Ballet girls soar at DASA examinations
"Ballet is something you can do, that will only benefit you physically and mentally as you get older," said instructor, Kerryn Shapiro.
Anyone can learn ballet at any age. It is not just for young girls, said Dundee ballet teacher, Kerryn Shapiro, who herself only started doing ballet at the age of 20.
Indeed, some of the more famous male ballet dancers of the 20th century are Mikhail Baryshnikov (whose life story was featured in the movie White Nights), Rudolf Chametowitsch Nureyev and Cuban-born Carlos Acosta.
“Ballet is for anyone. Ballet is something you can do, that will only benefit you physically and mentally as you get older,” Kerryn told the Courier.
She has been teaching this dance form – which has origins dating back to the Italian Renaissance of the 15th century – for the past seven years. Four years ago, she started En Pointe Ballet Studio.
“I love seeing the girls grow through each level of ballet they take part in and have some amazingly talented dancers. It has been such a privilege to keep the studio running in this small town, and I would love to see more young girls and boys take part in this beautiful but disciplined sport. No one is ever too old to start dancing.”
The En Pointe girls recently took part in their yearly Dance Academy of South Africa (DASA) exams.
“As their teacher, I was proud that all the girls received above 65 percent and most earned a distinction. Everyone showed up ready and prepared to dance their exams, and they all did so well,” she concluded.
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