GRADE Nine Waterfall College student Jezlynn Jones is known for her dance career that began at the age of two.

Dancing under the KZN Academy of Celtic Dance, Jezlynn has achieved incredible success in the Irish dance scene. She has qualified for the South African championships and placed third overall for the pre-championship (PC5) in the 14 and older group.

Also read: Local line dancer crowned world dance champ in UK

Jezlynn took part in Shall We Dance, presented by the Playhouse Company in Durban, and competed in four Irish Dancing Competitions this year. Three competitions were local, and she placed in two but excelled in the third competition, where she placed third in PC 4 and first in PC 5. The fourth competition took place in Johannesburg, which was the Irish Dancing SA Championships. Following this, Jezlynn has changed studios to dance under the Parker Academy.

Jezlynn describes her dance career as one that requires lots of discipline and hard work, especially when one aspires to become an Irish Dance instructor, as she does. “From Grade Five to 12, you have to study for dance exams. Once you’ve chosen a dance, like the Céilí, the examiners will ask you to recite the dance to them, then they’ll ask you questions about it,” she said.

Jezlynn’s dancing prowess also qualified her for the Irish Dance World Championships in 2019 and 2022. The qualifying dance for the Irish Dance World Championships was an eight-hand Céilí dance. She explained an eight-hand dance as a rigorous, fast-paced routine where one’s hands must remain at a 90-degree angle while dancers move in a square or circle.

Also read: Novice dancer (75) wins comp

Waterfall College Physical Science teacher Rebecca Goodrick described Jezlynn as a passionate student who always takes care of others. “She is passionate about dancing and has a super talent. She spends most weekends performing but is able to balance her time between school and dancing,” she said.

Although she’s enjoyed participating in First Aid, cross-country and playing netball in the past, Jezlynn cannot imagine herself participating in and enjoying any other sport quite like Irish Dance. For those interested in Irish Dance, Jezlynn advises them to be ‘prepared to work hard, spend most of your days dancing and have a passion for it’.

For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook , X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.