Kiana Prinsloo is shaking up the world of ballet with sexy, fresh moves

Stop press. There is a new star in town, and she is on a mission to make ballet more accessible to a wider audience and develop a younger fan base. Kiana Prinsloo is young, sexy and at leading the charge to take ballet beyond the classics, front and centre where contemporary dance lives and breathes. It is her oxygen, and she wants to share it. 

Prinsloo is presently dancing lead in Mzansi Ballet’s Neil Diamond Show at Montecasino’s Teatro. The company, which she joined a year ago, has become known for its adventurous adaptation of ballet to more contemporary music and infusing other disciplines like flamenco, jazz, and even hip hop into the mix. The Neil Diamond Show is under the direction of Angela Revie. “What Angela really has also tried to do is take ballet and create it into something new and something exciting. It is variety show. The more people come, the more they see that it is a beauty, it is an art.”

Beauty in ballet’s art

“It’s not just for ballet lovers,” Prinsloo said. “Wives want to bring their husbands, and then their husbands are actually like, ‘Oh, this is nice. I actually enjoy this. It is not what I was expecting.’” 

This excites Prinsloo. “I really love the diversity in the company,” she said. “Especially with the dancers as well, because there’s not just one type of dancer. We do not all look the same. Not everyone dances the same. We have our own way about us,” she said. Mzansi Ballet’s segue and pairing of contemporary with classic mirrors its internal diversity. This is something Prinsloo finds particularly exciting and is a reflection of the broader South African culture, she said. “It’s vibrant, varied, and full of life.”

It also goes a long way in breaking down preconceived notions about ballet. Mzansi Ballet is drawing in new audiences and, in the process, claiming its place in the twenty-first century. “I think ballet it’s very much alive,” she said. 

Prinsloo’s love affair with ballet began early, with her formal training at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg. It was here that she found her passion and, more importantly, a sense of belonging. “I love it. Ballet my go-to. It is my everything,” she said. For Prinsloo, ballet is not just a career; it is a lifeline, a way of expressing herself when words fall short. ” It is where I feel home,” she explained.

Ballet is where Prinsloo feels at home

Of course, ballet is demanding work. It looks effortless, but it is litres of sweat that makes it so. “It takes perseverance and discipline,” she noted. “But that’s the foundation of everything in life.” Ballet, for Prinsloo, is more than just an art form; it is a way of life that teaches grace, resilience, and the value of hard work.

Her daily routine reflects this, with a diet and exercise regimen designed to sustain the physical demands of her profession. “I enjoy a lot of pasta. Sushi’s also… I so enjoy it,” she shared. “I don’t really restrict my diet too much because I need a lot of carbs to get through the day and to get through performance.” She is not a lettuce leaf and tomato kind of ballet dancer. 

Prinsloo is the kind of personality, the kind of dancer that can lead the charge to a new generation, a fresh audience for ballet while at the same time maintaining its integrity. With a bit of a twist, of course. 

Right now, her plans are to stay put and perform in more shows at the company. “I’m quite happy living in the present because I’m having a great time,” she said. “It’s like I’m living everything I’ve ever wanted.” 

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