Listen: Studio holds memories, creates new ones

As one era ends, another begins.

Diana Moore Dance World in Anna Street, Lambton, recently shut its doors after years of training champion dancers, but in the studio’s place is Live to Dance, with its own champion dancers and the drive to produce even more.

The GCN chatted to dance world legend Diana Moore (78) and Live to Dance owner Sasha-Lee Herbst (26) on Thursday about the reasons Moore decided to close her studio and the plans Sasha-Lee has for her studio, which now occupies the premises.

Diana was a dancer herself from a young age.

“When I was nine years old, I contracted polio and the doctor advised me to do ballroom dancing as this would help with my natural movement as the one side of my body was affected,” said Diana.

“From there my love for dancing grew and I branched out into different styles of dance.”

Diana opened her first dance studio in 1957 and over the years it had a number of homes.

After I got married and had my children, Amber, Byron and Ashleigh, I taught ballroom and Latin American from a studio from my then home in Chapman Road, but my studio outgrew the space and in 1985 Diana Moore Dance World took up residence in Anna Street.

Both of Diana’s daughters were also involved in dancing.

Diana has had an illustrious career and was instrumental in introducing a number of dance styles to South Africa.

“I brought the disco phenomenon to South Africa,” Diana said.

“I travelled overseas and had lessons with the choreographers for Saturday Night Fever and brought the style to our shores.

“Joan Mancer and I taught disco and it developed into a big thing.”

She also brought freestyle dance to South Africa by going overseas and having lesson and workshops.

“Pam Smith and I developed the basic SA medal syllabus for freestyle, which is still used by the South African Dance Teachers’ Association (SADTA),” Diana said.

She was also the only SA judge to judge a world professional Latin American championship at Sun City.

Over the years, Diana’s studio produced many South African and world champions.

Although she has said goodbye to the studio as she felt it was getting too much for her, Diana is still extremely active in the world of dance.

She is still running her two competitions, now in their 34th years, namely, Discorama (which took place in May) and Dancer of the Year (which will take place from September 7 to 8), as well as judging and examining.

She is also a member of the SADTA committee.

“My programme is extremely full and I will be going full steam ahead, I just won’t have the running of a studio to worry about,” said Diana.

Diana is thrilled that the studio space has been taken over by Sasha-Lee, who was one of her students.

Sasha-Lee started dancing at the age of seven and her passion and love for it grew from there.

“All my dancing memories come from this studio,” said Sasha-Lee.

“I would come to the studio in the afternoons, do my homework and then practice.”

Sasha-Lee offers an array of disciplines at Live to Dance, including freestyle, slow-dance, Latin American, ballet, hip-hop, contemporary, rock ’n roll, hustle, ballroom, disco, pole dancing and social dancing.

Sasha-Lee is an accomplished dancer with many titles to her name, including the South African Champion of Champions.

She has also competed internationally.

She stopped dancing in 2011 after breaking her foot while practising.

“After that, I could just never dance the same again,” said Sasha.

She started teaching dance at nursery schools, but after giving birth to her son Mikhial, who is now three, who was born with Down syndrome, Sasha-Lee started teaching at Tic Toc Nursery School for fun while she cared for her baby.

“I was approached by a number of parents about their children competing, and also believing the children could achieve more from a dedicated dance studio, I set my studio, Live to Dance, at home,” Sasha-Lee said.

Her studio began to grow and the move to the studio in Anna Street came at exactly the right time as she had outgrown her home studio.

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“I am looking forward to growing Live to Dance even more and we are loving the new studio,” Sasha-Lee said.

Diana said Sasha-Lee has confidence in herself, in what she is doing and in what she can do and she will grow from strength to strength.

Sasha-Lee said, “Diana has always been here, encouraging her students and she has taught me I must love each and every one of my students.

“I must be there to support them, understand when they are sick and encourage them when they are down.

“Just like Diana did, I am looking forward to building my own empire.”