Pantsula dance clash brings Kagiso to life
Mogale City’s own pantsula group, Via Volcano, in association with various partners birthed this historical event.
In an era where street dancing has evolved into anything that goes, the Jive Nine Nine Pantsula Dance Competition remains popular, and brought the township of Kagiso to life.
This time around, Mandlakayise Street was the place to be, with house music and Gauteng’s finest pantsula troupes from all walks of life competing for a whopping R30 000 cash prize and a five-month trip to Taiwan.
The seventh installment of the Pantsula Dance Competition produced syncopated technical footwork, quick-stepping, body-contorting routines and low to the ground dance forms, complemented by tables, chairs and empty beer crates.
Mogale City’s own pantsula group, the internationally acclaimed Via Volcano, in association with the National Arts Council of South Africa and SA Lottery birthed this historical event and ordinarily host it in the streets, which the group said “is where it belongs”.
One of the organisers, Elrich Nicodemus Diale said this competition is designed to reach all the townships in Gauteng.
“We are trying to revive the iconic pantsula dance in our townships. The aim of the competition is to celebrate the township dance style, pantsula, and bring it to the fore as a dance form in its own right. We travel around Gauteng, selecting the top pantsula dance groups and soloists but most of the time we bring them home to our own people,” said Diale.
Protea Glen’s Tebza Skeleton wowed the crowd with the somewhat disjointed, sometimes fluid, robotic motion of popping and locking that won him a free ticket to Taiwan, while the Via Vyndal dancers from Alexander busked some blazing moves to the delight of the large audience and scooped first prize. Soweto’s Perfect-Storm crew pocketed the second prize of R20 000 and third position was secured by Moss Entertainment from Sebokeng, scooping R10 000.
The guest judges of the day, Mbali Nkosi from Soweto and Mohlakeng’s Patrick Lefty Mbenenge, were enthralled by the high flying performances put on by all participants.
The winners, the Via Vyndal Pantsula Group, whose four members rehearse every day from Monday to Friday, frequently travel to Johannesburg and other places in order to dance at commercial events, private and corporate parties, as well as dance shows. Made up entirely of youths from Alexandra, the members have been dancing together for more than eight years.
Via Volcano was established by Kagiso youth in 1994 and has scooped many prizes in dancing competitions with its unique pantsula footwork. They are no novices to overseas travel either, having competed in the World Championships of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles in 2005. The group has also graced various stages in Europe and the UK. Empowering young aspiring dancers, the group partnered with the Impilo Mapantsula organisation to mentor aspiring pantsula dancers in the townships.
The dance marathon, entered by 22 groups and 12 soloists, was graced by celebrity guests Mzikayise Makroti, Khuliswa Maphanga and six guest acts.
The competition will return to Kagiso next year.
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