Nothing can keep a passionate dancer down!
Hoërskool Randburg’s dancers have shown that nothing will prevent them from doing what they love.
Head of culture at Hoërskool Randburg, Santi van den Berg, said that dancing is alive and well at the school and dancers from different grades, studios and genres have excelled this year.
Cara de Wet (Grade 8) recently won second place in the U14 Level 1 lyrical section at the International World Lyrical Dance Foundation Star Quest competition. Emily Custers (Grade 8) won a bronze medal and placed fourth at the Dance World Cup competition.
Arnel Swart (Grade 8) won first place in the U17 rhythm and movement and performing arts section of the Solo Dance Schoolsport competition. At the Solo Dance Latina Breaking Free Online competition, she placed second twice in the energy and bhangra sections. Her latest achievements were at the On Stage Dance Festival where she won three silver medals for the open solo, Latin duo, and ethnic and folk solo.
Marissa van den Berg (Grade 9) won a scholarship to attend the Ballet Beyond Borders competition in Los Angeles in January this year, but because of strict lockdown measures in Los Angeles at the time, the competition was conducted online. She competed in the junior age group in three categories: ballet, contemporary and open. The esteemed panel of judges from around the world could select each of their favourite dancers and Van den Berg was named a favourite by Louise Hickey of the USA.
One of the organisers of the event, Charlene Carey of Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre, presented Marissa with a full scholarship to compete in the next Ballet Beyond Borders event in Montana (USA) in August this year as well as Los Angeles in January 2022. Marissa was also one of the selected finalists of the very prestigious Val Whyte Ballet Bursary. At the recent South African Body of Dance provincial competition, she walked away with one silver and three gold medals. She is one of the lead dancers of the Jozi Youth Dance Company.
Jennifer Joubert (Grade 9) was also one of the selected finalists of the Val Whyte Bursary. She has one silver and three gold medals to show after the SABOD provincial competition and is also one of the lead dancers of the Jozi Youth Dance Company.
Claudi Greeff (Grade 9) was the third of the 10 selected Val Whyte Bursary finalists. At the Dance World Cup competition, she danced away with a bronze medal and a fourth place. Her latest achievement was winning the gold medal in the lyrical section in her age group at the On Stage Dance Festival.
Lerise Botha (Grade 10) placed fifth in the U16 Level 2 lyrical section at the International World Lyrical Dance Foundation Star Quest competition.
“These young dancers are all excited about the bit of stage time they have had in recent competitions. Online competitions are better than nothing, but the stage is where they all belong,” concluded Santi van den Berg.
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