Dance all the way to Prague
SUNNINGHILL – Eleven disadvantaged performers showed their moves to the residents of Riverside Manor Retirement Village on 21 June before heading to Europe for the New Prague Dance Festival.
It was a chance to make the elderly smile before heading off to the New Prague Dance Festival being hosted in July.
On 21 June, a group of dancers aged between eight and 15 visited the Riverside Manor Retirement Village in Sunninghill for a very special performance in honour of Youth Month.
The 11 dancers all come from disadvantaged backgrounds and have been taken under the wing of Kim Field of the Kim Field Academy in Fourways, who is sponsoring their attendance at the festival being held in the Czech Republic in July.
“I saw these children dancing on the corner of the street one day and invited them to come to the studio where I auditioned them,” explained Field, who attended the performance at Riverside along with her dancers.
“These children will be leaving for Prague on 5 July as I am sponsoring their attendance, which will cost about R45 000 for each child. Before this they have never been on holiday.
“We’ll be paying for their costumes, flights, hotel and the entrance fee for them to compete against dancers from across the planet.”
On the day, the dancers performed to a crowd of about 60 retirees – a piece called Freedom, which Field and her team spent about six months choreographing. It is also a tribute to Nelson Mandela.
“I sponsored the children because the people of South Africa must work together to help one another,” Field added.
“I want these children to become something.”
The performance was the second in a month hosted by Riverside as the previous week, residents watched as about 40 members of the St Peter’s College Choir sang a number of songs. Maureen Gravell, who forms part of Riverside’s lifestyle committee and organised the visit explained, “We invited the dancers here in celebration of Youth Month.
“Residents filled three hats with donations [of about
R2 660] for the children after the performance, which they can use for pocket money [during their travels abroad].”
“Then we got another wonderful surprise, as our management donated another amount to bring our total to dancers to R4 000.”
The dancers will leave for Europe on 5 July.
Details: www.kimfield.co.za
