The world first Ballet in the Bush event, presented by Dirk Badenhorst, has celebrated its third anniversary at Legend Golf & Safari Resort during a much anticipated performance.

This was the final performance after a series of successful concerts in Cape Town and Johannesburg which gave ballet enthusiasts in Limpopo the unique opportunity to see world-class dancers perform right on their doorstep.

International ballet dancers from all over the world graced the stage to raise awareness around the critical issue of Rhino poaching in South Africa, with the world-first Rhino Orphanage being the main beneficiary of this event in 2014 and 2016.

This year the Training Teachers in Township Program joined The Rhino Orphanage as a main beneficiary, encouraging the development of performing arts under talented underprivileged youngsters in South Africa.

“I’ve always believed in the role of arts and in particular ballet can play in bringing South Africans and the world together, and started calling it Ballet Diplomacy, but in this exciting partnership with South Africa Tourism we are taking it one step further and now it also becomes Ballet Tourism, with outstanding dancers from around the world becoming Ambassadors for this beautiful country,” said Dirk Badenhorst, chief executive and founder of the South African International Ballet Competition.

Stars that performed included Russian ballerina Maria Rudenko, partnered by Artemiy Pyzhov; Washington Ballet’s Andile Ndlovu; Monier Javier Jouve from Spain; Anujin Otgontugs from Mongolia; Hassan Eltabie from Egypt; Mariam Karapetyan from Armenia; Jonhal Fernandez from Mexico; Lissi Baez from Cuba; Dzianis Klimuk from Belarus; and Angela Malan from South Africa.

This was, once again, a spectacular event where culture meets conservation with the beautiful Waterberg Mountains of the Limpopo Province bushveld as backdrop.

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Legend Hospitality Group, with its head office in Pretoria, now operates 18 lodges, hotels and resorts across South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique.

Legend Golf & Safari Resort is considered the World’s Leading Safari Resort by the World Travel Awards.