Dancing her way around the world

Getting into line dancing because she was stressed at work, Lee-Ann had never danced before in her life.
“A woman at my sons’ crèche actually got me into it. She said ‘why don’t you come with me to HeatherBEEliners?’, and ever since then I have been dancing,” says Lee-Ann.
She says that line dancing is a unique kind of dancing because it incorporates a lot of different styles of dancing.
“If you like hip-hop, ballroom or Latin, there are elements of all these and more in line dancing.”
Before she started dancing, she though she was terrible at it.
“I thought I had two left feet. But luckily they became a right and a left.”
Through doing her dancing exams recently, Lee-Ann has actually qualified to teach most of the styles of dancing that line dancing incorporates, as well as the actual line dancing itself.
“Last year I did my South African Masters dancing exams and this year we did our international exams, which is actually the highest line dancing qualification you can get,” says Lee-Ann.
She says that the international exams were extremely intense, but once you have qualified, you can grade or dance anywhere in the world.
Lee-Ann is one of four South African line dancers who have qualified to dance in the world championships which will take place from July 16 to July 18 in the Winter Theatre in Blackpool which is in England.
Lee-Ann qualified to go to Blackpool in her South African Masters exams, where she came first in her choreography and third in her dance.
“I will be dancing and choreographing at the competition,” she says.
“I’m not looking to only place, I’m looking to learn. The World Dance Masters (WDM) sees dancers from all over the world coming to the competition, so learning from other dancers is something I am looking forward to.
“Knowing that I am one of the South Africans going over is awesome. I mostly just want to learn. A lot of the people going over are taught by Nicola Laverty, one of the world’s best dancers,” she says.
Wanting to bring something from home, Lee-Ann has chosen movements inspired by South African traditional dances and will use the song Zoma by Crazy White Boy which means ‘like to dance’.
“I’m entering a country dance, a funky which is hip-hop and then my choreography which is the one done to Zoma which is a showcase dance,” says Lee-Ann.
Lee-Ann says she loves dancing and that all the dancers are like one big family.
“It is really so much fun, and caters for people of all ages. Dancing is my escape and my happy place,” she says.
Lee-Ann says that she wants men to know that they can also join, it’s not just for women and she is hoping that soon the HeatherBEEliners will include more couples dances and that more men will join their family.