Eden Classens is dancing his way to victory

An old Newcastillian, ex-head boy at Huttenpark Primary School and now a well-known on-screen name, Eden has turned heads with his good looks, charm and now his dance moves.

March 14, 2018

Zianne Leibrandt 4 minutes read

(Photo sourced) - Eden Classens has secured a spot in the finals, and now he needs your votes to secure the win.

It’s always wonderful to see Newcastillians doing amazing things with their lives, and this is the case with 26-year-old Eden Classens.

An old Newcastillian, ex-head boy at Huttenpark Primary School and now a well-known on-screen name, Eden has turned heads with his good looks, charm and now his dance moves.

Eden was recently invited to perform on MNet’s Dancing With The Stars, which airs every Sunday night, live at 5pm.

‘’I never really considered myself a celebrity, but getting the phone call from DWTS was one of my most proudest moments to date,” said Eden, during an exclusive interview with the Newcastle Advertiser.

ALSO READ: VOTE NOW: Help Newcastle’s Eden and partner Ash-Leigh dance their way to the top

Born in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape Province, Eden moved to Newcastle with his parents at the age of five.

Here he attended Huttenpark Primary School, where he excelled in academics as well as sport, and which ultimately led to him being appointed as head boy.

“I participated in a lot of school activities as a child. I played rugby, cricket, chess and a whole lot more sports as well, and I received the trophy for versatility.”

From there, he went on to Newcastle High School before transferring to Ferrum High School.

Eden also developed a passion for choir, drama and theatre from a young age, and regularly participated in school plays and Eisteddfods.

However, it was in grade 10 where Eden decided to take his love for choir, drama and theatre more seriously and to pursue it on a more professional level.

In Grade 10, Eden decided to move in with his father in Kempton Park outside Johannesburg, where he would complete his schooling.
Eden described growing up in Newcastle as fun, and said our town would always own a piece of his heart.

“Newcastle is a very tight, family orientated town. I have amazing childhood memories of my time in Newcastle; memories which I will cherish for ever,” he said.

After completing school, Eden attended the New York Film Academy to study musical theatre.

However, after graduating and receiving his diploma two years later, Eden ventured into the world of modelling, allowing him to travel abroad to places such as Milan and London, and be a part of major fashion shows such as the New York Fashion Week.

After his third year abroad, Eden made the decision to move back to South Africa, as his father had been in a five year battle with cancer, and things appeared to be taking a turn for the worse.

Six months after moving back home, Eden’s dad sadly lost his battle.

“My dad and I were very close. He was my inspiration in life, and losing him was absolutely devastating.”

Picking up the pieces, Eden moved to Cape Town to be with his mother and 19-year-old brother, Liardus Nel.

“I am also very close to my brother and my mother. My mother always inspired me to follow my dreams, and my brother was also supportive of my career,” he said.

He continued his modelling career before enrolling into AFDA – The School for the Creative Economy, where he obtained a degree in film, stage and drama.

After graduating from AFDA, Eden appeared in films including Rowwe Diamante, and Reload, and Revolt, and now plays a lead role as Justin Potgieter, in the Afrikaans soapie, Suidooster.

When this multi-talented man is not strutting his stuff on the runway or appearing on the silver screen, he can be found spending quality time with his girlfriend, Cato Meaker, and four-year-old dachshund, Frodo, who he considers to be his four-legged family member.

“Frodo is just absolutely everything to me. He is a special pet as his birthday just so happens to fall on Valentine’s Day, and I just could not imagine my life with out him!”

Lately, Eden has found comfort in a whole new world of entertainment as he takes to the stage on a weekly basis on MNet’s Dancing With The Stars, where he and his dancing partner, Ash-Leigh Hunter dance their hearts out, in the hope of winning the competition.

Eden admitted being part of such an extravagant show required hard work, great dedication and a lot of time, but was extremely proud to be able to be a part of it.

“We exercise at least eight hours every day to ensure our routines are perfected for the show every week. Luckily, Ash-Leigh is a professional dancer from Australia, and she makes sure I know my routines.”

Since being on the show, Eden said the amount of support he received from fellow Newcastillians was outstanding, and said he would continue to make his supporters proud.

“I am so thankful for this journey; it has really been so amazing. This entire experience has only motivated me to want to do better, as I consider it a blessing from God. I can only describe myself as thankful; thankful to my supporters, thankful to my family and thankful to my fellow Suidooster cast members for voting for me week after week, ensuring that Ash-Leigh and I remain in the show.”

Newcastillians, this is where you come in!

In order to keep this star couple in the competition, register and vote for them at: https://m-net.dstv.com/show/dancing-with-the-stars-sa

Come on Newcastle, let’s keep Eden and Ash-Leigh in the competition!