Ballerina lives her gracious passion

When you live your passion, you notice it in everything you do. Local dancer, Carla Turner came to notice how the froth dances in a mug and how the wind moves autumn leaves so beautifully.

Carla was introduced to the detailed world of grace and poise at the tender age of two when she used to tag along to her big sisters’ ballet classes. Even the teacher noticed her passion for the craft.

“I just loved the music. It made me want to move my body. In fact, most tiny people can’t resist good music – almost all kids dance before they can even walk,” she said.

“I have spent so many hours in dance lessons and have to thank my angel mom for driving me there and back when I was in school. My ballet led to Spanish dancing, and that eventually led to tangos and waltzes.”

At the age of eight the devoted little ballerina did her first ballet solo. At the age of 12 her teacher at the time, Anne Broder helped her to get her first win in her section at the Cape Town Eisteddfod.

Carla kept dancing until she qualified as a ballet teacher and opened her own studio, Dance Inc in 2000.

“I’ve been dancing for 40 years and teaching for more than 20. I’ve always done dancing as well as something else, whether it was studying, or design, or photography. I believe in investing in myself and learning new things,” she said.

In 2011 she won the Paula Fick Trophy for the best choreography for her ballet Ariel in the Underworld, which is a balletic version of the Little Mermaid.

“After that I started the Mogale Youth Ballet, which is for anyone who has the commitment and dedication to dance. I am a big believer that ‘hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard’,” Carla said.

“I’m so proud of my students as we did well at The National Eisteddfod last year. I have such fond memories of dancing at the Roodepoort Dance Festival and taking my own students there to dance as well.”

Last year’s theatre production, Dancing Queen, was a great success. Dance Inc even secured some lovely results at the National Eisteddfod which they entered digitally for the first time last year.

Carla’s studio had been in Wilro Park for approximately four years until the persistent effects of Covid-19 forced her to move it to her home in Kenmare, Krugersdorp. She still teaches ballet and Pilates to students from all over the West Rand.

“I am very blessed to say that thanks to the community my studio is now at my home. We needed a special floor that cost a lot of money and so we crowd-funded. As a thank you and reminder, every donor’s name is on the perimeter of the floor. Whenever I walk in there I feel so fortunate, loved and blessed that the dreams I never knew I had, came true,” she said.

She added that artists are passionate and resilient, and she knew her students needed to dance – Covid or not. That’s why she currently offers online lessons as well.

Her advice for upcoming dancers is to do it with passion, or not at all. She urges them to take care of their bodies and to remember that flexibility without strength is the same as strength without flexibility; both are needed.

“I dream of ballet being offered during PT periods in school instead of only for the privileged few after school. That little one who can’t sit still in class normally makes the best dancer. Their energy is boundless and the music helps so much with focus and concentration,” Carla said.

“I would love to see dance therapy in retirement villages as well. I believe dancing keeps the body young and the mind sharp. I would very much enjoy to teach and adjudicate internationally and see more of the world, literally letting my dancing take me places.”

Her favourite part of dancing is when something her students have been trying to master, finally clicks. She also loves it when dancing brings people together or used as a way of raising funds for a worthy cause.

For more information, feel free to visit her Facebook page, Dance Inc.