PACT Ballet

South African ballet company formed in 1963 at the behest of the S. African government. It incorporated the old Johannesburg City Ballet, and took its name from its sponsoring body, the Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal (PACT). Its first performance featured the French ballerina Yvette Chauviré in Giselle. Artistic directors included Faith de Villiers, Lorna Haupt, and Dawn Weller. In 1981 the company moved to Pretoria, although it continued to have regular seasons in Johannesburg. In 1998 it became the State Ballet of Pretoria, with Weller as artistic director.