pm
Sunday at 3pm
Tickets: R200 to R350
Bookings via Webtickets
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