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Dancers from Mmabana NW to compete in Amsterdam
A group of young dancers from Mmabana, Taung in North West, is set to fly to the Netherlands in November this year to represent South Africa in an international dance competition.
The journey marks a historic moment not only for the dancers but for their families and the entire community that has rallied behind them.
While excitement fills the air, they are pleading for donations and support from the stakeholders and government to ensure the trip goes smoothly.
Thabo Ntswane, the young dancers’ teacher, say, ”I’m the unit manager for the transport unit at Mmabana. We specialise in ballroom, Latin, contemporary, hip hop, jazz, slow dance, mambo and salsa.”
He says he’s proud of his students as they are going to compete nationally, but, he says, finances remain one of the challenges they are facing.
“I would like to plead to our stakeholders to assist these kids as they have qualified to compete in two world championships. It is going to demand a lot of money. To make their trip a success we are going to need money to assist them with private lessons, nationally and internationally. When they arrive overseas there are two or three days when they will attend private lessons to bring their standard up to an international level.”
With hopes of making their mark on the world stage, the dancers have been rehearsing tirelessly. For many of them, this opportunity goes much deeper than just the competition.
“I’m very excited because, obviously, I’m going to show who I am. I’m from South Africa, representing the country as the youngest of the dancers,” says one of the dancers.
“It’s been a long and hard road, but we’ll push until we get there. I feel very excited about the opportunity to go overseas and dance,” says another dancer.
“I love dancing, making friends and having the opportunity to go overseas,” says another dancer.
“I’m truly grateful that Mmabana, Taung, has given me the opportunity to represent South Africa and to inspire younger dancers,” adds another dancer.
Their parents are overwhelmed with pride and gratitude.
“I’m very, very super excited about this opportunity because here in the rural area we do not get this much opportunities,” says one of the parents.
“By supporting our kids, we are minimising these mental health issues that our kids are having today, and they will be abusing drugs because we are not supportive,” says another parent.
“I am very excited that my daughter has qualified to go to the championships. We are looking forward to the support that we can get from other parents,” adds another parent.
The dancers say dancing has helped them shape their lives and stay away from negative influences.
As the departure date draws near, the dancers say they are not just getting ready to dance, but to proudly represent Taung on the international stage.
Young dancers to represent South Africa in Amsterdam
