Ballito ballerinas star in Cape Town
Held at the Mother City's Artscape Theatre, the competition featured 65 dancers across three age groups.
Two aspiring Ballito ballerinas returned from the South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC) with prizes in hand.
Sophie White (11) earned a bronze medal in the classical girls category, while Olivia Wynne (12) claimed a special merit award in the contemporary girls division.
The duo faced off against the best under-22 dancers from across South Africa, as well as five dancers that made the trip from South Korea.
International dancers unable to make it to Cape Town were also able to send in video entries.
Held at the Mother City’s Artscape Theatre from July 23-26, the competition featured 65 dancers across three age groups, namely scholar (9-12), junior (13-16) and senior (17-22).
Ballito’s Jane McMurchie (17) also represented the North Coast in her first year of eligibility in the senior division.
The judging process is unlike typical sporting medals where the top performer wins gold and so on, but rather dancers earn medals based on their proficiency.
Wynne was the only dancer in the contemporary category who was awarded a prize, finishing top in her group.
And although she won a bronze medal, White was actually the second placed scholar in the classical solo category after performing a Blue-bird variation.
Only two gold medals were awarded in the entire event and both went to South Korean, Yeonseo Cho (16).
Reflecting on the competition, White said she felt lucky to be involved and to rub shoulders with some of the world’s best dancers and teachers.
“I loved being on the stage, it felt electrifying. When the lights hit me it was like being in my own world, just me and the music. Coming home with a medal was very cool and I am very proud of myself,” she said.
White thanked Taryn Makaab Smit of Break-Thru Dance Studio in Durban, who coached all three North Coast girls at the SAIBC.
- This story differs from the print version. It has been updated to reflect that Wynne and White won prizes in separate categories, not in the same as was incorrectly stated in the paper.
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