Mandisa Mbeje is Kloof High School’s SPAR Star of the Month.
She is a Grade 10 pupil and is fast making a name for herself in the world of dance. She willingly admits that expressing herself through dance is her passion. Mandisa was nine years old when she saw the movie Step Up which inspired her to begin lessons in ballet, modern, tap, hip-hop and break dancing. She is a member of the school dance group, Breakin’ Pointe and has participated in various cultural activities including the Indian Cultural Evening. At the annual Evening of Excellence she was rewarded for her contributions and received the Arts and Culture trophy in Grade 8 and 9.
In March, Mandisa auditioned for the South African Championships of Performing Arts. She qualified to represent KwaZulu-Natal in the national round of the competition (age group 13-15) in Rustenburg and amazed everyone when she won a gold medal for tap dancing. She qualified to represent South Africa in the World Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles, USA. In this competition, she made it to the semi-finals and was awarded a gold medal for tap dancing and a one month scholarship to the renowned Millenium Dance Complex. She said it was a tough competition with many talented participants so there was a huge amount of pressure on all the dancers to perform well. However, through her own determination and support from family and friends, Mandisa achieved beyond her expectations.
But it wasn’t all work in Los Angeles, while she was there, Mandisa made a lot of new friends from all around the world. She was privileged to visit Disneyland and Universal Studios. While at the competition, Mandisa met Kenya Clay from Millenium Dance Complex as well as Will from So You Think You Can Dance.
The experience taught Mandisa a lot about the industry, one of which is that as a dancer, you should be prepared for anything. “If you’re asked to dance unexpectedly, just dance. Another lesson was to have your portfolio ready because you never know who might approach you,” said Mandisa.
Even though she is fully committed to her dancing, homework always takes first priority. She ensures that she achieves well in academics by studying hard and by going to the Learning Centre and peer tutoring at school. Mandisa hopes to study psychology after school, but also has plans for her dancing career.
