Maureen is custodian of drama and dance in Hoedspruit
Maureen Lahoud is a well-known choreographer who has traveled the world.
It’s no secret that Hoedies is passionate about dance and drama.
Children and adults of all ages and sizes brave the stage every year to share their own special brand of magic.
Each year the productions seem to get better, as the performers grow in confidence and skill. And everyone who knows Maureen Lahoud, or has had the privilege of being taught by her, would agree … this amazing lady is the driving force behind the outstanding performance talent in the community.
Asked how she copes with so many students (and numerous productions!) every year, Maureen simply smiled and had this to say: “Teaching dance and drama is my passion. It’s thrilling to see how the children grow in confidence, as I prepare them with life skills that aren’t limited to the stage. The skills we teach in drama include techniques for public speaking, projection of voice, pronunciation of words, the confidence to express feelings, the ability to tap into our creative mind, sensitivity to body language, movement and music.
“Drama is not limited to the education of performers for the art world (stage, TV, movies). We are preparing our children to be the best creative communicators: lawyers, doctors, head masters, teachers, lecturers, front office managers, rangers, reporters and the list goes on!”
Maureen, a licensed Cecchetti Ballet Teacher and qualified fitness instructor, made her debut as a choreographer in the Contemporary Barefoot dance company at the Sneddon Theatre in 1980. She performed as a dancer for Sun International in 9 revues, as an actress in over 11 professional theatre productions, and in over 20 movies as an actress, production assistant and a stunt double in international movies. She also lived in Turkey for 16 years, working with “Magic Life International” as the resident choreographer for 17 Resorts in Turkey, Greece, Austria & Tunisia. Returning to South Africa in 2008, Maureen created an African Tribal dance group “Roots of Rhythm” to perform cultural shows at the lodges for weddings, celebrations and corporate functions.
Nyani Cultural Village Limpopo has a phenomenal tourism centre and the diverse historical and cultural heritage resources available in rural communities offer exciting tourism opportunities to stimulate direct and indirect job opportunities, for historically-disadvantaged individuals and communities.
In 2013 Maureen established the Nyani Cultural Village near Hoedspruit. The show “Limpopo Pathways” includes the history, story-telling and dances, songs and drum rhythms of the Pedi, Venda, Shona, Zulu, Swati, Tswana,Tsonga and Shangaan cultures. The interactive village experience involves the guests with local customs, traditions and lifestyles. From kitchen duties, to stick fighting and negotiating lebola.
In 2015 Maureen sent seven of the Nyani dancers to the “Window of the World” theme park in Shenzhen, China, where they performed traditional African songs and dances for Asian visitors to the park.
Barefoot Dance & Drama Academy
Over and above her work at Nyani, Maureen also teaches dance and drama at Southern Cross School and creates shows for the town with her students from her Barefoot Dance and Drama Academy.
With every production comes more than a few moments of hilarity. For Maureen, the funniest moments are when children argue on stage during a performance.
“You never know what is going to happen during a performance. Seeing little pre-schoolers who push their friends into the correct place (because they know they’re in the wrong position) always makes the audience giggle. And I once had the Scarecrow from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ stop mid-sentence to proclaim he’d had messed up the dialogue and must start again. Every performance is unique and there’s always an element of surprise.”
