Ballito girls dazzle UK with dance

Eight dancers from Ballito represented South Africa at the World Lyrical Dance Federation Championships and realized their dream when they performed on the prestigious stage of The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, England earlier this month.

The dancers from Swish Studio in Umhlali took part in the KZN qualifier at Curro Hillcrest earlier this year and their performance secured them a place in the SA team for the world event, which saw more than 1000 dancers from eight countries competing in individual as well as group dance categories.

All the girls entered two solos and as a group they performed a lyrical and a jazz piece together.

Gabriella Biagi took second place in the U12 lyrical and jazz solo and came third in the U12 lyrical duo that she performed with Cara Towell.

Biagi said dancing on such a world renowned stage was an unforgettable experience.

Erin and Hannah Wilkin’s lyrical duo earned them second place in the U16 category while the girls came fourth in the group dance category.

Caitlynn Fomison who danced in the finals said the experience created lasting memories for her.

“It was incredible to be part of the finals because the quality of the dancers was so high this year and it showed how much I have improved over the two years since the last WLDF World Championships.

“Spending time in Stratford-upon-Avon with my team and my teacher created special bonds between us and made amazing memories,” said Fomison.