Proving to the world that SA’s dancers have no equal
Two young dancers have been giving it their all this year to have a shot at the top of the dancing world.
Dance is what drives them. It inspires them, and renews their zest for life. Without it, their lives would be bland and without focus. Dance is unlike anything they’ve ever known.
Cherize Slippers and Merise Zeedijk, divided by only a few years in age, share a similar dream. Travelling the world and dancing with the best is more than just a goal; it’s their purpose. They will train harder, dance better and do anything to get there in the end.
Cherize recalled a story from her childhood days where she got up in front of a crowd at a festival and started dancing just like Patricia Lewis as the singer performed on stage.
“My hairdresser also owned the dance studio in our town. She convinced me to try dancing again. I was shy, but the adrenaline on the stage quickly took that away. I can’t begin to explain the feeling of being out there. You forget your shyness and all your problems all at once,” Cherize mused. Now 19, she has been dancing seriously for close to a decade.
Then there is the 16-year-old Merise who is a reserved, fine young woman. She is careful and chooses her words with care. When the lights dim in the auditorium and the music starts up, she becomes something different altogether.
“For me it’s a way to express my emotions in a way I never could. I feel free and confident, and I can say more with my body than I can with my lips,” she explained.
Cherize and Merise met at the Synergy Worx Studios in Monument. Under the tutelage of its owner and instructor, Natasha Rizzo, the two grew into quite a force to be reckoned with. Cherize is the oldest student at the studio, having trained there for eight years now, whereas Merise has been going strong for three.
Over the past couple of years, the two have added a few high value accolades to their already impressive collection when they outshone their competition at the International Fine Arts Association’s (IFAA) national competitions. They were chosen for the IFAA’s Diamond Team which will be representing South Africa in Barcelona, Spain in 2020. The crux of the matter: They’ll need to raise R29 700 each to show other countries that South Africa truly has the best dancers the world has to offer.
They’re reaching out and asking the community to donate to their Backabuddy account at: https://www.backabiddy.co.za/merise-cherize, or by contacting Natasha Rizzo at 079 950 0708 for more information.
